Outagamie County WI Archives Church Records.....The Sunday School ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 11, 2008, 12:21 am The Sunday School. AMONG the forces in the building up of church life, there is none more potent than that afforded by a well conducted Sunday school. It is very properly called the nursery of the church. The organization of this school ante-dated that of the church by a year, and there are still identified with our church work those who, over fifty years ago. were in this little band. For some years before the church building was ready for occupancy, this small gathering of teachers and scholars, under the leadership of faithful and hopeful men, met in such places as were available, and, under conditions which would now be regarded as almost insurmountable difficulties, devoted themselves to their work. Mr. George Lanphear organized this school and was its first superintendent. He was greatly esteemed. The average attendance in this first year was about twenty-five. He was followed by Mr. James Gilmore as superintendent, who at that time was also deacon of the church. The average attendance of scholars increased to thirty during that year. Deacon Jackson Tibbits was the third superintendent, and in six years in that position, laid the foundations for the growth of later years. In this time the membership gradually increased to an average of seventy five. Of Mr. Tibbits it is proper to say that, in addition to his work in this field, he gradually interested himself and others in the wider field of home missionary effort, till that work absorbed the man. He placed all his energy in it, giving up entirely his business and devoting himself wholly to missionary work in outlying districts. His success was such that, yielding to a plainly manifest call to duty, he was ordained as a minister, and locating at Antigo, Wis., as a central point, he entered heartily into such missionary fields as opened to him, serving faithfully to the end of his life. Deacon J. W. Hutchinson succeeded to the superintendency in 1859, and held the position for five years. In these years he did much to advance the Sunday-school work. Himself an adept in training children to sing Sunday-school songs, he made it a strong force in his work, and attained a remarkable efficiencv in that way. Mr. Hutchinson was a vigorous business man, and was constantly brought into contact with men from surrounding towns in the county. He never lost an opportunity to impress upon those with whom he came in contact, his own religious convictions, which in many instances developed the demand for an extension of his work beyond the limits of the city. Mission schools were established at various points in the county, some of which have since developed into churches. Deacon Hutchinson continued with unflinching energy the development of these new fields as long as he had strength to do so. His death occurred Oct. 15, 1874. The school increased under his leadership to a membership of one hundred and fifty. Mr. M. R. Barteau, whose attainments, and experience as a teacher for many years, had well fitted him for it, held the superintendency for a year, and afterward successfully conducted a large Bible class. Mr. J. F. Atkinson served two years,-the school increasing to a membership of two hundred. George C. Jones, Esq., served two years, Mr. C. L. Fay three years,W. H. Steele three years, George F. Peabody two years, W. W. Hutchinson two years, arid Prof. Charles A. Perkins half a year, leaving town, and placing the management of the school in the hands of his assistant, Mr. F. J. Harwood, who finished the year. The progress of the school under the leadership of these devoted men was marked. It was gradually arranged into carefully graded departments and classified with a view to greater efficiency. For the last score of years, chiefly as superintendent, Mr. F. J. Harwood has had the general supervision of all departments of the parent, and one of the mission schools, and has witnessed a continual growth in all that goes to make the work an ideal one, and as superintendent has developed rare tact. The rapid increase during these later years is phenomenal, and has necessitated the planting of two permanent mission schools in different parts of the city, remote from the church, both of which are well sustained and are doing good work. Twenty-five years ago, an average attendance of two hundred and seventy-five was reported, and the last annual report, including the two missions, showed an average of five hundred and ten, out of a membership of eight hundred and thirty seven. Several features in this branch of church work should be noted. Of the thirteen superintendents, seven were deacons in the church. Many faithful teachers who laid down their work in our midst served with remarkable fidelity. Among these are several of whom brief sketches are given under "Lay Members," also others who were tireless in their efforts in Sunday-school work, which for them meant often great personal sacrifice, notably Mrs. George F. Peabody, Mrs. J. W. Hutchinson, Mr. U. G. Spofford, Mr. Ira A. Brewster, and others. The latter two, Messrs. Brewster and Spofford, were not only painstaking workers in the main Sunday school, but were very much interested in outlying mission schools in the county, where their well directed efforts were promotive of much good. Mrs. Laura French Dunn was another faithful teacher and Sunday-school worker. She was also an active, efficient member of the Y. P. S. C. E. from its beginning to the time of her death, and in this society perhaps did her most important work. Mr. E. P. Humphrey also was a very successful Sunday-school worker. Strong in intellect, large-hearted, and sympathetic, he possessed the faculty of securing and holding the attention of his pupils, enabling him to impart instruction where many others failed. Mrs. Sarah J. Jones was an efficient worker, as long as she had the strength for it, especially in primary department, and also did excellent work as a district visitor. Special mention should be made also of Miss Angeline J. Smith, who at an early age became a member of the school, and was a bright scholar. She united with the church on confession of faith, June 2d, 1867, and passed away April 9th, 1897. Miss Smith developed into a remarkably efficient woman, especially in the Sunday school work, and was deeply interested in other church activities. For several years she was at the head of the primary department of the Sunday school, bringing it into deserved prominence. She also served the church as clerk nearly five years, and for some years was president of the Woman's Missionary Society, holding that position at the time of her death. During her service as clerk, in connection with the pastor, Rev. Mr. Willard, she entered upon the work of systematizing the Roll of Members, and by the most indefatigable effort succeeded in accomplishing an invaluable work, which has since been the basis for her successors in that office, as the official chronicle of our church membership. In the last twenty years, while many have come into the church by letters from other churches, about seventy-five per cent, of those who have united on "confession of their faith" were trained in the Sunday school, a fact that establishes beyond cavil the importance of this branch of our church economy. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. APPLET0N, WIS. PREPARED FOR THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY, DEC. 18, 1900. BY J. F. FULLER, A. M., Compiler of the "Fuller" Genealogy. 1850—1900. APPLETON PRINTING CO., APPLETON, WIS. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/outagamie/churches/thesunda40gbb.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb