The Field is the World

An historic event occurred in a field just north of the Williams College campus in the summer of 1806. Five students meeting for prayer gathered under a haystack in the midst of a thunderstorm and dedicated themselves to foreign mission. Their commitments gave rise to the American foreign mission movement. This morning a Haystack Bicentennial celebration begins as we hear the story once more, as told in a short film created by Williams students this past summer. Following the film, and an interlude of music of faith from around the globe, keynoter Lamin Sanneh, Gambian-born Professor of Missions and World Christianity at Yale, will reflect on the contemporary significance of the Haystack Movement—with time for questions and answers following.