Africo-America
‘AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”—John
VOL. XLVII.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 1925
NO. 43.
THE TEACHING FUNCTION OF THE
CHURCH
An Address by Rev. H. Wilson, of Concord, delivered before
the Catawba Synodical Sabbath School Convention
and School of Methods at Johnson C. Smith
University.
Teaching was the starting
point of the Church. In its
foundation, Jesus made the Bi
ble school the basis of its work.
The wonderful growth of
the Church during the first three
centuries may be attributed to
its teaching program; but it has
not until recently been recog
nized as the main part of the
Church’s program. Formerly,
preaching was the Church’s
main method of enlargement.
We recognize the value of
preaching, but, as a matte* of
fact, preaching rarely recogniz
es the fundamental element of
pedagogy; that is, of adding
something new to the facts al
ready acquired. Most preach
ing has for its aim the correc
tion of some fault, the explana
tion of some one doctrinal truth.
The best preaching after all
is that which seeks to fol
low up this principle, as with
the wonderful exposition of Al
exander Maclaren, Matthew
Henry and of the other exposi
tory preachers. The church is
in the world to teach and that
function will never be removed.
The command given by the Mas
ter as He left this earth, “Go,
teach” is perennial in its outlook
and universal in its sphere, for
every generation falls under its
influence.
But the Church has adopted
several means of teaching spe
cifically the trutlyWhich it seeks
to inculcate. The first systema
. tized program of religious in
struction was the Sunday
^^jchool-or - the .church school.*
■For many years the teaching el
Bpment has apparently been left
Bn the hands of this organiza
Ition- Of late several plans have
fbeen formulated, some with ex
traordinary success, others still
in the experimental stage.
As we are all, more or less, fa
miliar with the Sunday school
and its method of work, we shall
not take the time to do more
than make a cursory glance at
this part of the Church’s teach
ing program. Not that it is of
minor importance. It is tremen
dously important, for out of the
Sunday school come 80 per cent
of the Church membership, and
yet that eighty per cent is but a
fraction of the souls which the
Sunday school reaches. Of the
other 20 per cent many of them
were once taught in some Sun
day school, and in after years
the teaching of other days
comes like the “pattering of
memories on the roof which the
years have built around their
heads.”
The Sunday school teaches to
win humanity for Christ. And
the time to win them is in the
days of their youth. A magnet
held before a handful of tacks
will attract almost all of them,
but when held before a number
of old rusty nails, only occasion
ally will one move. So Christ
will draw the young. When men
have formed their habits and
made their place in the world,
it is difficult to get them to con
sider the claims of Christ. And
if we want the Church of tomor
row to have strong men and wo
men in it, they must be reached
today while they are in the plas
tic period of their years- The
place to reach them is in the Bi
ble school and to reach them
they must be taught.
Building and maintaining a
Church school is no child’s play.
It is a business and calls for
brains, tact, perseverance and
faithful continuance of the very
best people of the Church. The
Ohio Superintendent, who was
a busy clerk in a store, and had
only an hour at noon and eve
ning, spent thirty miriutes on
his meals and the other thirty
calling on the sick, the absen
tees and the disgruntled. He
built up a school of from two
hundred to an average attend
ance of seven hundred. But he
did it by constant work and with
adequate cooperation. Every
successful teaching organization
in the church must have had
similar experience.
Of late years the teaching
function of the Church has re
ceived new impetus, and there
was need for it. We had got to
the stage where we sent the
children to the Sunday school
every Sunday for an hour, and
out of the hour they got a half
hour’s religious instruction;
then we sent them to the public
schools where they received
their mental training, and then
we packed them off to the Y. M.
C- A., or Y. W. C. A. if the town
afforded such organization for
their physical training, and we
allowed them to ramble the
streets and go to the movies for
their social training. And many
wonder today why the boys $nd
girls of yesterday are the youth
of today which seem to be fling
ing off on one side all restraint
and living in an age of precosity
never before known. And so,
the teaching program of the
Church has been enlarged, and
includes such methods and plans
as the School of Methods, the
Daily Vacation Bible School; the
School of Missions, and the
Weekday School of Religious In
struction.
The School ol Methods seeks
to train leaders to know the psy
chology of child life and mental
ity, to get a broad viewpoint of
.pedag0g3t.which.will give* them
the right idea of teaching the
varied ages which may demand
their services, and gives the ap
proach to the presentation of
the lesson which fits it for the
particular group under their
care. It plans a more thorough
course of Bible study. It gives
the viewpoint which opens out
the situation the writer of the
particular book faced and the
methods which the prophet or
apostle took to meet that prob
lem. And the beauty of the
School of Methods lies in the
fact that it provides for special
ists in one particular field, and
as it plans for the entire field
rather than one particular
church, its studies rank higher
than could be at all possible un
der the old Teacher Training
class. We do not want to mini
mize the Teacher Training pro
gram, but the value of the
School of Methods to any teach
er is so much superior that un
less there is no other alternative
every teacher should be com
pelled to take courses in the
School of Methods.
