The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-18

ulth BNft1TI'lSy IldNt c1th 4iNId - LII
f.r.nt official groups to consider
nna,es # Sunday School work.
storms Of criticism which fearsome
.nas thought might make shipWreck
- Ia. whole general Sunday school
,,,t.auIrnt have of late been raging
,ud these have eliminated IN grave
,r,ei.+ upon certain features Of In
international Sunday School activity,
~ several Of the denOminatiOnal con-
ycutious ldst month.
Df MI the recent meetings, that of
fbn worlds Sunday school leaders,
wlth representatives of the denomina-
t,,us. j few days & in Philadelphia,
vIl bear the greatest results, for it
! rnpOrted that plans were COnSider-
al for j radical modification OF the
form If organization or the Internal
t,,nlI committee 50 that official con-
tral Nv the denominations Will be as
surcd.
Action was also taken at the Phila-
a.iphia meeting looking to the
worlds sunday School convention in
ZprIeh. switzerland, in July. 1913.
Progress was made in the ogra
ana FOUR ships were secured to carry
che American delegates.
denominations Attack Lessons.
perfect fuSillade of criticism has
been poured into the international
sunday school Wor during the month
OF MAY by The highest ecclesiastical
bodies Of several denominations. The
orthodoxy of the new graded lessons
~, IN issue at the Methodist Gener-
All conference in Minneapolis. and it
prpclpitattd the livelieSt discussion of
the Northern Presbyterian general
assembly 1T LouisVille; while the
southern preSbyterianS felt SO much
alarm over the question that the Gen
erlJ Assembly issued a pastoral letter
upon tho subject. which it ordered
rn1d IN every church and Sunday
school in the denomination. The
Southern Baptists, at their denomina-
uontl meeting in oklahoma City,
made possibly the most comprehen-
attack of all pOn the International
Sunday School work.
Ever since its foundation. the Inter
national Sunday School Association
has been subject to criticism. That
is the common law Of live enterprises
but tho attacks just mentioned were
Of 4 different sort, for they came
from the highest bodies in the Ian
bodies which really have the power OF
life and death owe the InternatiOna
Sunday School organization. If the
denominations were to withdraw theil
support from the International Com.
mlttee IN it's work. the entire Struc
ture. with its hundreds Of ~salariet
workers, and its complete organiza
tons in states. provinces. n coun
ties, would collapse almost like
house Of cards. The conference il
Philadelphia revealed the alarm
which the worlds leaders feel owe
the situation.
This Philadelphia meeting brOugh
together the Sunday School leader
from all parts of the continent, tn
men who have perfected the great In
ternAtional Sunday School OrganiZa
uon. They met as representatives 0
the international Sunday School AS
sociatlon, and the International Sun
DAY school Council. a body o~fficiall
representing the UNCONVENTIONAL pub
ilshIng houses, which has steadil
crown IN power in the past few years
mere has been a divergence Of viev
ana almost a division between thes
Two ORGANIZATIONS; and this was
Sonc1llatiOn gathering.
Churches Potent Agency.
~ late years the churches hav
oeen giving increased attention to tn
various non ecclesiastical forms Of re
hg'ous activity. 1t used to be custom
"ry Tor ecclesiastical assemblies t
'ohllhe themselves to their purely OF
sumo a1alrS; and the election Of
oiSnop or moderator bulked large
:" me eyes of the church than an
"I''ter eoncerning the Sunday SchOt
young peoples societies or soci;
S"rFice. Not SO nowadays, Their
"N'ihS 10 have been a growing feelin
me churches that the Sunda
n"ol work, which is the most pc
IN or all the activities Of tf
IA'FcheS, since it has to do with tt
lining or the thought and charactt
- youth. has been left entirely tC
"'ueh 10 self-appointed. u~nauthorize
persons.
de seriousness of the Sunda
noon problem was brought out at
,hc'iihG Of the General Board Of r,
nEl"nS Education of the Protesta,
,r1Nropal church, held last Tuesds
'"' Wednesday in Philadelphia. Sc
49, pishops and educators were
"u'hce. While primarily met
nitn Tor the Improvement of Sundf
r'h""l work in the church. (which