REPORT ON THE ^lUPPINE^ 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Commission on the Orient 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Worid’s Sunday-school Association 
 
 Presented at the World’s Seventh Sunday-school Convention, 
 Zurich, Switzerland, July 8-15, 1913 
 
 The Commission on the Orient, including Hazvaii, 
 Japan, Korea, China and the Philippines: 
 
 Chairman : Mr. H. J. Heinz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Secretary: Mr. Frank L. Brown, 247 New York Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 
 Rev. James B. Rodgers, D.D., New York City. 
 
 Rev. James L. McLaughlin, Manila, Philippine Islands. 
 
 Rev. Harry Farmer, Manila, Philippine Islands. 
 
 Rev. W. Nelson Bitton, D.D., Shanghai, China. 
 
 Rev. W. H. Lacy, D.D., Shanghai, China. 
 
 Rev. E. G. Tewksbury, Shanghai, China. 
 
 Rev. R. E. Chambers, Canton, China. 
 
 Rev. Kajinosuke Ibuka, M.A., D.D., Tokyo, Japan. 
 
 Rev. H. Kosaki, D.D., Tokyo, Japan. 
 
 Rev. T. Ukai, Tokyo, Japan. 
 
 Rev. J. G. Dunlop, Kanazawa, Japan. 
 
 Rev. George Heber Jones, D.D., New York. 
 
 Rev. S. A. Moffat, D.D., Pyeng Yang, Korea. 
 
 The section of the Oriental Commission Report herein given appears (in part) 
 in “World-Wide Sunday-school Work,” the Official Report of the World’s Seventh 
 Sunday-school Convention, which contains also similar sectional reports on Hawaii, 
 Japan, Korea and China, and reports of the Commissions on Continental Europe, 
 South Africa, India, Latin-America, and Mohammedan Lands. The volume con- 
 tains 664 pages, with 70 pages of illustrations, and may be had for $1 from the 
 World’s Sunday-school Association (American Section), Metropolitan Tower, 
 New York City. For information as to this and other pamphlet reprints of the 
 Commission Reports, apply to the same address. 
 
 1 
 
2 
 
 Rev. W. A. Noble, D.D., Pj’eng Yang, Korea. 
 
 Rev. J. G. Holdcroft, Pyeng Yang, Korea. 
 
 Hon. Wm. R. Castle, Honolulu, Hawaii. 
 
 Mr. Theodore Richards, Honolulu, Hawaii. 
 
 Rev. Henry P. Judd, Kahului Maui, Hawaii. 
 
 Rev. J. F. Cowan, Kohala, Hawaii. 
 
 Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, D.D., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Rev. H. M. Hamill, D.D., Nashville, Tennessee. 
 
 Rev. Dillon Bronson, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
 Hon. Samuel B. Capen, Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
 Rev. Fred P. Haggard, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
 Rev. J. Ross Stevenson, D.D., Baltimore, Maryland. 
 
 In that part of the Orient represented in the report of this com- 
 mission, namely, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, we have 
 an aggregate population of 500,000,000, one third of the human race. 
 Against the mass we place the Bible school membership of these coun- 
 tries — 500,000. But in doing so we do not forget David and Goliath 
 and the pebbles of God’s word, nor Gideon and his band, nor the 
 great promise that “one shall chase a thousand,” the exact propor- 
 tions of this contrast, and as we recall that “two shall put ten thou- 
 sand to flight,” we thank God for the margin and move on. 
 
 In the Orient we are standing at the most marvelous moment in 
 Christian history. The time-worn religions of these countries are 
 crumbling. They are not sufficient for the modern life. They do not 
 relate morality and religion. The light of education is dissolving the 
 awful shadows of superstitions that have for centuries blighted the 
 individual and the home. The educated young people of these countries, 
 the hope of the future, are refusing en masse the claims of the 
 old religions and stand facing the new day without any religion ex- 
 cept as they have known Christ. The educators and national leaders 
 are facing the alternative of constructing nations without a foundation 
 in moral or religious character, or to build upon Christ. The priest- 
 hood of the old religions, affrighted by their loss of grip, are making 
 futile efforts to retrieve lost ground, and by feeble imitations of Chris- 
 tian methods are seeking to galvanize the corpse into life. 
 
