The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26
COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLL FUR NE w
 RELIGIOUS COURSE
Standard Training School En- thuSlaStiC Feature Of Bir-
 mingham- Southern

Sunday morning courses in sub jects pertaining to religious educa- tion given in the Owenton Sunday school attended by Birmingham Southern college students will be given during the 1923-24 term, authorities of the college announced recently. The courses are being held in connection with the standard training course, now being conducted by the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and one semester hour credit will be given to all college students who enroll for the course.
 The classes will be enrolled from the college students Sunday school and will be conducted each morning in connection with the Sunday school work, and in compliance with the course prescribed by the general Sunday school board of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. At present plans are being made to conduct four classes by the leading professors at Birmingham Southern college.
 Dr. Ludd M. Spivey head of the de- partment of religious education, will teach a course in Bible, using as a text "The Life and Letters of Paul." by Carter. Dr. Roy E. Hoke, head of the department of psychology at the college, will offer a course in princi- pies of teaching. He will use for the course Barclays The Principles of Religious Teaching"
 A course in The Program of Chris tian Religion" will be given by pr. w. A. Whiting, and Prof. Keith Bow lison will offer course in Sunday school administration, using as a text "The Organization on and Administra- tion of the Sunday School"
 These courses will be followed by a course in pupil study, using Bar clays text on The Pupil" A course in "The Methodist Church and it's work will be offered the second term and the two courses in Bible, both using The Worker and His Bible" as a text.
 In the standard training course of college credit will be giv n except to students. Others who desire to take the course will be awarded the certi- ficates and diplomas offered by the church.
 pr. Ludd M. spivey, head of the de- partment of education, stated that the courses would be offered first to CO., operate with the general Sunday school board of the Methodist Episco- pal church, south, and to aid in the extensive religious education program planned for Birmingham-S Southern college in the future, which is pre- pairing to place in the churches and Sunday schools trained men and wom- en in religious work, in the laity as well as in the pulpit. The main. ob- ject of the courses are to put trained Sunday school teachers and superin- tendents in the church, Dr. Spivey said.
 Dr. Guy E. snavely was liberal II. his praise of the course and stated he believed the courses would do more fn of NTafhnafe,, In, ha than any other plan which could be devised. Other leading religious authorities were as liberal in their estimation of the courses prescrib- ed by the general Sunday school board.
 In a short historical sketch of the course, the following statements were made regarding its origin and adoption by the Methodist Sunday schools.
 The Standard Training Course was first adopted by the Sunday School Council of Evangelical Denominations at it's meeting in Richmond, Va, in January 1916. The standards which formed the basis of the course had previously been accepted by the gem eral Sunday school board of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, at the meeting of the board in 1916.
 Tt was found advisable for the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and the Methodist Episcopal church to cooperate in the preparation of text and units of the course. This work was supervised by the Inter- Methodist Curriculum committee. This committee modified the stand ards adopted by the Sunday school council in certain particulars and pre-. pared a training course that not only met all requirements of the councils standards, but in some respects even exceeded those requirements.
 There has been from the beginning close cooperation between the two Meth hodisms in the preparation of text books for this course.
 "The idea of a training course for Sunday school workers captured the interest and support of the leaders in this field throughout the church. There, has been a rapid and constant growth not only in the number of students enrolled and in the number of awards granted annually, but like- wise in the conviction on the part of the leadership of the church regard ing the importance of religious edu- cation. There were more than 1 800 students enrolled in the course dur ing 1923.