Calvin Synod Herald, 1977 (77. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-03-01 / 3-4. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 7 ÍV. Types of Hungarian Religious Education (Continued from the Dec. 1976 Issue) A. Sunday School Churches were organized by the Hungarian immigrants after the wives and children arrived in this country. The church was a must for the Hungarian Reformed family. Since there were no religious education courses in the public schools, our churches, according to the example of the American Protestant churches, organized Sunday Schools also. The first Hungarian Reformed Sunday School was held in Bridgeport in 1897. When the churches were organized, actually there were no adequate facilities for the American style of Sunday School. Usually the sanctuary, the hall and kitchen under the church and the parsonage were ample for all church activities. The student body consisted of the members’ children and of the so called “associate members” (those who had not yet joined the church or those who belonged to another faith which did not have an organized church yet). Due to the large families (in Pocahontas, Virginia there were years when they had seventy-three baptisms) and the influx of new immigrants, there were many students enrolled in the Sunday Schools, and the classes were very large. Staff: When the first churches were organized, it was the duty of the minister to teach the children in Sunday School. The ministers were trained to teach religion and the church membership excepted them to teach the pupils also. Many ministers along with their minister’s diploma had also secured a teaching diploma. If the minister was married (usually married to a teacher) the teaching staff consisted of the minister and his wife. If the student body became extremely large, the church would invite a school teacher from Hungary to teach the children and also to play the organ, just as had been the practice in Hungary. At other times, an assistant minister was invited to teach in the Sunday Schools and to help in the newly organized smaller congregations which were under the care of the larger or “mother” church. Many of these school teachers later attended Seminary and procured a minister’s diploma to fill the need for ministers. Thus, until at least the beginning of the second World War, our teaching staff was of professional caliber. In the second period, Sunday School teachers were also recruited from among the young people in the congregation which followed the American custom. Discipline-Teaching Method: One may ask how it was possible to manage so many children in a class and still to have success in teaching. First of all, discipline was strict in the Hungarian schools and not too many problems arose. The parents backed up the teachers and advised the teacher to punish the child when a problem arose. Also if parents heard that their child did not behave, not only was the child punished by the teacher, but by the parents also. The teaching method was simple and effective. The teacher presented the lesson and explained it, and they practiced the lessons together. Homework was assigned and the pupils were compelled to further study their lessons. At the following session, the teacher reviewed the previous lesson, and proceeded to present the new lesson. Pupils learned the Golden Text by memory and many times at least the first stanza of a hymn. Memorization played an important role in the teaching method. Material: When the churches were first organized, securing material for the Sunday Schools posed a problem. The textbooks of the Reformed Church in Hungary were prepared for religious education as a regular daily course, and the Sunday Schools here greatly differed from this type of religious education. Material had to be secured here since the available material from Hungary could not be used. Religious cards were procured from the Providence Lithograph Company for use each Sunday. On the cards there was printed the text along with a condensed lesson, and each pupil received a card each Sunday. The condensed lessons, memorizing the golden text and strict discipline brought results for the young people were well trained and knew their Bible lessons. The Reformátusok Lapja (a weekly church magazine) also printed regular Sunday School material for many years. In 1914, Sándor Harsányi, published a two volume book; the first dealing with Sunday School theory and the second with Sunday School material. Different church magazines and papers along with the church almanacs dealt with the problems of the Sunday Schools and presented other forms of religious education. This practice is still in use today. A paper for children’s use was published and was written in a form readable and enjoyed by many youngsters. In the second period of our Christian education, the use of the English language became imminent especially in the congregations belonging to the Presbyterian Church and in the congregations in fhe Reformed Church but not belonging to the Magyar Synod. They adopted the material of the denomination. The churches in Magyar Synod and the Free Church struggled in selecting material or in preparing adequate Sunday School lessons. The writer of this paper also prepared Sunday School lessons for the first half of an eight year curriculum which is used in some congregations at this time. At the present time all Sunday Schools are conducted in the English language and each congregation selects whatever material they so desire, whether from the denomination or from other sources. (To be continued) Francis Vitéz
