Ministers: Calvin K. Cummings, Burton L. Goddard, Robert E. Nicholas
Elders: Gordon H. Clark, Evan Runner
1943. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. Minutes of the Tenth General Assembly. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church. June 1-4. Pgs. 35-40.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
OF THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1943
The Assembly’s Committee on Christian Education has held five regularly
called meetings during the year and has endeavored to fulfill the instructions
given it by the Ninth General Assembly. The Committee has changed its fiscal year to end with March 31, hence the report here covered is for a ten and
one-half month period.
It is with profound gratitude to God for His blessings that we review the
work accomplished during the year. Although the task of Christian Education
yet before our Church is tremendous, progress has been made, and we are
happy to report that greater interest in Christian Education has been shown in
the church during the past year than in any other.
GENERAL SECRETARY
At the previous Assembly the Committee was authorized to employ the full
time services of a General Secretary. We rejoice that one so able as the Rev.
Floyd E. Hamilton was found available to fill this office. The Committee’s offer
of $2,400 per year salary was accepted by Mr. Hamilton and he began work
under the Committee on February 1, 1943, for a term of one year. In the period
covered by this report Mr. Hamilton acquainted himself with the work and
goals of the Committee, carried on extensive correspondence in the interests of
the Committee, moved his family from California to the Philadelphia area and
established an office for the Committee in the Schaff building in Philadelphia.
In connection with his work he visited several churches both enroute from California and after his arrival in the East. The Committee met with Mr. Hamilton
in an all-day meeting and mapped out a program of work for the future.
FINANCES
We are happy to report a substantial gain in contributions from churches
and individuals during the year. More than twice as much was contributed to
the Committee by churches during the ten-and-one-half-month period than was
contributed the previous twelve months. Quite a number of individuals contributed to further the tract evangelization carried on by the Committee. Because
of the increase in these contributions the Committee was able to make plans
for the printing of tracts on a larger scale.
While the operating costs were much greater this past period because of
the employment of a General Secretary, it is the judgment of the Committee
that the generous response of churches and individuals indicates a desire from
the denomination for a more vigorous prosecution of the work of Christian Education. However, the Committee feels that the churches are not yet assuming
their full responsibility for the task of Christian Education. We feel that we
shall not be on a truly sound basis until the churches themselves shoulder most
of the operating costs of the Committee and send contributions regularly during
the year to meet its budget.
COVENANT CHILD TRAINING
To increase interest in Christian Day Schools and to provide help for the
better training of our covenant children in the home a new sub-committee was
formed and called the Covenant Child Training committee. One tract on Christian Schools has been issued and is available for free distribution; an article
was contributed to the Presbyterian Guardian; and a selection of books on
Christian Day Schools has been purchased to be placed in the Committee’s
Philadelphia office. This sub-committee is studying methods of stimulating a
keener consciousness of responsibility for the education of our covenant children in the home and in Christian Day Schools. It also seeks to promote interest in catechetical instructions in the churches.
PUBLICATIONS AND PROPAGANDA
1. Articles contributed.
Members of the committee have contributed articles on various phases
of Christian Education to the Presbyterian Guardian. Such articles have
appeared during the year and one issue of the Guardian was devoted to
Christian Education.
2. Summer Bible School Materials.
More than thirty churches last summer used the mimeographed materials prepared by Dr. Lawrence Gilmore. During the winter months Dr.
Gilmore has been preparing materials for 2,000 prospective students in
Summer Bible Schools this year. A teacher’s manual was prepared and
was well received by those who used it.
3. Young People’s Lessons.
Weekly lessons for young people’s groups have been provided by the
Committee with the assistance of the Rev. Richard W. Gray. About thirty-five groups are now using them. An effort is being made to enhance the
attractiveness of these lessons and to reach a wider number of our young
people. The Committee has also been studying the advisability of preparing
lessons for younger groups.
4. Sunday School Helps.
The Committee has been seeking to secure lessons and make available
lessons that are both Reformed and pedagogically more acceptable. Efforts
to enlist the cooperation of publishers outside our church in publishing a
special issue of their lessons edited by your Committee have failed. Consequently the Committee has inaugurated a long range program of preparing departmentally graded lessons of our own for the entire Sunday School.
It may take some time to provide such materials.
In order to offer immediate help to our churches the Committee is offering supplementary materials to the lessons published by the Christian Reformed Church. There will be three mimeographed sheets for each lesson.
One page will be in outline form for the children of the Beginners’ and Primary departments to color. Another page is being prepared for the pupils of the Junior and Intermediate departments consisting of questions and
fill-in-blanks. The third page will be designed for the Junior and Intermediate teachers, suggesting supplementary helps and linking the lessons
directly to our subordinate standards wherever possible. The Committee is
arranging to present to the churches its own materials for the Beginners
and Primary departments beginning with October.
5. Tracts.
During the year 1942-1943 the following tracts were printed:
The Tracts for Today Series:
Communicant Church Membership 2,000 copies.
The Separated Life, 1,500 copies.
Why the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? 1,000 copies (4th edition)
The Sovereignty of God, 5,000 copies.
The Reformed Faith in the Modem World, 10,000 copies.
Is the Bible Right About Jesus? 5,000 copies
Shorter Tracts.
The O. P. C. in Action, 10,000 copies.
Do We Need the Bible? 1,500 copies
Awake Thou That Sleepest, 15,000 copies.
The Grace of God, 15,000 copies.
Foreknowledge, 5,000 copies.
Christ Crucified, 5,000 copies.
The Rich Young Ruler, 25,000 copies.
God and the War, 25,000 copies.
