RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21598, 19 March 1932, Page 3

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Ampliks.] “Thou, therefore, that teachest another teachest thou not thyself.” WORLD’S SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION. On behalf of the children of the world, and in the interests of Christian education, a call is issued to the eleventh convention of the World’s Sunday School Association to assemble in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 25 to July 31 next. Conventions since 1889 in London, St. Louis, Jerusalem, Rome, Washington, Zurich, Tokio, Glasgow, Los A 1 1" jjelea, have led the way to a rich world tellowship in Christian education. This eleventh convention is the first to be held south of the equator. It is, moreover, the first representative gathering of a Christian nature from around the world ever called to meet in South America. Coming, as it does, at a time of marked transition in the thought life of 100,000,009 Latin Americans, this convention has a unique opportunity to make a vital contribution to the ongoing of evangelical Christianity. The theme chosen for the convention is O Christo Vivo—the Living Christ. It is stated in Portuguese, the language of Brazil, It challenges all Christians throughout the world. Never has it been more needful than now to stress in every land the Christian education of childhood and youth. Here is to be found the Christian answer to the secularism of our time. _ The quiet, simple processes of Christian education are the most potent which the Church of Christ has at its disposal to ensure a redeemed world. Only inasmuch as we seek through the processes of Christian education to lead young people to faith in the Living Christ can we hope to win the world for Christ and the Kingdom of God.—Harold Mackintosh, president. PRESBYTERIAN S.S. UNION. The first meeting for the year of the Presbyterian Sunday School Union was fietd °d Monday evening in First Church Hall, Mr H. Booth, president, being in the chair. There was a good attendance of teachers, and as well as representatives of the city schools there were present teachers from schools as far distant as Brighton, Port Chalmers, and Mosgiel. After devotional exercises and business, a report was given of the annual meeting of the Dominion Council held at Christchurch in February. The Rev.Gilman Dunn, who represented the union, gave an interesting report of the work done, and of the most important business that came before the meeting, and later_ before the General Assembly. Among the important items were the new arrangements for the youth work of the church, under which four full-time workers were appointed, the youth direct°r > Dr J. D. Salmond, to be stationed in Dunedin, the Young Men’s Bible Class secretary, the Rev. Robin Adair, in Auckland, the Young Women’s secretary. Miss Buchanan, in Wellington, and Miss Iris Wilson, Sunday School secretary, in Christchurch. At the assembly Dr Salmond and Mr Adair were ordained as ministers of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Another important item in the report was the result of the deliberations of the Sunday School Lessons Committee. The assembly had also recoramended that the Youth Committee should be located in Dunedin, and this co ™nittee will shortly be set up. The chief speaker for the evening was jj “almond, who gave an inspirational address on The Importance of Sunday School Work in New Zealand To-day.” During the course of his address Dr Salmond briefly described the conditions of to-day in all the lands which he had visited,_ and deplored the secularism which wasrmmng the world and bringing about spiritual bankruptcy. He spoke of the vast importance of the Sunday School in the training of the boys ana girlg and urged teachers to be faithful and true in the carrying out of their task, following m the steps and copying the methods of the Master Teacher. Mr Magnus Johnson spoke briefly on some of the important points in Dr Salmond s address, one of which was the fact that in New Zealand there are 90,000 children outside of the Sunday schools, a fact_ which was a challenge to the ChVistian Church. He thanked Dr Salniond for his very inspiring address and Mr Dunn for his fine report. The roll call showed that there are still schools which are not represented at the meetings, and all schools are urged to send at least some teachers along to the bi-monthly meeting. The next meeting will be held in May, when Dr Salmond will give a lantern lecture on Palestine.” The meeting closed with the Benediction.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING. In discussing the primary function of the International Council of Religious Education, Dr Hugh S. Magill has something significant to say about goals in leadership training. It is worth our while, as religious leaders in a promising young democracy, prayerfully to ponder his words and note the objectives in leadership training approved by the Committee on Education. “There is a strong conviction that only a thorough-going application of the principles of the Christian religion can save our so-called Christian civilisation from moral and spiritual disaster,” he says. “ Careful students of our time warn us against the essentially pagan character of many of the dominating motives of our present social order. They clearly perceive that our disordered world must find its balance, social sanity, moral undergirding and spiritual dynamic in a genuine revival of religion. A certain writer formulates the view of our outstanding statesmen and religious leaders as follows:—‘A Christian world is not only practicable; in the long run it will be found that no other sort is practicable.’ “There is an equally strong conviction that the best way by which we can introduce into society Christian controls, motives, appreciations and ideals is the educational method. .There is a recognition not only of the fact that religion can be taught, but that it must be taught if if we are permanently to reconstruct human experience in terms of the Christian way of life. We live in an educational ' era, and all nations are aware of the fact that what they would have in the life of their people they must put into their school systems. After stressing that the public school systems must have as their objective the development of citizenship capable of sustaining a socialised industrial _ democracy this citizenship will be built up on two basic principles: (1) Religious freedom; (2) a free public school system. This means that the homes and church schools must assume definite responsibility for the teaching of religion to its childhood and youth. No education can be regarded as complete that does not include the culture and development of religious personality.’ “ This educational responsibility of the Church requires a thoroughly trained and consecrated body of teachers and leaders. If the educational processes and achievement of the church school are to compare favourably with the ideals and achievements of the public schools we must discover and train a more competent leadership. The new type of curricula, educational method, supervision, organisation, and administration cannot be expected to meet with successful use in our church schools unless we plan and administer a much more thorough-going programme of training in the local church and the community. “ The following objectives are approved:— (1) That the teachers and leaders in our church schools should bo as well prepared as are the teachers in the public schools; (2) that the minimum training required of teachers should be at least that represented by a standard training diploma; (3) that all teachers who do not hold a standard diploma should be encouraged to take not less than two credits annually until they shall ha\ - e secured the diploma; (4) that current periodicals and journals of religious education should make a larger provision for the publication of articles dealing with the programme of leadership training as administered through all types of agencies; (5) that carefully prepared pamphlets and leaflets bearing upon the ideals, materials, methods, and agencies of leadership training should be prepared and widely distributed among the various churches and leaders; (6) that workers’ conferences, convention, and institutes should make larger provision in their programmes for the presentation of the subject of training for leadership for ail types of Christian education service,”