SKETCHES OF SABBATH-SCHOOL HISTORY.—NO. 8.
By C. C. L.
The revival of interest in the Sabbath-school work, spoken of in the last number, seems to have begun upon the Pacific coast. At the Yountville, Cal., camp-meeting of September, 1877, the Sabbath-school interests received more than usual attention; and an address was delivered by Bro. J. E. White, which was published in the Signs and reproduced in the REVIEW. The result was that in October of the same year the California Sabbath-school Association was formed, being the first State Association organized. From that time associations were rapidly formed in other Conferences, until at the close of 1878 there were about twenty State organizations. In the autumn of that year, at the camp-meeting in Battle Creek, the General Sabbath-School Association was formed to take the general oversight of the Sabbath-school work. At this time also the first camp-meeting Sabbath-school was held. That which with many fears was tried as an experiment at the Battle Creek camp-meeting in 1878, has now become an established custom in connection with all our camp-meetings. A model Sabbath-school is held Sabbath morning, to engage in which the entire encampment is organized into classes, teachers are appointed and drilled for their work, teachers’ meetings held, and every means taken to make the school a model for the instruction of all the Sabbath-school workers who may be assembled. These model schools have proved very successful, and they increase in interest and importance each year. The publication in 1878 of the “Song Anchor” was a great help to the Sabbath-schools. Before this they used the hymn book or some Sunday-school singing book. The former, not intended for the Sabbath-school use, was not well adapted to its wants; and the latter contained many sentiments regarded by our people as erroneous. The “Song Anchor” removed both these difficulties; and, being furthermore a book of great merit, as acknowledged by good critics, it became at once deservedly popular, and is now used by the most of our schools. By the commencement of 1879 the interest in the Sabbath-school work had become so great that it was found necessary to issue the Instructor weekly. A Sabbath-school department was again opened, in which two series of lessons were begun from the pen of Bro. Bell. Some idea of the rapid increase of interest which had taken place during the years 1877 to 1879 may be gained from the following comparison: A careful examination of the volume of the REVIEW for 1877 shows that the Sabbath-school work was mentioned thirty-three times, while a like examination of the REVIEW for 1879 reveals two hundred and thirty-nine such references. These included all the references to Sabbath-school work made by ministers in their reports of labor, which proves that up to the time of this revival, comparatively little interest had been taken by ministers in this branch of the work. At the present time the Sabbath-school work is in a comparatively prosperous condition; and it has proved a great blessing to the churches in keeping the young people from the world, and in adding interest to the Sabbath meetings. Wherever a little church is found, there will also be found the Sabbath-school; and its sessions are often the most interesting part of the Sabbath services. The schools are furnished with a graded series of lessons covering the historical portions of the Old Testament and the gospels, for the younger scholars; and in the Instructor doctrinal lessons are published weekly for the more advanced portion of the school. While a few years ago lessons were published in the Instructor only, we have now in addition a Sabbath-school department in the REVIEW, Signs, and Present Truth (English publications), and also in the German, Swedish, Danish, and French papers; and the present year witnesses the advent of a new journal published by the General Sabbath-School Association, and called the Sabbath-School Worker. Its object is to discuss methods and plans of Sabbath-school work, and to note its progress. Most of the schools are supplied with maps, blackboards, dictionaries, and other helps, and the introduction of these necessaries into other schools is going on as rapidly as possible. Early in 1879 the General Association made its first report, to which sixteen State Associations had contributed. This report gave 287 schools, with 9,046 members, and $359.58 donations. The report for the first quarter of 1880 showed 485 schools, 13,860 members, and $766.52 donations. The report for the last quarter of 1884 shows 636 schools, a membership of 17,439, and contributions to the amount of $1,203.86, twenty-five State Associations reporting. That the blessing of Heaven may attend the Sabbath-school work in the future, making it instrumental in the better instruction of the church concerning the word of God, and in the conversion of many of the dear children, is the prayer of the writer as he closes what has been to him a delightsome task. C. C. L.