Evening star., 1944-12-03
D. {. Churches Fear
Eventual Extinction
OF Sunday Schools

WaSnlngtOnS Protestant churches
have taken stock of their wartime
position and have concluded that
their Sunday schools will become ex-
tinct within 80 years if present tend
encies continue, according to a sur
vey conducted by Philip M. Widen
house, director of the Department of
Research and Planning of the WASH
ington Federation of Churches.
The survey also disclosed that
while the District and its environs
increase their population "a per cent
during the past four years, church
attendance picked up only II per
cent since 1910. A report on the
study has just been released by the
federation.
According to the survey, there
were $4,000 persons here last year
who were not members of District
churches. About 100000 of these, the
survey asserted. hold membership in
churches in other parts of the coun-
try.
Many Called Sermon Tasters."
Using nine centrally located
churches, the survey found that only
A per cent of those attending the
services were members while the re-
naming Sc per cent were described
by the federation as sermon tas-
ters" or "foaters."
While the failure of church at
tendance to keep pace with popula
tion gains is causing some con-
sternation among religious leaders
the decline of the Sunday school as
an important factor insthe life OF
children Is regarded as more omi-
nous.
The problem of the Sunday
school is acute" the report says
There are many who feel that the
present day church school is on its
way out and that Professionalism
/ should be devoting its attention tc
the teaching function of the
church. recognizing that Christian
principles were taught long before
the modern Sunday school came
into existence. and may be taught
long after it has ceased to be.
Churches Are Crowded.
"Pessimism regarding the future
of the present Sunday school is
certainly grounded in fact. for al
the present rate of loss the Sunday
school will cease to be within 80
years"
AS far as church membership is
concerned, the report says, the
crowded worship services. the
booming financial status are rea-
son for rejoicing"
However, these favorable signs
must not result in an attitude of
complacency or self-satisfaction," it
adds.
While church, membership in
creased $4,000 since 1910, the sur
vey shows, Sunday school attend
ance fell off 10000. Some of the
greatest declines in Sunday school
attendance were at the Foundry
Methodist Church, where the fig
ure was 1882 in 1910 and 563 last
year for a drop of As per cent; Cal
vary Baptist Church, with 3,033 in
1910 and 1,790 last year, for drop
of Al per cent. and First Baptist
Church, with $50 in 1910 and only
$50 last year, for decrease of 81
per cent
Suburbs Show Gains.
Mount Vernon Place Methodist
Church, with a 81 per cent gain,
and New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, with IL per cent in
crease, were the only two of eight
churches sampled where Sunday
school attendance was higher than
in 1910.
Sunday schools in surrounding
areas at the same time showed
gains because of the centrifugal
movement of population and the
growth of new areas on the peri
phery of the CITY," the report stated
East Washington Heights Baptist
Church increased its attendance SO
per cent between 1910 and 1943;
Silver Spring Baptist, 81 per cent;
Arlington Presbyterian, 70 per cent
and Woodside Methodist, II per cent
meanwhile, in an effort to induce
temporary residents to join churches
while they live in Washington, jan
uary has been named as Join the
Church Sunday" In addition book
lets urging increased church attend
ance will be distributed and are
available from the federation.