South Lancaster Academy Summer School
By Frederick Griggs
ON Wednesday morning, July 2, 1902, South Lancaster Academy began its second summer school. It was a most beautiful morning for the opening of this important work. The attendance on the morning of opening was not large, but others have since come. This summer school certainly has not the attendance which it deserves. The message of Christian education is here being given, and there are many who should hear it who are not hearing it; and these are thus failing to receive that preparation for the important work of education which is to be done in this time. The keynote of the summer school is, “Christian education and the third angel’s message are one and the same.” The third angel’s message is a work of salvation, and Christian education is a work of salvation. It is the work of the school to make this thought practical, and to enable those who go from the school to reveal the gospel in their teaching, not theoretically and in word only, but in reality. To do this practical work requires study. Through the spirit of prophecy the Lord has said that there was to be a radical change in the methods of school work. This change and these new methods certainly require special study. The first requirement for a church-school teacher is that he be thoroughly converted. He may have been a good teacher in the schools of the world, and a converted man, too; but this alone does not qualify him for church-school work. In addition to these qualifications he should make a study of the methods for Christian schools. To afford the opportunity for this study of methods is the purpose of our summer schools. It is also one of the principal features of the regular work of all our central schools. I speak thus of the importance of special training for the church-school work because many do not see the necessity of instruction and training for church-school work different from that received in the normal schools of the world.