Halifax Congregational Church

America's First Sunday School

1746 - 2011

275 Years!

 

       Before the advent of "Sunday Schools", the earliest mandate for education of children was passed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1647. (1)  Notably, a sizable portion of this education program was religious in nature.  Some of the cultural/ religious motives behind this mandate to educate the children was a fear that "evil" doctrines, unorthodox knowledge and a general lack of knowledge of the (Biblical) scriptures prevailed, so it pressed the colonial government to " order that an elementary school be established for every town of 50 families." (CT  followed in 1650) (2, 3)

       In Europe the Dutch Reformed Church had been providing religious schooling for youth since 1618 in the Netherlands and elsewhere. (4)   The Colonies did not have "Sunday School" for children for nearly a century after the Pilgrims landed and founded Plymouth. 

       As the New England Colonies grew and expanded into the frontier, new towns were created.  With the formation of a town also automatically came the formation of an ecclesiastical society with a minister in place.  In 1731 various folk were given permission to gather and worship together and from that gathering in 1733 at  the geographic center of Plymouth County and on the county's highest point the church and town of Halifax was begun.  Each spring some of the men of the church would assist the pastor in teaching the children the catechism    ( 5) and this continued yearly into 1746 and further.   On April 25, 1746, during the pastorate of Rev. John Cotton (1734-1754) a vote was taken to organize and teach the children of the town and form a Sunday School.   To quote the original church records;  

       April 25, 1746. "Voted that the children should be catechized on Sabbath day noon as in former years and to request the same men to carry it on that did it last yearÉ  

Also Voted :É.to desire Messers John Waterman and Moses Standish and Nathan Tinkham  to have inspection over the children on Sabbath days noons and Barnabas Tomson and Isaac Tinkham to overlook them in Meeting Time to prevent their playing" (6)  

       The five men designated to manage this endeavor were in two principle teams;  one pair kept the children during the TWO worship services regularly held in the morning and afternoons.  Another team of three were to manage the children at "noontime" when families would bring and enjoy their lunches together and they would learn their catechisms.  This was the first concentrated effort in America to teach children in Sunday School. (6). Most American efforts at Sunday School programming didn't gear up in earnest until years later when English churches began schools led by Robert Rakes of Gloucester (Eng) in the 1770's and was translated first to a church in Accomac County VA in 1785.  Many American Churches generated Sunday Schools from that point on.  Before this time it was rare and sporadic.  (7, 8)  

    We continue to believe our children's faith is a key factor in the future faith and strength of our churches.  As we envisage the future with great excitement we pray for God's guidance, strength and Presence with the hope that the Holy Spirit touches each life placed in our care. 

History of Education by Robert Monroe, Macmillan Press, 1914, pp 430-441. Ibid,  page 437.

A Religious History of the American People by Sydney Ahlstrom, Vol. I, Doubleday Press, 1975, Page 356-7.

Living Theological Heritage of the United Church of Christ   by Barbara Zikmund, Vol. 2, Pilgrim Press, 1997, page 321.

Original Church Records  (1733-1823) of the Ecclesiastical Society of Halifax ,  <Yearly catechism lessons noted : 3/17/1740 (p 22), 3/9/1741 (p25), 4/25/1744 (p 120) {with thanks to Sue Basille, Halifax Town Historian}

IBID , MSS, Halifax Church Records  , page 120

History of Halifax Massachusetts   by Guy S. Baker,  page 25.

The Westminster Dictionary of Church History by Jerold C. Bauer, editor, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1971, "Sunday School Movement" , page 796-7.

Second Photograph :   Photo of the documentation about the initiation of the Sunday School Concept in the church records. 

Rev. Joseph A. C. Wadsworth

Pastor, Halifax C. C.