Sunday School - A Look at the Past

General History
Robert Raikes had great concern for the children of England in the late 1700s. He saw how easy it was for the children of the poor to slip into crime on Sundays, the only day of the week on which they did not work in the factories. Since they worked in the factories all week, they were unable to attend school and therefore had no education. Raikes decided to establish schools for these children to attend on Sundays. The first part of the day was devoted to reading lessons. The latter part of the day was devoted to instruction in the catechism. Rewards were given to those mastering their lessons or to those whose behavior had shown a noted improvement. The crime rate dropped sharply after the establishment of the schools.

By 1785, a Sunday School Society had been formed in London to distribute Bibles and spelling books. Raikes once commented: "The world marches forth on the feet of little children." Public schools have now taken over much of the role that Sunday Schools pioneered. However, the Sunday School still lives on, though its purpose has changed. To change the world, we must continue to reach the children!

COG Sunday School
In 1886, the first Sunday School was organized at the "Holiness Church at Camp Creek," later to be called the "Church of God." This new movement recognized the importance of emphasizing Sunday School in its program. In the first Assembly, the following measure was passed:

The Sunday School was discussed, and this important service was highly favored as a means to teach the children to reverence God's Word, the house appointed for worship, and to elevate the morals of a community. The Assembly therefore recommends, advises, and urges every local church to have a Sunday School every Sunday during the whole year if possible. We believe that a Sunday School may sometimes be organized successfully where a church could not be established at once, thereby opening the way for more permanent work.

Since its inception, the Sunday School in the Church of God has held a prominent place in the local church. At the Assembly of 1928, several decisions were made regarding Sunday Schools, including the establishment of State Sunday School Conventions, District Sunday School Conventions, and the election of a state superintendent of Sunday Schools in each state. Today, Regional/State Directors of Youth and Christian Education oversee the Sunday Schools in their respective state/region.

*Information gathered from Like A Mighty Army.