 The solemn question comes to this generation. Shall we allow this 
 wonderful moment when the steel is in the making, when the great 
 purpose of the coming and the death of Christ can be fulfilled to 
 these people, to pass by, never to be regained? Or shall we count 
 ourselves the trustees of the Cross for this generation and legislate 
 
3 
 
 and give of life and means and prayer to save a race? If we fail to 
 do this we have robbed the people of their inheritance. 
 
 The problems of the Orient are at once the most stupendous and 
 fascinating in the world’s thinking; stupendous because of the enor- 
 mous populations involved; fascinating because dealing with ancient 
 civilizations at the most strategic moment in all their age long history. 
 The impact of the West, and a Christian West, is swaying this mass 
 of humanity toward Christ. Eager hands are held out toward the 
 Christian leadership of the world asking for help adequate to the 
 great need for uplift. Undismayed by the greatness of the task, with 
 absolute confidence in the sufficiency of Christ, the Sunday-school 
 forces of the world hold out to the myriads of these countries the 
 uncorrupted Word of God as the Bread of Life for their hunger — as 
 fed to each life by the hands of the living teacher in the institution 
 of the Sunday-school, and the ideals of that Book as the best motives 
 and safeguards of the individual, the home, the community and nation. 
 
 There have been Sunday-schools in the Orient from the advent of 
 the first missionary. Bible instruction for the children has gone hand 
 in hand with the work for adults. These missionaries had, most of 
 them, received their call to service and first training in the Book while 
 in the Sunday-schools of the homeland. They have made the Sunday- 
 school an important part of the work of missions. 
 
 The character of this Sunday-school work, as conducted by the mis- 
 sionaries, was shaped by the form of the Sunday-school at the time 
 when they left the homeland, and by the necessities of the environ- 
 ment of the native Sunday-school work, an environment circumscribed 
 by limited quarters, lack of lesson material and quality and number 
 of teachers. 
 
 The missionary was frequently the only teacher and the Bible lesson 
 taught to all ages at one time, and the dome of the building God’s blue 
 sky. As children and parents were alike ignorant of the Bible this 
 simple plan of Sunday-school work was eflFective. 
 
 With the growth of the native church and the educational work of 
 missions the work of Bible instruction through the Sunday-school 
 assumed certain fixed forms in the Orient. 
 
 1. The Sunday-school attached to the organized church, more or less 
 
 graded according to local conditions and leadership. 
 
 2. The Sunday-school composed of members of Christian secondary 
 
 schools and colleges, and taught largely by the teachers of such 
 institutions. 
 
4 
 
 3. The Sunday-school composed largely of scholars in attendance at 
 
 the primary Christian day schools and taught usually by the 
 day school teachers, the attendance at Sunday-school a condi- 
 tion often of membership in the school. The Bible is a text- 
 book in such schools. 
 
 4. Missionary Sunday-schools of children of non-Christian parents 
 
 sometimes called “heathen” Sunday-schools, tliese schools estab- 
 lished and maintained by churches or secondary schools and col- 
 leges, and taught by the students in such institutions or by 
 missionaries. 
 
 Several outstanding needs of the field were clearly formulated when 
 the World’s Sunday-school Association, following the presentation of 
 the subject at the Toronto Convention eight years ago, began to plan 
 for the Orient. 
 
 1. Such organization of the field as should bring together the mis- 
 
 sionaries and native workers in interdenominational coopera- 
 tive effort in order to bring to bear the most help possible for 
 the local Sunday-school and the local Sunday-school worker. 
 
 2. The development of an adequate literature for the field. 
 
 3. The training of a Sunday-school leadership through the theo- 
 
 logical seminary and Christian educational institutions and 
 churches. 
 
 4. The need of a vision of the Sunday-school as the Bible teaching 
 
 service for the entire church and community as the surest and 
 sanest method for the evangelization and training of the Orient. 
 
