SABBATH SCHOOL

The Seventh-day Adventist equivalent, in general, of the Sunday school of other

denominations, but designed for people of all ages, rather than for only children and youth.
The goal of the Sabbath school is the discipling of people for Christ. The four basic
objectives of the Sabbath school are faith development, fellowship, community outreach, and
world mission.
Adventist Sabbath school work began in 1852 when James White wrote the first Sabbath
school lessons, a series of 19 for children and youth published in the Youth’s Instructor (see
Sabbath School Publications).
The first regular Sabbath school was probably the one organized in 1853 by James White
in Rochester, New York; another was organized by John Byington in Buck’s Bridge, New York in
1854; and the third was organized in 1855 by M. G. Kellogg in Battle Greek, Michigan.
Early Sabbath schools had only two divisions, one for children and one for adults (the
latter called the Bible Class). Teachers placed much emphasis on the memorization of Scripture.
Adelia Patten wrote a series of Sabbath school lessons adapted for children in 1863. The same
year the first adult Sabbath school lessons appeared in the Review and Herald and were written by
Uriah Smith.
There was little organization until G. H. Bell, pioneer teacher in Battle Creek, became
editor of the Youth’s Instructor in 1869. He introduced two series of lessons, one for children and
the other for youth. He also published a plan of organization providing for a staff of officers and
regular reports of attendance. He later introduced articles for teachers and officers. After
demonstrating success in Battle Greek, Bell traveled to other places organizing Sabbath schools
and counseling officers.
In 1877 the first state Sabbath School Association was organized in California followed by
one in Michigan the same year. By October 1878 there were 12 such state organizations and a
General Sabbath School Association had been in operation since March. At the first annual
meeting of the association in October 1878, eight of the associations reported 177 Sabbath
schools, with 5,851 members.
In 1878, in Battle Creek, Michigan, the first division for smaller children was formed,
called “the Bird’s Nest.” In 1886 this became the kindergarten division. Also in 1878 the first
Sabbath school songbook, The Song Anchor, was published and demonstration Sabbath schools
were held at all camp meetings.
In 1879 the first branch Sabbath schools were organized (see Branch Sabbath School).
In 1885 the first Sabbath school mission offering was taken in Oakland, California, for the
Australasian Mission. That same year the Sabbath School Worker was launched, giving
instructions for Sabbath school workers.
In 1887 the first general Sabbath school mission offering, $10,615, was raised for the
African mission station. In 1889 the first Senior Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly was printed.
Our Little Friend began publication in 1890 with separate lessons for kindergarten and primary
children.
At the General Conference session held in 1901, the International Sabbath School
Association (former Sabbath School Association) was reorganized as the Sabbath School
Department of the General Conference and state Sabbath school associations were abolished. W.
A. Spicer was the first chairperson of the department, and L. Flora Plummer was the
corresponding secretary.
In 1901, nearly 50 years after the first Sabbath school lessons were printed, there were
2,675 Sabbath schools, with 59,732 members, who gave $21,979.58 for missions (see Sabbath
School Offerings). Four divisions were now in operation: adult, youth, primary, and kindergarten.
The five objectives of the Sabbath school in 1901 were (1) every Seventh-day Adventist attending
Sabbath school every week, (2) every member studying the Sabbath school lesson daily, (3) every
member present and on time, (4) teachers doing personal work for every pupil, and (5) every
member giving liberal gifts for missions.
The decade of 1911 to 1921 saw the beginning of primary and junior quarterlies, Picture
Rolls, sand table cutouts, the introduction of the Thirteenth Sabbath Special Projects Offering, the
beginning of the mission quarterly, and the introduction of awards for perfect attendance and daily
lesson study. (This practice was stopped in 1945. That year 180,000 honor cards and 13,000
bookmark awards were earned.) Sabbath school Investment began in 1925.
At the end of 1937, 85 years after James White published the first Sabbath school lessons,
there were 13,305 Sabbath schools, with 554,408 members who gave $1,669,833.86 for missions
(see Sabbath School Offerings).
In 1952, the centennial of James White’s first Sabbath school lessons, there were 17,993
Sabbath schools, with 1,120,998 members who gave approximately $5 million to missions.
In 1956 the first Sabbath School Manual was published. The decade of the fifties also saw
the beginning of Guide, Primary Treasure, Junior Mission Quarterly, Vacation Bible Schools, and
flannel board cutouts.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s plans were laid to revise the format for Sabbath school
lessons in all divisions. The adult quarterly, later greatly increased in size, devoted one page to
each day’s study. Four-color cover pictures were added to make the quarterly more attractive.
The adult teacher’s quarterly, produced in loose-leaf form, included an additional page of
explanations and helps especially for the teacher.
In 1962 the Earliteen Sabbath School Quarterly was started. In 1970 Insight replaced the Youth’s
Instructor. Cornerstone Connections began publication in 1982, providing lessons for teens.
The first major reorganization of the Sabbath School Department since 1901 took place at
the General Conference session of 1985. At that time Sabbath school became a part of the newly
created Church Ministries Department (see Church Ministries Department).
In 1992, 140 years after the first Sabbath school lessons, there were 71,893 Sabbath
schools with 8,786,693 members who gave $43,565,123 to world missions. This represents
tremendous growth in Sabbath schools, members, and mission offerings in the 40-year period
from 1952 to 1992.
In 1992 organized Sabbath schools were operating in 204 of the 233 countries recognized
by the United Nations. Twenty-nine nations did not have organized Sabbath schools. In 1992 the
Sabbath school lessons were being taught in 687 languages. For comparison, in 1964 Sabbath
schools were functioning in 189 countries and Sabbath school lessons were taught in 523
languages. By 1975 Sabbath schools were meeting in nearly 200 countries and studying the
lessons in more than 550 languages and dialects.
The Sabbath school today is divided by age groups: adults, young adults (19B30), youth
(15B18, or high school), earliteen (12B14, or grades 7 and 8), junior (10B12, or grades 5 and 6),
primary (7B9, or grades 2B4), kindergarten (4B6, or through the first grade), and cradle roll (0B3).
There is also an extension division including members who cannot attend.
In 1990 small group Action Units were introduced to the Sabbath school program. They
combine a personal ministry (lay activity) emphasis with a regular Sabbath school Bible study
class in an effort to involve the total membership in the outreach mission of the church and
increase fellowship and spiritual nurture.
In 1992 Children’s Mission Quarterly was begun to be published for kindergarten and primary
divisions. See also Branch Sabbath School; Sabbath School Offerings; Sabbath School
Publications; Vacation Bible School.i
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