The Rise of the Sunday School / 117

typical of the manner and simplicity which characterized these early Sunday schools:

The Martin's Creek Sunday School was organized April 14, 1889. First in order was singing led by M. D. Beechy after which Levi Miller made a few remarks in what manner and feeling we should carry on our Sunday school.

Next was prayer. Next in order was the appointing of officers and teachers and the arrangement of classes. Several new teachers were appointed and the remainder of the teachers are the same as last year.

John J. Beechy, Secretary

The Fulton and Williams County churches organized a Sunday school, perhaps as early as 1871 or 1872.'-' Here again "outside" pressure was in the picture. A member of the United Brethren Church was conducting a union Sunday school near Pettisville in the late sixties or early seventies. It was conducted in English, and among those attending were two brothers, Eli L. and Jacob C. Frey. Methodist laymen also conducted a Sunday school that was attended by some of the Amish Mennonite youth in the Archbold area.

Though opposed to the extent that it was temporarily closed, the Sunday school of Fulton and Williams counties eventually prospered and made for increased loyalty of children and youth to the church. By bringing children and others to the meetinghouse it increased the spirit of fellowship. Whereas many children had attended church sometimes only a few Sundays a year, they now came oftener. German Scripture texts were memorized. Eli L. Frey, later to be a prominent leader in the community, was the first layman to serve as superintendent. J. C. Frey was superintendent during the years of transtition from German to English and this occurred likely in the early nineties. German classes lingered till the 1930's.

The Mennonite Sunday schools of Columbiana and Mahoning counties date from 1873, one year after the Wisler movement had caused a division in the area .22 Progress was slow at first, due perhaps to the use of German. The Dunker Sunday school near Midway used English, and some preferred attending this school. There were a few years when Sunday school lapsed entirely and not until 1886 did it become permanent. John L. Yoder who had attended the Dunker Sunday school united with the Mennonite Church, became a Sunday school teacher, and in 1888 was elected assistant superintendent, with Frank B. Showalter as superintendent. Yoder was