Listed below are articles abstracted from past issues of PELITA
Source/Author: By Bishop C.N. Fang
Untold numbers have come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and received the blessings of His salvation through the Sunday School. Yet very few have any idea of how the Sunday School, which is an important part of the programme in almost every Church, got started. This year is the bicentennial celebration of the Sunday School movement. The man who launched the movement was Robert Raikes of England. He lived during the time of the Industrial Revolution, the bloody revolution of the peasants in France, and the war of Independence in America. Mr. Raikes was deeply concerned about the poor and oppressed people who were neglected and despised bu so-called “decent society”.
His first efforts to improve the lot of the poor and the oppressed were directed towards prisoners. He tried to rehabilitate them and help them find a place in society. But the society was harsh on them, and they were often not willing to change. So Mr. Raikes decided to try to work with children and mould their lives from the young and tender years. This, too, was difficult because the children were exploited in the factories, and behaved wildly when released for the weekend. But Mr. Raikes had a strong and persistent faith that Christian teachings for the young would sooner or later make a change in their conduct and in their lot. He got the help of some poor, respectable women who would teach. They were paid a small sum for their services. Many difficulties had to be overcome before the children were ready to receive Christian teachings. Before even a lesson could be taught, the children had to be civilised and their wild spirits tamed. Within three years, on the day his eldest son was born, Robert Raikes, could announce to the world the success of his experiment. The movement spread like wild fire throughout England. Although there was strong opposition from those who objected to anyone teaching the poor for fear that they would “rise above their station, the movement grew and thrived.”
The Sunday School movement received a tremendous boost from John Wesley who introduced the practice of volunteers as teachers and used the Sunday School format in all the Methodist societies. From that time on, the Sunday School has been a vital part of the Christian Education programme in our Methodist Church. This is a fitting time for us to consider the importance of our Sunday Schools in the life of the whole Church. We recognise with appreciation all those who have served and are still serving faithfully as teachers. Most of us are indebted to Sunday School teachers who loved us and taught us, and lived a Christian life before us. We also desire that our children today still have such worthy examples to follow, such teachers to lead them. To this end, we need to take seriously the need to send our teachers to training courses provided through the Annual Conference, the District, or on the local level. To be sure, we are not lacking in opportunities to sow the seeds of the Gospel among our children. If we can rise to the occasion and show the same self-giving compassion for children which we see in Robert Raikes, surely God will reward us with an abundant harvest and a growing and vital Church.
By Bishop C.N. Fang
Pelita Methodist
September/October 1980