The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-03-03
THE AMERICAN S. S. UNION.
The Origin, Object and Work of This
Organization.

union even by Sunday school people
agencies of its kind, because of its uni
versatility and adaptability to all neigh
borhoods, irrespective of nation, color
or denomination
Its origin The First-Day society
was founded 1891, and it managers
petitioned for free schools in Pennsyl-
vania. This led to the organization of
the Philadelphia Sunday and Adult
School union 1917, and with other SINH
lar societies was changed into the
American Sunday school union in 1924
2. 1t objects. ITO concentrate the
efforts of Sabbath school societies in
different portions of our country. to
disseminate useful information; circul-
ate moral and religious publications in
plant a Sunday school wherever there
is population.
3. Its basis Union with Christ and
with one another for the salvation of
men. This requires mo sacrifice of
principle, no compromise of duty" and
only that discordant elements be
Oanished.
1t is not union of churches, but of
Christians of various denominations,
who seek to promote the study of the
Bible and TO save souls For this sim
pie and sole purpose they solemnly
agree TO unite and act.
Like the venerable British and For
eign Bible society it is managed by its
laymen, but employs laymen and min
listers as officers and missionaries
4. It's methods-U To establish a
Sunday school in every needy neighbor
hood (2) To publish and circulate re-
ligious literature for the young
Like the Bible society, it is a great
inter denominational society, organic
ing Bible services to teach, study and
understand Gods word The mission
of the American Sunday school Union
is to publish only upon those great
themes in which all evangelical Chris
tians agree, and to do mission work
where a unity of effort among Chris.
tians is absolutely necessary to secure
economy and success In outlying dis
tricts between existing churches, and
in new communities beyond the church
es, this society aims TO operate. It has
an immense field in the great West. in
the South, the Southwest, and in the
multitude out of the way places in the
middle and eastern states. To plant
and maintain Sabbath school in every
needy country neighborhood too divi-
ded in religious sentiment to be eco
nomically or successfully reached by
denominational effort, and to fill them
with literature full of the gospel, is a
work of towering magnitude
5 It's growth and work The Phila-
delphia Union began with one juvenile
book in 1917, and with one missionary
in 1921. Now the American Sunday
school Unions publications are num-
bered by the thousands, and it has dis
tributed over 50, 900, 900 worth of relig
ious literature; it maintains nearly 100
permanent missionaries, many of whom
have for their field from 10 to 40 coun-
ties, and it has organized an average Of
more than 1343 new Sabbath schools a
year, or nearly four day for every day
of the last seventy four year. 1t has a
IF 1u re re mis-
sionaries, for nearly half century past,
showing where and when every school
was organized, the number of scholars
and teachers in it, and the name and
post office address of the person who
was chosen its superintendent. The
population of the country is increasing
now more rapidly than the Sunday
schools, The field widens; souls are
perishing, for Satan is not idle The
society with these seventy-four years of
experience, with knowledge of ways
and means, can do the work if it has
the funds.
We ask you, therefore, to examine
the work of the American Sunday
school Union, not only in its reports,
but in the fields where its missionaries
labor. Consider its evangelistic basis,
its economy of labor. and its results.
1t will not then be necessary to suggest
that you give this society warm place
in your prayers and in your heart, or
that you generously remember it in
your contributions to the Lords cause,
and also when you arrange for requests
in final disposition of what God has
entrusted to you as his steward. How
nice it would be if all Christian work
ers might cooperate instead of misrep-
resenting each other The work of the
American Sunday school Union is often
derided or put in false light by work
ers or lay members of various denomi-
nations ignorantly or wilfully, in place
of taking hold and helping in the work.
l have known church members to abso-
1utely refuse to help or attend Union
Sunday school, and then find fault be.