The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK
American Methods Foremost
in the World.
SCHOLAR AND TEACHER
Aggressiyeness of Christian
Wins Every Time.

American Sunday school methods are
the most progressive in the world. We
stand foremost III the modern forward
Sunday school movement, and other
countries are paying their respects to US
by sending commissioners to study our
system of work. In country with
widely scattered population and cities in
which are gathered the most cosmopolitan
people the world has even seen. our meth
DDS have to be unique and aggressive. as
well as adaptive and the spirit of the
nation mas permeated our Sunday school
efforts as strongly and strenuousiy it
has the industrial world.
We have achieved results in numbers.
in effectiveness OF work, in the creation
OF character, in the formation of public
opinion and even in the direction and
modification OF legislative acts.
The Sunday school scholar is thus
potent factor in our American ciYiiizs-
ton With his Sunday school teacher as
d director and LEADER. he is almost in
vincible. representing the strongest and
most aggressive agency of the day for
upright. honorable living He stands
twelve million strong, reinforced by a mill
lion ana d half of teachers ana officers.
representing all told an army of nearly
fifteen million aggressive units.
His strength grows phenomenaliy
There is no other society that keeps such
steady increase in numbers in proportion
to the growth of population. There are
clubs. societies and other organizations
which spring up meterorlike, and over
shadow the Sunday school army in their
sudden growth but none of them keeps
pace with it in the continuous develop
mcnt through years, decades and half
centuries
From one information trienniai Sunday
school convention OF the country to an
other close to a million and a half
scholars are regularly added TO the roll
call of the army. This gain is over and
above the losses through death with
drawals and other OBJECTIONS from the
ranks.
WHEN FIRST UNION WAS FORMED.
The formation OF the first American
Sunday School Union. in 1924, was epochal
IN the history III lIIt ii.o"Vlii' H. ''A-N' 60
that time-more than three-quarters of
century ago-there were G3,I95 schools
41g. 1876 teachers and 2,745.610 scholars. Since
then the growth has kept pace with the
increase of population. showing gains In
membership greater than the churches
or other religious or sime-religious organ
izations.
The American Sunday school methods
differ materially from those pursued in
Europe partly owing To the difference in
the conditions and environments and part
" because Of the American spirit of doing
things according to our own idea OF sue
cess In Europe the Sunday school has
always been an outcropping of a church
or congregat ton. established and support
ed bv it. In this country the Sunday
school does not wait for the church. 1t
frequently establishes the church after it
has become a fiourishins institution. 1t
takes the lead in many parts of the west
and in our great eastern cities.
When a small settlement of three or
four families is formed in the north.
south or east a Sunday school organizer
is sent out to start a school. This is set
I'D i'm a deserted shed or barn. over pup
lie store. in tent, or il moves from one
house TO another, having no permanent
abiding place As soon as possible, how
ever. a permanent habitation is provided
for the school The denomination sup
porting the Sunday school organizers
spends its money thus in some distant
corners Of the country in helping hun
dreds Of small settlements to build their
first Sunday school
VN-;+l, Tho br,iIdipo- cd and the Sun
day school established. rallying point
for church organization is made. If the
settlement has a future il will not neglect
its Sunday school, which in nearly all
cases grows and hourishes with the town
or village. Teachers are recruited from
the settlement itself The organizer stays
in the place long enough TO obtain
proper superintendent and a corps Oh
teachers. Then he moves on to a new
place to repeat the operation.
CARE OF THE FIRST BORN.
But he does not neglect his first born
He returns to it AS often as desirable.
adding new zeal and energy by his own
personal effort. and advising the leaders
in their plans FOR tho future 1t would be
difficult To find settlement Of this char
actcr where q Sunday school is not well
come. The most hardened of sinners are
willing and anxious 10 have their chill
dren receive the advantages Of religious
teaching They arc not much on reli-
eior" themselves. but they will not
knowingly deny their children the oppor-
tur'tv Of following q different life.
They would not contribute penny to
the organization Of a church in their
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