The Detroit times., 1917-07-07
S. s. UNION
HAS TOOTH
Dir 7 HDAY
Pioneered System of
International
Teaching
GAVE START TO
MANY CHURCHES
lab Schools, $4,000
Scholars, Record of
Last Year
BY TIE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER

so many great forces for human
betterment are ~ work in America
OUT OF the reach Of human eve. that
list Of them would he fairly as
tonishing. The greatest Of the nj
oneer agencies OF the sunday school
for example. is this year celebrat
ing its centennial Yet. even In
the church press, there Is scarcely
any recognition OF an anniversary
that marks unique and immcasura
BILE ministry.
The present generation scarcely
knows that tho American SUNDAY
School union has pioneered the
modern type OF individual school
II pioneered the International Sun
day school conventions II pioneered
the uniform system of international
lessons. and il pioneered the SUNDAY
school lesson paper II still EN-
ploys more than 200 missionaries in
America alone II is said 10 be the
only organization that deliberately
turns over 10 others the fruit ~
It's activities. In thousands OF com
munlties which are not large enough
10 support a church. there are found
Sunday schools organized and main.
tanned by the Sunday School union
Large numbers OF churches have
come OUT OF these.
approximately 10000. Sunday
schools have been established by
the missionaries Of the American
81 about four a day Every stare
in the union is included within its
field
What this means when broken
up into years service is better
understood when the last available
report is analyzed This shows that
within IL months lab new Sunday
schools were organized enrolling
more than 1000 teachers. and more
than $4,000 scholars Added 10 that
much OF the years work was the
visiting by the societys representa-.
tiyes. Of 1853 Sunday schools. and
the helping OF more than $4,000
teachers and nearly 1000 900 schol.
ars
Being a Sunday school mission.
AIRY is not so simple now as il used
10 be The successful man must be
a social worker, else how could that
man have got along. who went into
a community whore there were 81
saloons and seven dance halls and
no church or Sunday school, His
job was 10 give he whole com
munity a lift
- fvt L.,
the Sunday School union is that
backward communities are an eager
10 rise They arc glad 20 get any
sort OF literature. no matter how
pious IL may be In the case OF the
OF foreign born, their
thirst for education is pathetic,
In this respect the SUNDAY School
union is doing real work OF pa
triotism Al the present time. nat
urally. II is supplying wholesome
literature for distribution among
soldiers and sailors.
There arc 10000 00 persons &C
cording % the unions statement. in
America AZ tho present time. who
are unreached by any form OF re-
ligious instruction These consti-
tute a national as well as re-
Iigious problem
The printing press has the long
est arm. The printed page goes
farther than any missionary on
horseback or in automobile. Dur
ing these 100 years the American
Sunday School union has issued
more than 100000 worth OF lit
arature, which II has either given
away or sold. Last year alone. q
0f its periodicals
The century Of activity OF the
American Sunday School union has
witnessed transforming changes In
he religious life OF America When
{ began there were no Y VI c. A 8,
no w. G. r Us no Christian En
ieavor societies. no brotherhoods
10 laymen's movement no men and
-eligion movement, no institutional
'hurches. Some OF the present de-
were unborn Others
we're in their infancy Prevailing
orms Of church work were then
Unknown. The foreign mission en-
erprise was only az its beginning
There were practically no inter
'hurch movements OF importance.
Except the Sunday School union H.
elf. Railway transportation ana
,ther methods OF communication
we're then on the shadow side OF the
present era Printing was rela
lively backward art Missionaries
moved about equipped with few
,recious printed page. either afoot
" on horseback or by cana boat
Yet. after all. II Is a question
whether there is any nn-e -ChrlG1lAls-
Ievotion In the land TODAY. or ans
moro enterprisins service than Wa
endered 1oo years ago b. thc FIST
OF the American 5ln
lay School union. whici is TODAY