 In 1906 the World’s Sunday-school Association, in cooperation with 
 the missionary organizations, sent a commissioner to Hawaii, Japan, 
 Korea and China to ascertain conditions and assist in developing these 
 objects, namely, organization, literature, leadership, vision. In 1911 a 
 commissioner visited these fields and the Philippines. Organization was 
 effected, institutes held, methods suggested, exhibits shown, inspira- 
 tion given, and the missionaries and native workers felt the heart- 
 beat and hand-clasp of the organized Sunday-school work as members 
 of the world’s Sunday-school family. 
 
 This vital touch upon the five fields represented in this report has 
 been increased by the World’s Sunday-school Association through the 
 furnishing of secretaries, by the development of headquarters at centers, 
 through correspondence and literature. 
 
 In the development of the work of Commission Xo. 4 on the Con- 
 ditions, Needs and Opportunity of Sunday-school work in the Orient 
 the following plans have been employed : 
 
0 
 
 1. The best expert knowledge was obtained from secretaries of mis- 
 
 sion boards conversant with the field, from laymen and others 
 who had visited these countries, and from missionaries from 
 the fields who were on furlough in America. 
 
 2. An all-day conference was called by the chairman in Philadel- 
 
 phia of those most closely informed as to actual conditions, 
 such as Bishop Harris, of Japan and Korea; Dr. George Heber 
 Jones of Korea; Dr. Gamewell of China, and Rev. James 
 McLaughlin of the Philippines. Some who could not be pres- 
 ent, such as Bishop Bashford of China, and Bishop Oldham 
 of the Philippines, sent valuable communications. 
 
 3. Commissions related to the General Commission were formed in 
 
 each of the five fields under investigation, and consisted of 
 some of the best Sunday-school leadership in each country. 
 These commissions developed information by means of ques- 
 tionnaires sent out to native workers in the language of each 
 field, covering so far as possible every Sunday-school and the 
 key workers in these countries. Each of these local commis- 
 sions has made its own report to the General Commission. 
 
 4. Questionnaires were sent to the key missionaries in the five 
 
 countries. 
 
 5. Members of the Commission used the opportunity of the recent 
 
 commission tour to the Orient to confer with leaders and ob- 
 serve conditions. 
 
 The result of these investigations, conferences, reports and obser- 
 vations as related to each field is represented herewith with specific 
 recommendations for the guidance of those interested in these coun- 
 tries. Each field has its peculiar conditions and needs growing out of 
 the relation of religious education to the customs of the people, prog- 
 ress in general education, attitude of the authorities, and vitality of 
 other religions. 
 
 In general, it may be stated concerning these countries of the Orient: 
 
 1. That the Sunday-school is the line of least resistance in the 
 
 progress of the kingdom. 
 
 2. The opportunity of great Sunday-school expansion is limited only 
 
 by lack of men, means and methods. 
 
 3. The Sunday-school is the natural link in the reaching of the home. 
 
 The love of the Oriental for children is God’s open way. 
 
 4. The Sunday-school is absolutely needed as a feeder for the 
 
 church, as a source of supply of material for church educational 
 institutions and as the opportunity of training a leadership and 
 membership grounded on the Word of God from their youth. 
 
6 
 
 THE PHILIPPINES 
 
 As one of the newest fields for missionary endeavor the Sunday- 
 school work of the Philippines has had the advantage of missionaries 
 who have had their training in America in the modern Sunday-school, 
 and who have brought to the field the ideals and plans and enthusiasm 
 of the work as they saw it, and who have incorporated these plans as 
 fast as the developing Philippine church could absorb them. The Sun- 
 day-school leadership of the islands has been intelligent and aggressive. 
 The trying condition of the climate has not lessened the enthusiasm of 
 the devoted workers. Consequently the islands were fertile soil to 
 which to bring the touch of the organized Sunday-school work, and 
 when a commissioner from the World’s Sunday-school Association 
 visited the Philippines two years ago both natives and missionaries 
 united in the suggested organization of the Philippine Islands Sunday- 
 school Union, with headquarters at Manila, electing a Filipino pastor 
 as president, and as a working team the Rev. J. L. McLaughlin, as 
 secretary, and the Rev. Harry Farmer as educational chairman — two of 
 the choicest workers to be found in any continent. Governor Forbes 
 and Bishop Brent cooperated by addresses at the first Sunday-school 
 convention, when practically every province was represented, and 2,000 
 were present at the organization meeting. The World’s Association 
 assumed the headquarters expenses but no salary expenses, these splen- 
 did workers giving all they could of their time without compensation. 
 
