The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
OVER 100000 STUDENTS
INTERESTED IN THE COMING SUM-
DAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.
TrfenniaI Meeting which VIII BE At
tended by over 900 Delegates
The Lesson Committee.
Special 70 the Indianapolis Journal.


ton sunday-schOoI convention. is to meet
IN Denver. June 26 to 30. From one thou
sand to twelve hundred Sunday-schooI
workers are expected TO attend. The inter
national convention is a delegated body
representing auxiliary associations and
standing for the organized cooperation of
Sunday-school interests. The international
lesson is the chief fruit of the associa-
tons, and while the international conven-
ton meets but triennially, there is held
under its auspices 10000 or more annual To-
cal conventions. Through these the best
and most practical methods are promoted.
the standard of teaching is raised and Sun
day-schOOl extension is furthered.
One OF the functions of the international
convention is the election Of a lesson COM
mittee to prepare the international series
for 19O6-11 The committee 10 be appointed
this year will be unusually important. be-
cause since the appointment Of the pres
ent committee in 1896 the whole field Of
Sunday-school teaching has received un-
usual attention from specialists in peda-
gogy, and comparatively new psychology
Of religious training has come TO the front
and must be considered by the new COM
nittee. The whole subject of Sunday
cussed in the convention and some radical
changes in methods and lessons would not
be unexpected There are for instance,
two live questions 10 come before the Den
Yer meeting. on both of which much feel
ing exists. One Of them is whether the
number of temperance lessons shall be de-
creased. Under the present arrangement
four temperance lessons are interjected
each year into the otherwise consecutive
and logical series. Pressure will be brought
at Denver 10 have this number reduced TO
two Many think that these special lessons
ought TO be taken out altogether, but
friends OF temperance instruction will
stOutly oppose such course. and may even
tight the proposed reduction. The other live
question is the breaking Of the uniformity
of the lessons This uniformity has already
been broken in some slight measure by
the adoption of the junior series. Now II
is proposed TO further break it by the adop-
tion of senior series. If this be done the
uniformity of the international series will
disappear. probably forever and with that
uniformity will so much of the reason for
the existence of such lessons and the Sc
lecting committee.
CRITICISM FREQUENT.
Criticism of the lesson committee has
been frequent of late especially since what
may be called the pedagogy of the Sunday
school has been better understood but
much of the criticism Is unjust. because
based upon ignorance of the plan of its
appointment and its spirit. The committee
came into existence at Indianapolis in 1872
and is first and last. only a committee of
selection. 1t does not prepare expositiOns
OF the lessons. these are entirely the prod
yet OF publishing houses and their writer's.
The committee has always asked advice
and suggestion from outside, biblical schOl-
ars and Sunday-sChOOl workers being asked
10 cooperate in order that lessons which
may best meet the needs of the entire con-
stituency OF the series will be selected.
How large this constituency is was told
at the Atlanta convention in 1899. when it
was reported that 13O34. 72S pupils in North
America were studying these lessons from
Sunday TO Sunday. The lesson committee
is composed OF fifteen American members
and a British section Of eight correspond
ents. All the members are elected by the
international convention. itself a delegated
body.
The present committee consists of John
Potts. d D.. Ontario, Methodist. chairman;
A Z. Dunning. D D.. Boston, Congrega-
tional, secretary; ]. NJ. Suf1er, d. D.,
Pennsylvania, Baptist; B. F. Jacobs, Chi
cago. Baptist: ]. 1. d. Kinds. Phi. D.. Ten
nessee Cumberland Presbyterian; b. B.
Tyler, D. d, Denver. Disciples of Christ;
j. S. Stair. d. D., Lancaster. Pa. Re
formed: ]. r. Sampey. d. D.. Louisville,
Baptist; II. w. Warren, d. D., Denver
Methodist: a. F. Schaufier. d. D.. New
York Presbyterian Z. B. Kephart. d. D.,
Baltimore. United Brethren; John r. Pep
per, Memphis, Southern Methodist; W. W.
Moore. d. d. Virginia. Presbyterian;
Nlosheim Rhodes. D. D.. st. Louis. Luther
an; F. l. Rexford. Montreal. Episcopal. OF
the British section, six reside in London,
one in Calcutta. India. and one in Mel
bourne Australia. Mr.. 3. +. Jacobs, of
Chicago. has belonged TO every lesson
committee since the plan was adopted DR..
Schaufier has had almost as long service,
while Bishop Vincent, of the Methodist
Church. now resident in Europe. has al
ways been active in the interest of the in
ternational series.
The international lesson system dates
from 1892. when the first convention was
held in New York. The year following "A
convention was held in Philadelphia. but
the time was not ripe for the work, for
twenty-six years elapsed before the third
convention was held. also in Philadelphia.
Ten years later the Sunday-schoOl workers
met in Newark. y. J.. but it was not until
1872 that the uniform system was adopted
and the hrst lesson committee appointed.
From that time conventions have been
held triennially, and Baltimore. Atlanta.
rrorontO Louisville. Chicago Pfttsburs ST
Louis. Boston and Atlanta (for the second
tfme) have been the scenes OF conventions
Meanwhile. America sent, in lSSs. four hun
dred delegates 10 the worlds convention in
London, and about the same number TO the
third worlds gathering in the same city
IN 1895. The second worlds convention was
held in connection with the St. Louis meet
ing, in 1889.
OVER 100000 SCHOLARS.
In 1852 there were fifteen States repre-
sented at the New York convention In