The other auxiliaries that
have been mentioned fall into
the pupil’s curriculum rather
than the teacher’s. The facts
relative to religious education
of Protestantism are well
known, for it has often been re
peated that while the Catholic
child receives about 300 hours
of religious instruction in the
year and the Jewish boy about
200, the Protestant child, with
with but very, very few excep
tions only receives 26 at the
most- This is due to the fact
that parents have relegated the
moral training of their children
to the Sunday school. But the
Sunday school meets but once
each week, and then but for one
hour, and of this hour at least
a third is taken up with open
ing and closing and the proverb
ial review and announcements,
leaving only forty minutes for
the lesson, even under the best
conditions. And that does not
allow for the times when the
family vacates and forgets Sun
day school afnd everything else.
The vacation Bible school was
planned to help fill this need.
The next on the teaching
program is the D. V. B. School.
A Vacation School is different
from any other kind of school.
It is not like Sunday school or
public school. It is vacation
time and vacation implies a
change, not necessarily going
away from home- It also sug
gests a good time, and the D. V.
B. S., to give it its abbreviation,
plans a good time for the boys
and girls. It seeks to do th§
things that they like to do. The
whole program is built to fit the
life of boys and girls and bring
them real joy. It begins at 9
o’clock, with supervised play in
the half hour or so before the
school opens. It lasts two hours
and a half to three hours. There
are no text books, and instruc
tion is given almost entirely
through stories, either told or
memorized. In the school the
impulse of child life to make
things is satisfied, for in this
school they are taught to make
many things neatly and accu
rately. Their work also aims to
teach them the necessity of
working together as Christians.
The church building is used gen
erally, giving the boys and girls
of the immediate community, ir
respective of creed, a happy and
profitable time under Christian
leaders and amid Christian sur
roundings.
Dr. Gage tells ot the lollowmg
incident associated with Church
Vacation Bible School work. One
prominent physician said, “Why
has not this been done before?
The children are kept busy in
good, cool surroundings, and it
is the best thing I have seen in
Sunday school work.” An Ital
ian mother whose three children
had not missed a day and had
done wonderful handwork, said,
“I want to thank you for what
you have done for my children.
I want the mto grow up good
American citizens.” A Lithun
ian mother expressed herself in
brpken English: “Missus! my
Leoe was such aliad rascal, but
now he is so changed. I look at
him, say nothing but hold my
breath.”
A Vacation Bible School is a.
community and national asset.
It brings children of all races,
creeds and nationalities togeth
er in one spirit. It is one of the
best Americanizing agencies
now at work in any land. Every
church that runs a Daily Vaca
tion Bible School receives many
blessings. It advertises the
church. It makes people be
lieve in practical Christianity.
It adds new scholars to the Sun
day school. It gives the church
an opportunity to render real
service to boys and girls. The
church in this work is carrying
out ouiLMaster’s command to
Peter, “Fled my lambs.”
The School of Missions lies
outside of the actual work of
the Bible School in character
building except in its relation to
the broader viewpoint of hu
manity. These classes also do
not necessarily limit themselves
to the younger members of the
community; many of the older
folks enjoy the programs and
discussions which naturally
arise in the study of the rela
tions of the Gospel to the world
at large. But the stimulation
of interest among the children
of other nations must have a
place in church life, in Christian
teaching if we are to bring to
pass that great vision of world
brotherhood which is the only
solution for the abolition of war.
And in this respect the School
of Missions should have a place
in the Church program. It can
be very easily related to the
work among the children where
the church is conducting a Dai
ly Vacation Bible School because
a part of the curriculum of that
school deals directly with the
missionary spirit and thus as far
as the younger members are
concerned the Vacation School
uses missionary material in its
program.
But the newest and most im
portant development of the pres
ent day is the Weekday School
of Religious Instruction. This
program seeks to utilize a por
tion of the Public School period
for the teaching of religion. This
teaching, as we understand it, is
not to be given in the public
school itself, but in the church
which the child regularly at
tends- Attendance is compulso
ry ; that is, if the child’s parents
do not wish the child to attend
the religious instruction 4 °riod,
the child must stay in school, in
the regular class room work.
Teachers are provided by the
various churches, and, in some
cases, a religious course has
been planned by the various
churches to which they all can
agree, and the child in this case
has not gone to the church of
his association, but to the near
est church building to the school
it attends.
