Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-11
INTERDENoMINATIoNAL EFFORT.
Denominations Working Together
Brinq Good to All.

oiiH9 SoS1 " Ii's
Mr. j. M. Way, General Secretary of
the South Carolina Sunday School
association, before the York County
Sunday School convention.
In discussing this very important
and extremely interesting subject, one
question naturally arises: What are
the UNCONVENTIONAL interests? OF
course all that I shall say will be on
the Sunday school side of denomina-
tional work, and to discuss this ques-
ton intelligently 1t is necessary to get
at a starting point.
Denominational interests should be
identical with those of the Kingdom
at large, and If this be not so in every
instance, then I am anxious that the
Organized Sunday School Movement
shall help no denomination whose In
terests are not the same as those of
the Kingdom at large. Assuming
that this Is a reasonable premise, /
will also state that there are financial
and governmental interests which are
to be conserved.
If have made a clear statement of
denominational interests, then we are
bound to admit that certain conclu-
sions growing out of these statements
are perfectly reasonable, the first of
which might be stated as follows: Any
organization. institution or individual
whose teachings and efforts result In
the advancement Of Gods kingdom
and the promotion Of the Savior's
interests, will help any denomination
whose only motive Is to serve God.
In this enlightened day Of aggressive
Sunday school work, when progress
Is in the very atmosphere and we can
almost instinctively feel the harmoni-
Gus tread of the onward marching
army and when we can look on every
hand and see system brought out of
chaos, and ignorance fleeing, as shad-
ows Of night before the rising sun OF
intelligence, surely no one would
stand up and say that modern meth
ods of Sunday school endeavor have
not wrought this great worldwide
change from the lifeless. discourag-
ing conditions of thirty-six years ago,
to that which is so intelligent, so far
reaching and so nearly irresistible as
to cause officers and teachers, pastors
and scholars to go to Sunday school
and church, not because Of duty, but
because 1t Is one Of those privileges
which brings happiness, contentment
and perfect peace of mind.
Who would be so small as to stand
I'D and say that the Cradle Roll, and
the Home Department have not given
a new meaning to the Sunday school?
Who would stand up and say the or
ganized Bible Glass has not given the
very impetus to Sunday school work
that was necessary to make 1t a
world wide missionary institution?
Who can say that Teacher Training
is not only a benefit, but an absolute
necessity? Our modern educational
system has evolved the graded schools
and our boys and girls attend them.
The Sunday school, in order to keep
pace with secular education and COM
mand the respect and secure the In
terest Of these boys and girls, found
II necessary to adopt an equally In
telligent system Of grading both the
scholars and the course OF study. Our
college and graded school teachers,
because of the intense interest In ed
ucation and the ardent toll Of educa-
tional authors, had at their command
invaluable books to help and guide
them in their work. In order that
Sunday school teachers might not lag
behind, the great leaders and advo-
Gates of Organized Sunday School
Work have busled themselves to pro-
vide for Sunday school teachers, books
that help and guide them In their
work Just as inteligently Is do those
to which I have alluded guide the day
school teachers.
Is there a man or woman In this
audience who would for one minute
think to deny that these things have
been of great value to the Sunday
school and in the advancement OF the
kingdom? If so. have they not help
ed immeasurably the interests OF your
denomination? .,
The Organized Sunday School
Movement in its relation to the de-
nOminational bodies and the indiyid-
ual Sunday schools themselves. Is al
most identical with the relations OF
Poard of Trade to the varied business
interests of a city. The board neither
buys nor SELLS nor does 1t manufac-
ture a thing for the market. It's bus
mess Is to cultivate sentiment, to mag
nifty and pOpularize business interests.
II helps to bring to the city people
who want to buy goods. in order that
the manufacturers may dispose or
their products and the merchants the
contents of their shelves. 1t also
works hard to bring into the city peo-
pie who will invest money In business
enterprises in order that the city's
wealth and population may both In
crease.
The Organized Sunday School Move
ment does not, as an organization,
teach the Sunday school lesson to a
single scholar, nor does 1t publish
single lesson help. What, therefore,
IS it's business? First, 1t is to stimu-
late interest, by educating and encour-
aging those who do edit and publish
Sunday school literature and those
who are actually teaching the Sunday
school lessons to the people OF the
country. The great Methodist family.
numerically speaking, Is the strongest
Protestant denomination on the Amer
lean continent: yet with all Of its