 In the two years elapsing the organization has been developed, insti- 
 tutes and conventions held, methods suggested, and the work inspired. 
 Some 40,000 buttons of the Sunday-school Union were disposed of in a 
 short time by Mr. McLaughlin, in a Sunday-school campaign. 
 
 In January of this year Rev. A. M. Williams arrived at Manila as 
 a special delegate, representing Commission No. 4 of the World’s Sun- 
 day-school Association. Three conventions and institutes were held 
 during his visit: at Manila, at Candon in Iloco, Sur Province, and one 
 at Iloilo in the island of Panay. Model Sunday-school sessions were 
 held. As 300 children at one of these sessions sang one of their stirring 
 hymns a visitor remarked : “That is what I think heaven will be like.’’ 
 The question box method was employed and the people were eager to 
 learn everything possible on the fundamentals of Sunday-school work. 
 
 With few exceptions denominational cooperation is the rule in the 
 Sunday-school work here, as in other phases of the evangelical move- 
 ment. It is easier to secure, in view of the wise provision and fra- 
 ternal spirit which caused those denominations, which cooperate in 
 Sunday-school work, to make a division of territory that gives well 
 
7 
 
 nigh an exclusive field to a denomination. In the organization of the 
 Sunday-school Union here missionaries and natives welcome the Union 
 as a platform where they could all federate in the interest of the child 
 and Bible study. The same teacher-training text-book (Hurlbut) is 
 translated into the various dialects and pushed by the several missions. 
 The Presbyterians, Methodists, United Brethren and Baptists have their 
 native ministry trained in a union theological seminary at Manila. 
 
 The United States in many respects is producing in the Philippines 
 advanced types in the extent and quality of its educational work in 
 sanitation and hospitals and in civil affairs. The laxity permitted in 
 Sabbath observance has not been to the Government’s credit, and 
 stirred up a ringing protest at the last Sunday-school convention. 
 
 In its Sunday-school work the Philippine Islands must produce an 
 advanced type that shall favorably influence the Malay people and 
 other nations of the Orient. Recommendations looking to this result 
 will appear later. The conditions and needs of the work are herewith 
 presented : 
 
 I. Statistical Sunday-school Membership 
 
 
 Number of 
 
 Officials 
 
 
 
 
 Sunday- 
 
 and 
 
 
 
 
 schools 
 
 Teachers 
 
 Scholars 
 
 T otal 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 133 
 
 317 
 
 8,705 
 
 9,021 
 
 Baptist 
 
 64 
 
 136 
 
 2,360 
 
 2,496 
 
 United Brethren . . . 
 
 27 
 
 169 
 
 1,151 
 
 1,320 
 
 Disciples 
 
 61 
 
 119 
 
 2.170 
 
 2,289 
 
 Methodists 
 
 199 
 
 1,370 
 
 10,230 
 
 11,600 
 
 Special 
 
 9 
 
 24 
 
 437 
 
 461 
 
 
 493 
 
 2,135 
 
 25,053 
 
 27, mi 
 
 Practically all of these schools are those attached to churches. In 
 
 the newer mission territory, such as Korea and the Philippines, the 
 natural step is to first develop the church through preaching to the 
 adults, the Sunday-school following the organization of the church. 
 And in these fields the church has to be awakened to the duty of 
 training the child for the kingdom, and to the value of right formation 
 as against reformation. 
 
 The cradle roll has taken good root in the Philippines and the home 
 department has also a beginning. 
 
8 
 
 II. Equipment 
 
 Church buildings are used for the Sunday-school session. The pri- 
 mary class, in a comparatively few cases, is separated from the school 
 by curtain or the session held in a separate room. One hundred and 
 one out of the total of 493 schools report use of the blackboard and 
 76 have pianos or organs. Other equipment is meagre as yet, as the 
 work is new and appliances applicable to the native use have been 
 only partially developed. 
 
 Cards, Bibles, lawn socials, attendance contests, picture rolls are 
 among the plans for attracting attendance and sustaining interest. 
 