We are facing a crisis in the
world today, and it is pointed
out thafcthe jails are filling with
juveniles while the elders are
disputing as to the best meth
ods of religious education that
will keep them out. Of the ci
ties now using the plan of reli
gious education, over 1000 in
number, the experiment seems
to be unanimously a success.
Writing in The Continent, Wal
ter Albion Squires says, “When
the public schools cooperate
with the churches by granting
public school time for church
school classes, the churches and
other religious organizations
are given an opportunity to or
ganize an educational program
which is up to public school
standards in efficiency. This
‘released time’ enables the
churches to enroll in their class
es the entire church population
of the community. This has
actually been accomplished in
scores of communities. Of the
11,000 children in the public
schools of Kansas City, more
than 10,000 are enrolled in week
day church schools, operating
on public school time. Here is
a distinctively American solu
tion to some of our problems. It
is fair feo Protestant, Jew and
Roman Xatholic. It does no in
justice to the very few parents
who are opposed to their chil
dren receiving religious in
struction. The'plan in no way
violates the separation of
Church and State-” In fact,
states another Church paper,
the religious forces have a right
and a duty to demand that the
State shall not be permitted to
so monopolize the time and vi
tality of the children that they
will have neither time nor vital
ity left for religious instruc
tion.
The Church was commis
sioned to go and teach. Any
method that can be used to
teach the essential and funda
mental principles of our Protest
ant heritage, must of necessity
be encouraged, and at whatever
sacrifice necessary; the child
must not be robbed of his intrin
sic birthright, that of receiving
such religious instruction and
guidance as shall at least point
the right pathway when the
ways appears; for tne moral
growth of our nation, the devel
opment of a high type of char
acter depends largely on the
youth knowing the principles of
Christianity as given by the
Scriptures which are not only
profitable for doctrine, reproof,
and correction, but also for “in
struction in righteousness.”
VIRGINIA WESTERN DIS
TRICT S. S. CONVENTION.
The 32nd annual session of
the Western District Sunday
School Convention in the Pres
bytery (of Southern Virginia!
convened with Trinity church,
Ridgeway, Va., August- 7, 8
and 9, 1925. \
A splendid program of the
year’s work was carried out,
beginning Friday, August 7,
at 10 A- M., with Mr. S. L.
Young, S. S. Missionary, pre
siding. Devotions were led by
Rev. C. M. Dusenbury, of Stu
art, Va.
The number of schools re
presented by delegates, 11;
No. of delegates, 18; ministers,
superintendents and teachers,
16. All the ministers in the
district were present and gave
great strength to the Conven
tion.
The reports were the best.
The young people were awake
to their task and penormed
well their part.
Mr. Young, after having
served faithfully for five years,
declined the office of President,
feeling that some one else
would be glad to serve in that
capacity. Rev. C. M. Dusen
bury was elected President.
We think the work will go on
to great success in the fu
ture as it has in the past.
Splendid papers were read
and discussed. Departmental
Conferences, Primary, Junior
and Adult, were demonstrated
by teachers of the different
Sunday Schools.
The order of opening was
devotion and Bible Study, led
by Rev. Wm. Fowlkes. Memo
rial services in memory of Rev.
W. A. Yancey, S. S. M., and
Mrs. Emma G. Dickson were
very impressive, Rev. L. L.
Downing presiding. Short
talks upon the life and service
of those two persons who had.
given their lives in service for
the Master, and the religious
training and Christianizing of
the race, were spoken by Mrs.
S. J. H. Dillard, Mrs. B. M.
Hereford, Mr. J. M. Penn and
Rev. Dusenbury.
Sermon on "Evangelism in
the Sunday School,” by Rev.
L. L. Downing.
Reports from Sunday schools
all showed signs of progress
spiritually and numerically.
Rev. Wm. Fowlkes gafre a
good report of the School of
Methods and encouraged all
the local schools to prepare to
send delegates to the School of
Methods. Fifth Avenue Sab-’
bath school and the Woman’s
Missionary Societies sent three
delegates to the School of
Methods: Mrs. Maud Reynolds
and Miss Mary Watterson and
one more delegate whose name
we do not now recall. The
Western District S. S. Conven
tion sent Rev. G. R. Carter,
minister of Holmes Memorial
and Trinity churches, to the
School of Methods.
Round Table Discussion, led
by Rev. F. C- Shirley, was very
instructive and helpful. The
Cradle Roll by Miss Ethel
Reamy; D. V. B. S., Rev. Shir
ley; Catechism Contest, b y
Mrs. S. J. H. Dillard. A class of
four persons, three young la
dies and one young man, made
the effort to recite from mem
ory the Shorter Catechism. A
prize was offered by Mr. S. L.
Young to the one most success
ful, which was a Students’ Bi
ble. The prize was won by Mr.
