In the June 26th edition of The Wall Street Journal, Charlotte Hays bemoans the decline of Sunday in our culture. She writes, "By my own childhood, Sunday School was taken for granted." I certainly concur. My mother taught second grade sunday school in our church for twenty-two years. My Dad was a consistent outreacher for his adult class. My own memories of Sunday's as a child include Sunday School, worship and Sunday lunch (in the fall you can add Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys!). I still remember Bill & Linda French's 6th grade class at First Baptist Church Carrollton, Texas. I don't remember a lesson they taught, but I knew they loved God, the church, the Bible and me.
Why are Sunday Schools closing around the country? There is no simple answer: lack of Christian education emphasis in seminaries, focus on worship at the expense of Sunday School and the fragmentation of the family. Yes, among the other social pathologies of the decline of the family is the negative impact of divorce on Sunday School and church attendance.
Can we reverse this trend? Yes! Will it be easy? No! Maybe the recovery of vital Christian education in the local church will begin with a return to sound biblical teaching concerning marriage and proper relationships. What do you think?
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