6 - British Sunday Schools and the World, 1900–39

Summary

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw not only increasing levels of emigration but also an increasing popularity of foreign missions. Indeed, as one missionary, Dr W. Adeney, reflected:

Although I have had the work constantly in mind […] it was chiefly in the British Colonies that I came into touch with the Sunday School and the work amongst young people generally. Wherever I went in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and in India, conferences of Sunday School workers and ministers were arranged, and the large audiences which assembled proved to me the extent of the interest in the movement. It was significant also that the conferences were attended by members of the Church of England as well as what we call the Free Churches.

This extract reflects the global connections and interactions of the British Sunday schools during the early twentieth century as well as the wider ecumenical missionary movement. As demonstrated in Chapter 3, those serving on the Western Front flocked to hear from missionaries in YMCA huts. In the early twentieth century, the British Sunday school movement interacted with the world in various ways. Scholars and teachers were internationally aware and connected not only through the lessons taught at the schools but also the interaction of the movement with global organisations.

These interactions, however, have been under-researched. Much of the recent literature concerning missions has tended to focus on the churches. While Knoff provides a useful overview of the World Sunday School Association (WSSA), his work largely focuses on American efforts within the organisation. Likewise, although Cliff's history of the Sunday school movement does examine some of the international work and interactions of the schools, they are very brief considerations. This chapter will explore the previously under-explored international connections and interactions of the British Sunday school movement during the period from 1900 to 1939.

International Awareness and Connections of the Sunday Schools

International awareness and connections within the British Sunday school movement were fostered by the emigration of many scholars and teachers. It is estimated that from 1900 to 1930, 5,638,000 Britons emigrated to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Peter Wardley estimated that in the period 1900–14, 2,300,000 British citizens emigrated from Britain. He argued that ‘emigration from the UK was a characteristic and significant feature of the Edwardian period’.