 Bibles are in use most largely by adults, although many schools 
 report their use by the other members. The good work of the Bible 
 societies in the Philippines has made the Bible the general possession 
 of the church. 
 
 III. Grading and Graded Lessons 
 
 In a few of the city church Sunday-schools the grading is along 
 the best lines. In a number of schools primary, secondary and adult 
 divisions or classes are the rule. In the bulk of the schools the grad- 
 ing is still a simple affair of primary and main school. The children, 
 as noted above, have been rather neglected in the church program in 
 the past and preference given to the adults, and until recently were 
 not in the Sundaj^-schools in sufficient numbers to work out a well 
 graded system as yet, but this lack of children and young people is 
 being remedied by the methods emplo 3 ’ed by Mr. McLaughlin and 
 by the new emphasis on the child. With the development of a teach- 
 ing leadership, the proper instruction of Filipino pastors as to the 
 Sunday-school, and the gradual development of graded lessons this 
 question of grading will take care of itself. 
 
 We have said the gradual introduction of graded lessons, for it is 
 patent that with a few exceptions in the cities where there is a trained 
 teaching force, anj^ general introduction of the graded lesson plan as 
 known in America would be confusing and harmful. There is a call, 
 voiced in several conventions for a primary' course. The present helps 
 are written largely from the adult standpoint. A child’s lesson or a 
 weekly paper, including the lesson, is imperative. 
 
 By the present plan the Literature Committee of the Philippine 
 Islands Sunday-school Union, appointed by the Annual Convention, 
 prepares the lesson comments in English, using the International Uni- 
 form Lessons of the year previous, and furnishes the same to the 
 various missions who arrange for publication of the helps in several 
 
9 
 
 different languages. The lesson helps sent out by the Department of 
 Waste Material of the World’s Association is thus available and help- 
 ful here. 
 
 In the Southern Islands both Baptist and Presbyterian missions use 
 lessons prepared by the missions. The International lessons cannot be 
 used there extensively, as they do not have the whole Bible in the 
 Visayan. 
 
 The development of an adequate literature is one of the urgent 
 needs presented later. 
 
 As nearly one-third of those of school age are in the public schools 
 of the Islands and learning English, much of the lesson and other 
 literature in English will be available in the course of time to Sun- 
 day-school pupils. 
 
 IV. Sunday-school Session and Program 
 
 The hour for the Sunday-school session is usually 8 or 9 o’clock in 
 the morning, the length of session varying from 1 to V/i hours. The 
 program features are usually taken from the lesson quarterly and 
 include song, responsive reading, prayer and the Lord’s Prayer, musical 
 specialties such as solo, violin, quartet or chorus, varying the pro- 
 gram in some places. The review plan is employed, and there is 
 considerable Scripture memory work, including the Golden Texts and 
 special drills, such as Scripture response to roll call. Quarterly reviews 
 are conducted in some schools. 
 
 Special days are practically universal in their use, especially Easter 
 and Christmas. Decision Day is observed in some schools. The cor- 
 net and Sunday-school orchestra is sometimes employed. The Filipinos 
 are a music-loving people, they sing well and play in the neighborhood 
 bands with great skill. 
 
 V. The Pastor and his Work 
 
 The principal place of training the pastors is the Union Theological 
 Seminary, Manila. Here all future pastors are given a course in the 
 Sunday-school and religious pedagogy, Hurlbut’s book being used as 
 a basis for the work. The young men in the Seminary, in addition 
 to their courses in methods of Sunday-school work, have a model 
 Sunday-school class every Friday afternoon. One young man teaches 
 the lesson before the class each week. This year each young man 
 taught two lessons during the course. Many of the students have 
 practice in superintending open air Sunday-schools under the super- 
 vision of one of the missionaries. 
 
10 
 
 The pastors are usually found at the Sunday-school session acting 
 as superintendents when necessary or as teachers. In some cases 
 the pastor leads a teachers’ meeting but this seems the exception. 
 
