This kind of a school is homely and this seems like common talk, but 

 there is needed much more common sense and much less learned non- 

 sense in the common schools in order that the ordinary boy and girl may 

 stay longer in the school than the fourth grade. 



Sixth. We recommend that there is needed in Gibson County a great 

 Sunday-school movement. The Sunday-schools of the county are very 

 weak, especially in the country. There is a big difference between the 

 number of children in the town Sunday-schools and the number of 

 children in the country Sunday-schools. In the town schools more than 

 five-sevenths of the children are in the Sunday-school; in the country, 

 less than one-fourth. Not all the country churches have Sunday-schools, 

 though, of course, we recognize that about twelve of them are doctrinally 

 opposed to the Sunday school and about eight of them are dying. 



But the study of the Bible by the young under the leadership of grown 

 folks of good sense and of devout spirit is the best religious training the 

 church can give. It is even better than preaching. Throughout the 

 whole country most of the membership of the churches were converted 

 during the Sunday-school years, from fourteen to eighteen years. It 

 would be the greatest possible blessing to Gibson County if in all the 

 churches of all denominations the leaders would build up the Sunday- 

 school, going after the children that do not attend, organizing them 

 in classes and teaching all the lessons of religion and morality while 

 their minds are open and their characters are being formed. 



Seventh. We recommend, therefore, that Gibson County organize 

 no more churches. It has too many churches already. When somebody 

 proposes to build a new church let someone else say, "Stop! Would 

 it not be better to build rooms for the Sunday-school children?" Only 

 1,572 children are in the country Sunday-schools, but in the day schools 

 there are 6,641. Something should be done to get these country children 

 under the teaching and training of the grown folks who are so generally in 

 the churches. If these young people are going to be kept in the country, 

 they must come to respect their elders, and learn to love them. Not all 

 parents are good teachers of religion. The Holy Spirit has not made 

 every man a teacher, even though he be a father. Not every mother 

 who can bring children into the world can bring them into the Kingdom. 

 Only a few men and women in every community are able to teach. The 

 Sunday-school gives these few an opportunity. 



We recommend a building movement in the country churches in 

 Gibson County in which there shall be ropms erected for the teaching 

 of religion. Upon every country church should be built several rooms 

 large and small. There should be one room for a Bible class where some 

 Godly man of mature years and devout spirit shall teach the men and 

 women the deep lessons of the spirit. Then there should be a room for 



47 



