“A CLAMOR FOR
PENTECOSTAL LITERATURE”
Sunday School Curriculum in the Church of God
◆ BY DANIEL L. BLACK ◆
I
N THE BAPTIST, Methodist, and Publishing House, the Church of God editor of Sunday school literature. Then,
Presbyterian churches from which (USA and Canada) had grown to 176 con- in the 1934 Assembly, two new offices
many Church of God members and gregations, 6,159 members, 310 ministers, were created for the Publishing House—
ministers came in the formative and state overseers appointed to 13 states. a music editor and an editor of Sunday
years of the movement, Sunday school was With this growth came “a steady clamor school literature. T. S. Payne was chosen
a well-established and important ministry. for Pentecostal Sunday school literature, as literature editor. However, one year
Therefore, members and ministers of the since the commercial nondenominational later his office was abolished and the
Church of God believed in Sunday school, literature used by the Church of God editing of the Sunday school materials
and this was reflected in the Minutes of the could not satisfy the need” (Charles W. reverted back to the general overseer, and
First General Assembly in 1906: Conn, Like a Mighty Army). continued this way until the Assembly of
The Sunday school was discussed, Complying with a decision of the
1944, at which . . .
and this important service was highly Assembly of 1916, in 1917 the Church
A Sunday School and Youth Literature
favored as a means to teach the chil- ended its contract with the printer [for
Board was appointed, whose duties
dren to reverence God’s Word, the the Publishing House] and set up its
were “to supervise the editing and pub-
house appointed for worship, and to own plant . . . and began the publica-
lishing of Sunday School, Y.P.E., Daily
elevate the morals of a community. tion of its Sunday school lessons (“quar-
The Assembly, therefore, recommends, terlies,” “leaflets,” and picture cards),
Vacation Bible School, and other youth
advises, and urges every local church tracts and booklets. . . . The church
literature and tracts.” The chairman of
to have a Sunday school every Sunday employed its own members—seven full-
the board was to be editor-in-chief of
during the whole year if possible. . . . time and five part-time employees, so,
Sunday School and Youth Publications.
We believe that a Sunday school may . . . there was satisfaction that finally
. . . A scholarly and talented man, Frank
sometimes be organized successfully the mechanical, as well as editorial, part
W. Lemons, was appointed chairman of
where a church could not be estab- of the church literature would be done
the new board (Conn).
lished at once, thereby opening the “by consecrated hands” (Conn).
New Uniform Lessons
way for more permanent work.
Editors of Sunday School Literature While the Church of God Publishing
By the 1915 Assembly, five years after From 1917 until 1934, the general House was moving ahead with the publi-
the establishment of the Church of God overseer of the Church of God served as cation of Sunday school materials under
14 EVANGEL • MAR 2010
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