The Dickinson press., 1913-04-19

American sunday ScAool Union
Rev. J. {. J~oreenson. missionary for
this territory. with headquarters in
Dickinson. furnishes the following re-
port of Sunday School work:
In its nationwide work this society
is emphasizing two facts. First, that
the Sunday School is the strategic
agency of the church of Christ. Second,
that a pressing need in America today
is more and better Sunday Schools in
the rural districts. 1t is the teaching
department of the church. and training
and recruiting office of the future
church. Through its missionaries it
has organized. and is organizing more
Sunday Schools than any other agency
in the world. All that is best in our
civilization has been promoted and
strengthened by the Sunday School.
The press and the highest church courts
unite in sounding its praise. The work
is four-fold: it is primarily to organize
and maintain Sunday Schools. 10 dis
tribute wholesome Literature. visit in
the rural homes and hold gospel SER
vices in the country. This will give to
all the country people a permanent or
%agnization, the pre- ence of the preach
er, the spoken message and the printed
page.
The rural Sunday School has always
been an important factor in community
life ; more and more it is becoming a
social as we'll as a religious center,
and because of its inter-dominational
character it appeals to all classes. A
union school al exist and prosper when
UNCONVENTIONAL schools cannot because
of differences in personal belief, and
church doctrines, and where a church
cannot possibly be supported because of
the few settlers. 1t is quite generally
conceded that 80 per cent of our west
ern churches were first organized as
Sunday Schools, and later followed up
by regular work. When we consider
the economy of a rural Sunday School
and the finished product which it pro-
duces. one is convinced that it is a
wise investment. Of all our church
benevolences only about 10 per cent is
used in the Sunday Schools. and from
this investment we derive IS per cent
of our profits. The Sunday School pays
a dividend in producing go p er cent of
our city business men, As per cent of
our women teachers. 50 per cent of our
men teachers. IS per cent of our minis
tiers. and practically all of our college
professors.
The American Sunday School Union
work is exclusively in the newer and
rural settlements. and has for SO years
employed missionaries representing
various churches, to do a home mission
ary work along Sunday School lines.
Hundreds of thousands of children and
''9rown-ups" in this great Westerr
country are waiting for some one to or
eanize them and tell them of the son o.
God, who. through the offering of Him
self. made it possible for US to have {
Christian nation.
In what is.known as the Northern Dis
trict. comprising the states of Mime
sofa. North Dakota and Montana. ther,
are IS trained Sunday School men en-
Gagged at the present time. These me
have personal supervision of over 70t
little mission schools, where more thai
IS, 900 pupils are enrolled. Some Q
these schools are ver fifty miles fror
town or church. 1t is not uncommo
for N of these missionaries to visi
d homes where no other pastor or Chris
8 tian worker is ever seen. Aside fror
: having 700 points organized they min
lister to about 800 neiehborhoods wher
for various reasons schools cannot b
established.
Beginning April 1st the force is..bein
enlarged. a number of new men al
being located in North Dakota an
n Montana, where calls have come froI
ministers and laymen for Sunda
School workers. The whole organic,
ton is supported in it's work by fre
!, will offerings from::churches, classes::ar
individuals and as funds are secure
other men will be engaged in need
fields that today are %unreached.