 VI. Superintendents 
 
 About one-half of the schools are superintended by church mem- 
 bers. The pastors superintend in some 70 of the schools and the bal- 
 ance of the schools use missionaries, Bible women and helpers. Outside 
 of the conventions and institutes no training of this important force 
 for the work of Sunday-school guidance has been attempted. As 
 many of these laymen and pastors have not had a public school edu- 
 cation, as such education only came in with the United States occupa- 
 tion of the Philippines, the full training course is not practicable, but 
 a series of simple, practical leaflets should be issued on a weekly 
 correspondence plan for the general education of these leaders in 
 vision and method. 
 
 From the Christian educational institutions a Sunday-school leader- 
 ship is being gradually developed for the work of the superintendent. 
 
 VII. Teachers 
 
 The teaching force is drawn almost entirely from the church mem- 
 bership. Young men and young women from the public schools and 
 Christian schools are entering heartily into this service. 
 
 As stated, Hurlbut’s book has been translated into a number of 
 dialects and is used as a basis of training in a number of educational 
 institutions, such as the large Silliman Institute at Dumaguete, and 
 the Ellinwood Girls’ School, and the Deaconess Training Schools. At 
 the Ellinwood School they have regular courses in Sunday-school work 
 and methods of teaching and special preparation for teaching the next 
 Sunday’s lesson each Friday afternoon. Last year they taught in 
 seven morning open air Sunday-schools. The graduates of these 
 splendid schools are spread over the province as centers of Sunda)’- 
 school enthusiasm and progress. They organize new schools and put 
 new energy into the old schools. 
 
 The two days to two weeks’ Bible institute, held in a number of the 
 provinces, is another very practical training plan. At these institutes 
 for pastors, local preachers, exhorters, superintendents and teachers a 
 course in the preparation and teaching of Sunday-school lessons is 
 always given, a model Sunday-school is held and the children arc 
 gathered in after school each day to give the delegates opportunity 
 
11 
 
 to practice teaching. Missionaries ordinarily supervise these institutes. 
 Note books are used and examinations held. In one institute for girls 
 two hours daily out of a month’s program is given to Sunday-school 
 subjects. 
 
 The organization of classes for teacher-training in the local churches, 
 especially at provincial centers where high school and college young 
 people are gathered, needs development under the right guidance. 
 There is no more strategic thing in the whole work than to enlist this 
 growing body of educated young people for Christian service, and the 
 fruit of this character of work alone would be such as to warrant the 
 employment of an expert for his entire time. 
 
 An up-to-date teachers’ lilirary is among the urgent needs in the 
 training of a leadership. 
 
 VIII. Scholars 
 
 The visitation of scholars’ homes by teachers is done to a limited 
 extent only. The scholars’ social life is met partially through picnics 
 and a Junior society. The recognition of birthdays is just getting a 
 start. The athletic life is touched hardly at all. It should be noted, 
 however, that the public schools are giving special attention to this, 
 and to American baseball, which is one of the most enthusiastic sports 
 of the Islands. Organized athletics under the public school or Sun- 
 day-school management is a strong weapon in killing off cock-fight- 
 ing and gambling, which had grown up under Spanish rule, and which 
 has been the bane of the Philippines. 
 
 Sunday-school papers from .-Kmerica, and largelj' from the Waste 
 Material Department of the World’s Sunday-school Association, arc 
 used extensively for the scholars. What is needed, however, are Sun- 
 day-school papers with material with a Filipino background for the 
 educated boys and girls. 
 
 Lines of service are undertaken by scholars to a small extent, such 
 as distribution of tracts, holding street meetings, helping pagan schools, 
 visitation of sick, personal invitation to services. 
 
 IX. The Homes 
 
 From the fact that 75 per cent, of the scholars come from Chris- 
 tian homes cooperation with the Sunday-school is a helpful factor in 
 the Philippines. 
 
 Hindrances to attendance come from the observance of Sunday as 
 a market day, and to an extent from Sunday baseball. The use of 
 the Sabbath as a work day in some cases is a difficultj'. 
 
12 
 
 The largest difficulty, however, comes from the strong opposition of 
 the Roman Catholic Church here to Bible teaching. This statement 
 comes from many workers, and in unequivocal terms such as: “The 
 Roman Catholic Church condemns Bible teaching;” “Roman Catholic 
 leaders fight the Bible;” “Fanaticism, prejudice and opposition of 
 priests ;” “Romanists hate the Protestant Bible ;” “Antagonism of 
 Romanism to the Bible ;” “Roman Catholic Church strongly opposes 
 Bible ;” “Opposition to Protestant teaching.” 
 
