Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-07-16
SUNDAY Y SCHOOL CONVENTION.

| SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.
TWELFTH ANNUAL sEsSI0N-UNUSUAL-
LY LARGE ATTENDANCE-FULL RE
PORT OF PROCEEDINGS.
Reported for the spEcrAToR.]
The Twelfth Annual Convention of
the Sunday Schools of the Baltimore
Conference of the M. E. Church South,
began in the Methodist church of this
city on Monday the Sth inst, and or
ganized;ga full account of which, with
a list Of delegates, was published in the
last issue of the SPECTATOR.
There were fully two hundred dele
gateaPresent the first night and num-
Der Of Others arrived during the other
days IF the session, which with the
large sber of visitors made this the
largestC Convention which has been held
since the organization of the Society in
1854
We work of the Society has been
gradually extending until now it en-
braces 446 Sunday Schools within the
Baltimore Conference, with AGO officers
and teachers, and "a, 658 scholars.
TUESDAYS SESSION.
The opening religious services were
conducted by Rev. B. r. Wilburne
The report Of the corresponding Secre-
tary was read which showed that near
ly every person invited to address the
Convention on topics had responded ia
vorably.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
| The President, T. J. Magruder, of Bal
timore, read his annual address, as fol-
lows:-
After the labors Of another year in
our various Sunday schools, we are
again met together, in the name of Je-
sus, to take counsel together, and in the
recital of our experiences, the compar-
ison of our views, and the practical ex-
emplication of the later and most suc-
cessful methods adopted in furtherance
of this great work, to fit ourselves for
more intelligent and successful prose-
cution of our future labors.
We come, too, with hearts full of
gratitude to our great Teacher for his
goodness and mercy, and for his con-
tlnued blessing upon our work of love,
blessed results having followed our Ia
bors, schools have been established in
localities heretofore neglected, large ad
dltiOns have been made to our ranks, a
more careful and thorough method of
instruction is gradually being developed
through the mediums of our uniform
Lesson System and Teachers Bible
classes, and better than all, hundreds of
precious souls have been brought to
Jesus.
These are. some of the fruits of our
labors during the past year, these some
of the glorious results with which God
in his mercy has crowned the efforts Of
faithful Sunday yschool workers.
The future promises still richer re-
ward. The whole church seems to be
awakening to deeper interest in this
great cause. The Sunday school is now
recognized as an Indispensable auxiliary
in pushing forward the great interests
of the Gospel of Christ.
Its Importance and efficiency is set
forth in the address of the Bishops to
the General Conference in the following
words :-"Our Sunday school depart
ment has fully kept pace with the pro-
gress of the church in every other di-
rection, if it has not surpassed it in all
others. Its indispensable connection
with the church growth, in the present
age, has been thoroughly demonstrated
in the past four years It has replen-
ished our membership with it's largest
numbers and its best materials, and has
assumed proportions prophetic of yet
grander results"
The General Conference also adopted
the following measures in furtherance
of the more efficient prosecution of the
Sunday school work.
1st The appointment of committee
to assist and sustain the editor of our
Sunday school literature, and to devise
and inaugurate measures for its wider
dissemination.
End. Instructing the Sunday school
editor to combine the catechism of the
church with our Magazine and Lesson
Papers.
3rd. 1t urges upon parents and teach
ers the importance Of securing the at
tendance of every Sunday school upon
the services of the sanctuary and the
preaching of the Gospel.
4th. Recommends the organization of
missionary societies in all of our Sun
day schools. .
5th. In the chapter of the Discipline
referring to the instruction of children,
the word children ia changed to "per-
sons" and the Sunday school is thus
| recognized as an institution not only for
the instruction of children, but those of
mature age.
AS loyal Methodists, it should be our
pleasure, as well as our duty, to assist to
the utmost of our power in carrying out
these recOmme endations and instructions
of the highest tribunal of our church,
While they are all of the very highest
Importance, and, to my mind, vitality
essential to the prosecution of our work,
| deem it unnecessary in this report to
refer further to but two of them, and to
these very briefly:
lst. 10 the encouragement and dis
| semination of our own Sunday school
publications. I think may safely af.
| firm that in the ability with which thew
are edited, the simple but comprehen-
sive manner of their elucidation, the
| general character of their make up, and,
in fact, every element of their compost
ton. the Sunday School Magszine and
Lesson Papers are unsurpassed by any
! similar publications elsewhere, while
the Sunday School Visitor and our Lit
tie People will compare favorably with
the best published in our land, and are
furnished at equally as low rates as
those of the other publishing houses
AS Southern Methodists, it ia clearly
our duty to patronize our own litera-
ture, even at a little sacrifice, but when
| it is presented to us in a form and
OF terms equally as satifactory as any
to be had elsewhere, this duty is en-
HANGED many fold
I trust if we have been led astYay on
this line, that we May at once call a halt,
fall into line, and henceforth march for
ward with a steady and united front to
the support of the publications of our
| church.
IND. 70 my own mind one Of the mos
important Sunday School matters upon
winch action was taken by the General
Conference is that of the study of the
catechism in our schools.
1t is greatly to be feared that as g
church. we are sad1y ;ndifsxarant y1nn,,