The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-17
Worlds Convention at Zurich a
Notable Event in C~ontempo-
raneous Religious History
GATHERING OF NATIONS
About Thirty Million Persons
are Enrolled in the Sunday
Schools of the Wohd-AII
Study Same Lesson Weekly.

tBy the Religious Rambler.)
TWo tho ISand Americans, some Of
them now on h seas and some hast
cnlng TO switzerland i Asia, and the
others scheduled to sail this month.
are delegates to the worlds seventh
sunday school convention to be held
IN Enrich, Switzerland, July SIS.
Visitors from all parts of the known
world will foregather at Zurich upon
this occasion. SO many nationalities
being represented that alongside of it
the polyglot crowd at PentecOst will
seem provincial. In addition to the
European delegates there will be Sun
day school workers in attendance
from all the leading countries of Asia
and Africa. The mission fields al
ways send a large contingent Of mis-
sionaries to these conventions.
From the beginning, Sunday school
work has been dominated by Ameri-
cans. although the organization was
founded by Robert Raikes, an Eng
lishman. more a hundred years ago.
Today il has greater strength in North
bined, and a Philadelphia, DR.. George
W Bailey. is worlds president. The
management of the Zurich conven-
ton has really been in his country.
An Enormous Movement.
There is no other organization on
the planet. except the Christian
Church itself. which approaches the
School Union. The figures are fairly
staggering. At the Washington Con-
vention three years ago the total en-
rollment was more than twenty-eight
million. the figures having bee gath
cred fro none hundred and twenty
six of the hundred and n~inety-two
countries n groups of islands into
which tho Unrtd 10 Divided YShio m q
an increase of approximately three
mulion in the triennium following the
preceding convention. Since the three
years now ending have been the most
vigorous in the Sunday school history,
n Is expected that at Zurich the world
membership will be reported as con-
siderably larger thar thirty millions.
of the total enrolment at Wishing
ton more than fifteen million was
credited to North America, and ter
million to Europe. In this country
the organization has been perfected tt
a remarkable degree Of efficiency in
states, counties and districts. Only
at the time of presidential election:
DO the political parties approach n
thins like the degree of completeness:
nt organization which exists in tn
sunday school, enabling the genera
olncers to reach the remOtest cross
roads sChool with their plans ant
ideals.
The International Lessons
The greatest co-ordinating factor il
the Sunda ySchoOl, greater than tn,
form Of organization itself, is the in
ternational series of lessons, whicl
nave been provided to the Sunda,
schools of all lands and denomina
ions for fo%rty-One years. These les
sons are formulated in six-yea
courses, one lesson a week. by an in
ternationai committee representa-
me 'eading denominations and chose
"E the International convention.
The lessons are the basis of an I'm
measured amount of literature in tn
iorfn of books and Sunday school, Pc
flodicals. Thousands Of tons of print
"a matter are issued every month tn
world around. devoted to these lex
sons. No other subject is considere
simultaneously by so nan persons q
'he International lesson. which is use
IN remote communities in Asia as we
~ IN the metropolis Of Europe an
America.
The strengthening of the spirit
unity IN the various denomination
mas been in good part ~ttributabie
ms course of international lesson
ne torty-one years of its nlStol
nave shown a STEADY decrease in II
opposition to it. OF late there n;
srown up a desire for graded lessor
winch with certain ages take he pla'
"I uniform lessons. These are issue
more particularly under denomin'
uonal supervision.
The recent convention of SOuthel
haptists took action looking iowa
an increase of denominational contr
ana of dOctrinal teaching. but Il
press dispatches reported that he q
nomination had withdrawn from Il
International Lessons. This was
mistake. Last week there met In 1
annapolis q committee Of conferen
looking toward the next cycle OF !