This series consists of pamphlets and bulletins published by the General Literature Committee of the General Synod's Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society (WHFMS) from approximately 1880 to 1919. The records are primarily what the WHFMS referred to as tracts and were used for educational and promotional purposes. It consists of pamphlets, booklets, leaflets, and program bulletins. Topics covered in this material include the necessity of mission work, suggestions for running missionary auxiliaries, biographical information pertaining to specific missionaries in the field, promotional literature tied to specific church holidays, missionary catechisms for children, material highlighting General Synod foreign and home mission work, suggestions for improving missionary societies, and information pertaining to specific events or committee work. Boxes 1 and 2 contain tracts with serial numbers assigned by the WHFMS. They are arranged by serial number. Some materials have later publishing dates than materials written after them. This may cause confusion. The apparent discrepancy is due to material being a later edition, but retaining its original serial number. Boxes 3 and 4 have materials that were incorporated into the series at a later date. The materials in boxes 3 and 4 are not organized in any particular order. Some of the materials have dates written on them, but it is not known to what they correspond. Boxes 3 and 4 contain a substantial number of weekly readings booklets from the Home Department of the WHFMS. This material was for use by persons unable to attend monthly missionary society meetings. There are several pamphlets written in German and a few written in an unknown Indian language. Box 3 has several programs from yearly Thankoffering services. There are two items published by the Cooperative Literature Committee. The WHFMS participated on this committee with women's missionary societies from the General Council and the United Synod of the South. In box 4 there is a typewritten list of General Synod WHFMS "leaflets." The list is organized numerically by leaflet number. It is not known when or by whom this list was prepared. The material in this series is in fairly good condition, but care should be taken with its handling.