 In many cases the Sunday-school is found a means of entrance to 
 non-Christian homes, and in not a few such cases conversions are 
 reported as the direct influence of the Sunday-school coming through 
 literature, the visit of the teacher or attendance upon the services. 
 The homes are entirely accessible to visits from the Sunday-school 
 workers. 
 
 The Home Department or Home Bible Study on the I. B. R. A. 
 plan is prevailing in only a small way as yet. The Bible societies are 
 getting the Bibles into the homes as fast as possible, but instruction 
 in the use of the Bible is needed. The better organization of the 
 Bible school and Bible study that is surely coming here will help for- 
 ward the grip of the Bible upon the home. 
 
 The use of waste material in the Philippines is a vital factor in 
 enlisting attendance, improving interest, and entering homes. The 
 words of commendation of the material are many: “Considerable 
 
 help;” “Excellent effect;” “Very helpful;” “Used extensively;” “Used 
 to some extent in all schools;” “Use all we can obtain;” “Need many 
 times present supplj’ ;” “Always valuable ;” “A great help to native 
 evangelist;” “After use in school wall charts used in home decora- 
 tion ;” “Do not always apply to lesson, but are used as introductory 
 work in the homes.” 
 
 While the “Prodigal Son” and “Rebecca at the Well” would be 
 much more attractive as Filipinos — yet until produced in this dress the 
 supplies from the Department of Waste Material are doing incalculable 
 good. 
 
 X. Public Attitude toward the Sunday-school 
 
 Owing to the preponderance of Roman Catholic population the 
 attitude of the Department of Education in the Philippines toward the 
 Sunday-school, and participation of the teachers in religious work out- 
 side of school hours has been such that Christian public school teachers 
 have not felt free to engage in such work, as they fear it will hurt 
 them with the Department. The published instructions of the Depart- 
 ment to teachers w'ould seem to lend color to this position. The 
 
13 
 
 experiment of public school education is yet too young in the Philip- 
 pines to have developed an outstanding need of religious instruction 
 that shall produce character to supplement the secular instruction of 
 the schools, but the lack of high moral ideals on the part of Filipino 
 young people is bearing its usual harvest. The enlightening effect of 
 education seems to be the severance of the thousands of the Filipino 
 youth from the demands of superstitious beliefs, and the Sunday- 
 school must be equipped to minister to the whole life of these young 
 people by an adequate vision of its work and organization for its best 
 doing. 
 
 The opposition of the many Roman Catholic public-school princi- 
 pals and teachers to the Sunday-schools in many cases operates un- 
 favorably to the Sunday-school. Athletic games have been organized 
 by the teachers during the Sunday-school hours. Teachers not Roman 
 Catholic have sometimes taken an unfavorable position to please the 
 church. 
 
 It is due to the work of the Sunday-school in an American country 
 that the Sunday-school should be given an equal chance with all 
 religious enterprises and that all barriers to this, direct or implied, 
 by educational authorities should be removed. 
 
 XI. Other Religious Systems and the Sunday-school 
 The only religious system actually operating in the Islands is the 
 Roman Catholic. But little regular religious instruction of the chil- 
 dren and young people is attempted beyond the Catechism classes and 
 instruction in the parochial schools. There seems to be no effort to 
 imitate the Sunday-school or by imitating similar schools to draw 
 children away from the Sunday-schools. 
 
 XII. The Church and the Sunday-school 
 In the Philippines the establishing of the church, as before noted, 
 has preceded the Sunday-school. The opportunities however for estab- 
 lishing Sunday-schools in new fields in city and country are limited only 
 by workers and means. There is general agreement on the part of 
 experienced workers in this field that the outlook for the physical 
 and numerical extension of the Sunday-school is very bright. This 
 opportunity is characterized as “Large, no limit,” “Great,” “Very good,” 
 “May be multiplied many times,” “Excellent,” “Unlimited,” “Splendid,” 
 “Good.” And there is general agreement as to the great importance 
 of the Sunday-school in relation to the church as a place for the 
 enlistment and training of workers and as a feeder to the church. 
 
