The Support of Church-Schools by Jessie E. Martin

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Oct 4, 1906

The Support of Church-Schools

By Jessie E. Martin

THAT this subject is a large one, and a live one, surely all will agree; and anything we can say in this article can be only suggestive.

Each church or school will, no doubt, need to execute plans according to its own circumstances. But all our plans need to be large enough to carry on our schools without debt, and to give the largest possible number of children the benefits therefrom.

One successful school works on the following plan: A low rate of tuition is fixed, so as not to be a serious burden on any, and the children are encouraged and helped to earn their own tuition as far as possible. Each parent is asked to become responsible for enough to send as many children as he may have; but if any can not do this, the children are invited to come just the same. Then other members of the church are asked to become responsible for such sums as they feel able, until the required amount of pledges is secured.

When a school board has a president and a secretary who are alive to the interests of the school, and who will give the necessary time to keep the matter constantly before the people, the plan works very well, and about half the church has a share in the school's finances.

But why do we have church-schools at all? and why should we support them? Is it not because they are a branch of missionary work? Is it not just as much a missionary work to train the children of Sabbath-keepers into the message, as it is to send workers into foreign fields, to train those people into the message? And the church-schools are not only helping the children to gain their own salvation, but are developing more workers to fill other missionary openings, and thus hasten the spreading of the message.

If our people everywhere could realize the need, and the advantages of church-schools, the problem of their support would be largely solved,—would largely solve itself, for when we really want anything, we usually find a way to have it. So then, it would be a generous step in the right direction to continue to educate our people everywhere concerning the value and privileges of our church-schools, and that their support is a true branch of missionary work; not to take the place of other branches, but to go along with them.

One objection to most plans, is that comparatively few share in them, while a church-school, to be true to its name, should be supported by the whole church. When the Lord gave instructions concerning the support of his work, he named a definite per cent of income to be used for that purpose. And can we improve upon the Lord's own plan? If we would only follow it, and set aside a certain per cent of income for the support of the church-schools, the burden would be light for all, and evenly distributed. If one had only a small income, there would be but little to pay; while one who had a large income could afford to pay more.

Then, too, when a whole conference adopts this plan, and there is a large church with but few children, and perhaps in another part of the same conference is a small church with many children, the surplus of one could be used to help the other, and all the children have the benefits.

But whatever plan is used, let us have the schools, and more of them, and let us talk courage that they can be supported, and then let us do it, and let the children be trained, and thus the coming of the kingdom be hastened.

JESSIE E. MARTIN.