At the close of the eighteenth century, Baptist missionaries William Carey, Joshua and Hannah Marshman, and William Ward traveled to India to start a mission. At the time, missionary work was seen by most Protestant Christians in Britain as a mandate strictly to preach the gospel to the unconverted. Almost from the moment of their landing at Serampore, however, these four missionaries redefined that mandate as something more comprehensive and humanitarian. They believed that missionaries were obligated not only to provide for the spiritual needs of their potential converts but also to care for their mental and physical welfare. With this in mind, the Serampore missionaries embarked on quest for social reforms and social services throughout India. In order to accomplish these goals, they lobbied the government to allow missionaries access to the prohibited parts of India. They also established numerous schools and colleges aimed to help the poor and marginalized groups. Finally, they rallied public and political support to bring about social reforms like the abolition of sati. In doing so, they transformed the nature of Protestant mission work. Inspired by their example, other denominations began to adopt the same methods all over the world. Poised at the beginning of a global missionary movement, the Serampore missionaries created the blueprint by which many Protestant Christian missions are carried out into the present day.
