Interserve USA History Highlights

1851 Mohessuri, a high caste Indian Hindu woman, finds a Bible and is publicly baptized.

1852 Calcutta Normal School opens to train Indian women to be teachers.

1861 American Sarah Doremus founds the Woman’s Union Missionary Society (WUMS), the first interdenominational faith-born mission organization in the United States.

1871 Elizabeth Blackwell (an American) & Elizabeth Garrett Anderson become the first female doctors sent from England to India

1880 England’s Zenana Bible & Medical Mission (ZBMM) establishes four mission hospitals in India.

1881 Queen Victoria funds hospitals and medical training for women in India.
Workers from the U.S. serve in India, Burma, China, and Japan.

1880s Service is expanded into Japan, China, and Burma.

1950s Service is expanded into Nepal and Pakistan

1970s Leadership of all hospitals and schools is turned over to nationals.

1976 WUMS merges with ZBMM.

1987 Organization is named Interserve USA.

TODAY Interserve USA is one of over 12 councils around the world sending almost 600 workers to serve in more than 25 countries.