Are You a Catholic? 5,000 copies
My Church, 3,000 copies.
The Precious Blood of Christ, 5,000 copies.
Ecclesiastical Doors, 5,000 copies.
Life's Greatest Question, 25,000 copies.
What About the Bible? 25,000 copies.
Death in the Market Place, 5,000 copies.
A Pastoral Letter, 3,000 copies.
The following tracts were distributed during the year 1942-1943.
The Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Seniors.
The Auburn Heresy
The O.P.C. in Action
The Rich Young Ruler
Princeton Theological Seminary
Middlers, The Auburn Betrayal.
Juniors, Why the O.P.C.?
Seniors, and Graduates, The Auburn Heresy.
To all: The O.P.C. in Action, The Rich Young Ruler.
San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Middlers, The Auburn Betrayal.
Seniors, The Auburn Heresy.
To both, The O.P.C. in Action, The Rich Young Ruler.
Omaha Theological Seminary - Seniors.
The Auburn Heresy, The O.P.C, in Action, The Rich Young Ruler.
Louisville Seminary, same as to Princeton.
Western Theological Seminary, same as to Princeton.
Wheaton College - Seniors.
The Covenant of Grace
The O.P.C. in Action
God and the War
What About the Bible?
The Rich Young Ruler
The Grace of God
Arminianism in the Pilgrimage of a Soul
The entire ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.
Why the O.P.C.?
The Auburn Heresy
The O.P.C. in Action
Select ministers of the Southern Presbyterian Church.
The Sovereignty of God
The Auburn Heresy
The O.P.C. in Action
Union Theological Seminary
Is the Bible Right About Jesus?
The Rich Young Ruler
The O.P.C. in Action
INCORPORATION
Pursuant to its instructions the Committee has secured counsel and instructed it to proceed with the incorporation of the Committee. (The incorporation has now been completed.)
AUDITOR'S REPORT
The Committee secured the help of Messrs. Matthew McCroddan and J.
Enoch Faw in auditing the treasurer’s books. Their report is in the form of a
supplement to this report.
ELECTIONS
The terms of office of the following members of the class of 1943 expire
at this Assembly: Ministers Cummings, Goddard, Nicholas; Elders Gordon H.
Clark, Ph.D., Evan Runner. The Committee wishes to call to the attention of
the Assembly that the Rev. William T. Strong of the class of 1945 is stationed
in Alaska as a Navy Chaplain and hence probably will not be able to serve as
an active member of the Committee for the duration of the war.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The committee on Christian Education respectfully proposes:
1. That the Assembly earnestly recommend to the churches the use of the
Sunday School materials prepared by the Committee when such materials
are available.
2. That the Assembly earnestly recommend that the Presbtyeries encourage
within their borders the formation of Christian School Societies.
3. That the Assembly earnestly recommend that churches and church organizations support the Guardian as a means of Christian Education and promote its wider circulation where possible.
4. That the Assembly earnestly recommend that churches and church organizations contribute as they are able to the support of Westminster Theological
Seminary.
5. That the Assembly earnestly recommend that ministers and elders use the
Westminster Theological Journal as a means of Christian Education.
6. That the Assembly approve the Committee’s plan to ask the churches to
support its work to the extent of at least ten per cent. of their benevolent
budgets, with a goal of two cents per week per communicant member.
7. That the Assembly approve the following budget for the ensuing year:
Young People’s Lessons (self sustaining) $150
Summer Bible School Materials (self sustaining) 300
Tracts (New and Reprints) (partly self sustaining) 2,500
Tracts (Capital investment) 2,500
Secretarial help 1,200
Salary of General Secretary 2,400
Traveling Expenses of General Secretary 525
Office Expenses (including rent) 240
Advertising 160
Free Tract Distribution 300
Contribution to the Presbyterian Guardian 120
Sunday School Lessons (partly self sustaining) 500
Postage and Miscellaneous 400
Total $11,295
The Treasurer’s Report as audited by Mr. Matthew McCroddan is as follows:
Balance on Hand, May 15, 1942 $61.50
RECEIPTS from May 15, 1942 to April 25, 1943
Church Contributions $1,197.75
Individual Contributions 3,409.85
Sale of Literature 940.62 5,548.23
Total of Receipts and Previous Balance $5,609.73
DISBURSEMENTS from May 15, 1942 to April 25, 1943
Tract Printings $751.05
Young People’s Lessons 124.31
Secretarial Help 334.00
Office Furniture 230.28
Contribution to Presbyterian Guardian 20.00
Tract Advertising 36.40
Bank Service Charges 14.70
Summer Bible School Materials 222.26
Traveling Expense of Committee Members 37.85
Printing Stationery, Cards, Etc. 101.73
Literature Purchased 40.92
Incorporation Fee 75.00
Postage, Mailing, Etc. 276.85
Petty Cash Account 67.00
Philadelphia Mailing Permit 10.00
Rent for Committee Meeting and Office 17.25
Telephone Service, Etc. 14.16
General Secretary’s Salary 580.00
Moving and Traveling Expenses of
General Secretary 410.41
Miscellaneous 27.61 $3,391.78
Balance on April 25, 1943 $2,217.95
Check Drawn to Provident Trust Co.,
Philadelphia $2,217.95
(Signed) CHARLES A. FREYTAG, Treasurer
June 1, 1943 Per M. McCroddan
We have examined the records of Mr. Charles A. Freytag, Treasurer and
find that his Annual Report, for the period ending April 15, 1943, as stated
above, to be a true and correct statement of the financial transactions of the Committee for that period.
MATTHEW McCRODDAN, Auditor
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