J. P. Wilson, a member of
Trinity Presbyterian church,
who, though spending his va
cation in Oxford, N. C., and ac
tively engaged in the Sunday
school work of Timothy Dar
ling Presbyterian church, came
home to help Mr. Young and
the young people with the mu
sic for the Convention. This
shows Mr. Wilson’s devotion to
his home church work.
Miss Mary Lou Moir, a re
cent graduate of Ingleside
Seminary, was organist for the
Conventional music. The
choir was made up of delegates
from all the Sunday schools.
Rev. G. P. Watkins, Presi
dent of the Synodical Sunday
School and School of Methods,
gave a splendid talk ifroehalf
of the School of Methods and
encouraged every teacher and
every Sunday school to attend
or send delegates.
Annual sermon preached by
Rev. F. C. Shirley, dean of the
School of Methods. Text, “The
harvest truly is great, but the
laborers *u*e few,” Matt. 9:37
38. “Holding the Interest of
the Boys and Girls of the
Teenage” was discussed by Dr.
E. 0. Woodward, Mairtinsville,
Va.
The total collection was
$5606.
The Young People’s concert
on Saturday evening was con
ducted by Mr. S. L. Young, S.
S. M., and Mr. J. P. Wilson. The
program committee gave a
splendid collection of papers,
recitations and songs. All were
suited to religious work- Their
offering was $5.00.
This most impressive Sunday
S. S. Convention ended to meet
with Mt. Lebanon Presbyteri
an church Friday before the
second Sunday in August,
REV. C. M. DtJSENBURY,
President.
MRS. E. 0. WOODWARD,
Cor. Secy.
NEWS FROM FAITH'CHURCH
ABERDEEN, N. C.
On last Sabbath A. M., our
pastor. Rev. P. W. Toney,
preached an inspiring sermon
from Acts 14:9, “He had faith
to be made whole.” His subject
was, “We Need to be Made
Whole.” On Sunday night the
r.srmon was equally as good.
The subject was “Obedience to
the Heavenly Vision.”
Our Sabbath school work is
still moving along nicely. Su
perintendent W. H. Byrd is do
ing all that he can to make it
one of the best.
We miss our school girls and
ioys very much from the servic
es since they have returned to
;heir various schools. Misses
rheresa and Verona Byrd, Wil
ie and Bernice Barbee, and Ma
jel Wilson left for Mary Potter,
Dxford, on the opening. Miss
Mannie Blue is attending Scotia
Women’s College this term.
Miss Gertha Mason is attending
Fayetteville Normal School this
term. Messrs. Kendall Lashley,
rheodore Carter and Cecil Blue
have returned to their respec
tive schools.
Miss Atlanta Byrd left a week
ago for Sanford where she is
again teaching in the Graded
3chool. These church workers
have been instrumental in do
ing a great work during the
summer months. Faith church
m&ses them.—- -— -—-——
Our Ladies’ Missionary Soci
ety is working nicely. On last
Sunday night our President,
Mrs. W. H. Barbee, announced
th^t the Missionary ladies de
sired to meet for a few minutes
with the pastor and sessional
board and -any other of the
members and friends who de
sired to remain a few minutes
after service. A large box was
borne to the altar, and, to their
great surprise, a beautiful indi
vidual Communion set, given
with the linen, met their eyes.
It was received by the pastor
and sessional board, and pre
sented to the church.
On labor day Sarah Lincoln
Academy held its reunion. El
der W. H. Byrd, chairman of
the trustee board of the Acade
my, was the instigation of this
grand affair. Every one inter
ested was asked to give this re
union his best attention; those
who were not interested were
asked to get interested. All
former students and teachers of
Sarah Lincoln Academy were
asked to contribute $1.00 or
more. They responded nicely. A
goal was set for $70. Along with
thi3 affair Elder C. Utley was
instrumental in getting up a
grand program as follows:
Opening song, “America.”
Invocation, Rev. P. W. Toney.
Solo, Miss Theresa Byrd.
Recitation.
Quartette, Glee Club.
Recitation.
Solo, Miss Lillian Douglass.
Saxophone solo, Mr. C. Utley.
Recitation.
Instrumental duett, Mesdames
Utley and Lashley.
Quartette, Glee Club.
Duett, Mr. and Mrs. Lash
ley.
Remarks, Mr. W. H. Byrd.
Miss Atlanta Byrd had the
games in charge and also the
social affairs.
All the women brought out
baskets, and every one was
served from a free storehouse.
A box of fish given by Elder W.
H. Byrd was also included.
The various committees now
made their reports. The total
amounted to $75 or more which
goes for the benefit of Sarah
Lincoln Academy. _
(Continued on page 3)