14 
 
 XIII. Sunday-school Support 
 
 Expenses of the church Sunday-schools here are covered by the 
 offerings. Mission Sunday-schools receive help from mission funds. 
 
 Some of the mission boards provide help for the translation of 
 Sunday-school literature, principally for Sunday-school lesson transla- 
 tion work. 
 
 Practically no provision is made by mission boards for Sunday- 
 school equipment or supplies outside of the lessons. As a consequence 
 the Sunday-schools have, in most cases, gone without adequate equip- 
 ment. And the missionaries here, as in other lands, have gone into 
 their own pockets often for needed supplies to sustain the work. 
 
 In the Philippines the missionarj- boards have carried through no 
 plans for the support of Sunday-school specialists. One or two boards 
 are considering such plans. 
 
 Opinion in general is that the failure of the mission boards to set 
 aside adequate sums for Sunday-school development is a serious draw- 
 back to Sunday-school progress. 
 
 There is agreement that very much more could be done in increasing 
 Sunday-school attendance, interest, and educational and evangelistic re- 
 sults in the Sunday-school if there were adequate funds and special 
 encouragement and supervision of the work by denominational or in- 
 terdenominational Sunday-school secretaries. One missionary says the 
 work could be increased 75 per cent, with proper leadership. 
 
 XIV. General 
 
 The workers of the Islands are a unit as to the strategic value of 
 the next ten years for a Sunday-school advance movement. The 
 reasons given by various people are interesting. 
 
 ‘‘The Philippines are in a transitional change.” ‘‘Romanism is dead 
 in many towns.” “Some one will get the young people if we do not.” 
 “If we fail to do the work now atheism and agnosticism will close 
 the door ten years from now.” “People are breaking away from the 
 old Roman Church and need caring for by the Sunday-school.” “Evan- 
 gelical Christians want their children taught.” “Public schools have 
 opened the minds of the young people and dampened prejudice." 
 “These students would go to the Sunday-school if they understood 
 it.” “Sunday-school work properly conducted appeals strongly to all 
 classes.” “This work is only at its beginning.” “People here are just 
 in the making.” “Organization needed to meet Roman Catholic op- 
 position.” “People have no confidence in priestly leadership.” 
 
15 
 
 The outstanding needs of the Philippines are thus expressed : 
 “Leadership,” “Literature,” “Enthusiasm,” “More missionaries,” “Dis- 
 trict conventions and institutes with secretary to push work,” “Better 
 organization and equipment,” “Definite plans persistently executed,” 
 “Right kind of a man to organize and equip.” 
 
 In such a Sunday-school advance as is needed large emphasis is placed 
 by the workers upon Sunday-school conventions and institutes, model 
 Sunday-schools and model class sessions at such gatherings, exhibit of 
 suggestive material, improved literature, and especially the training 
 of a native leadership and the visitation of Sunday-schools by such 
 leaders. 
 
 XV. Recommendations 
 
 In response to the plain indications of this report and to the resolu- 
 tions of the last convention of the Philippine Islands Sunday-school 
 Union, and endorsed through the special delegate of the commission 
 to the Islands, the Rev. A. M. Williams, your commission strongly 
 recommends action by the World’s Sunday-school Association and by 
 the cooperating denominations as follows : 
 
 1. That the World’s Sunday-school Association be asked to provide 
 a general secretary for the Islands approved by the executive com- 
 mittee of the Philippine Islands Sunday-school Union, which is rep- 
 resentative of the mission interests and native churches. 
 
 2. That the several denominations doing work in the Islands be asked 
 to provide trained native workers to cooperate with the general 
 secretary in developing the Sunday-school work of their respective 
 denominational fields. 
 
 3. That we suggest to the larger missions that they make for the 
 next two years an appropriation of $500 each and the smaller missions 
 $250 each to develop under proper supervision an adequate literature 
 for the Sunday-school, including lesson helps, manuals, orders of 
 exercise, teachers’ library, certificates, and improved outfit for the 
 Sunday-school. The literature committee of the Islands Union may 
 be a proper supervising committee for the spending of these funds.