I still remember many of my Sunday school teachers. I don’t remember much about how they taught (though, yes, I can still see the flannel graph); I don’t remember the curriculum; I don’t know how much of it soaked in.
But this did soak in: a passion for the story of Jesus. They introduced me to those sweeping stories: Noah, Abraham, Gideon, Elijah, Daniel, Mary, Paul. They led me through scripture. They prayed for my (our) faith. And they did it week after week after week.
Some of the heroes of faith are those who spend their time teaching children these stories. I’m guessing many of these teachers would love to be in an adult Bible class or in a small group meeting during that time.
But there they are. Prepared. Smiling. Ready to receive children and teens.
Anyone remember a Sunday school teacher who stoked the fires of passion in your faith journey?
My junior high Sunday school teacher is one of the main reasons I pursued religious education. He believed in me, encouraged me, and pushed me. Midway through my Ph.D in Theology, I still think about that dear man. Teachers can make such a difference.
b blessed and God is Peace
russ
As a baby, I was the only child in our small
As a baby, I was the only child in our small church plant in Connecticut. Patty Thompson was my first Sunday School teacher, and she had only one student in her class — me. Regardless, Patty taught me every Sunday, taking me on walks in the courtyard of the community center in which we met, praying for me, and making my spiritual and emotional growth her priority. I don’t remember much about my life before the age of 3, but I do remember Patty.
A few years ago, at the church’s 20th anniversary celebration, I had the opportunity to tell Patty (who now lives in the midwest) how much I appreciated her forgoing “adult time” to focus on the discipleship of 1 baby/toddler. Those years had a profound impact on the person I am today.
Mrs. Ewing, Mrs. Huff, Sylvia McCaleb, Curt and Bobbie Dickson (taking over the 5th grade class from the Marlers while Charlie was getting his PhD) with those red notebooks. Mrs. Ewing taught at University in Abilene for decades. I remember vividly Sylvia making an impassioned talk about the horrors of the Vietnam war to us in the second grade - powerful stuff still 35 years later.
There is a saying among coaches, “You teach what you know but they learn who you are.” There is allot of truth to that, a teacher or coach cannot hide who they really are and what they really believe. The best ones understand that and strive to be the role models that students need.
Sometimes,the best lessons are taught not in the classroom but in how you handle yourself in the face of adversity. Here is a family that has taught me much over the years, and is teaching all who know them a great lesson even now. Please kept hem in your prayers.
http://cindyowen.blogspot.com/
Marge Wyant had us memorizing scripture…stuff from the Psalms, things from the Gospels. It’s amazing what comes out of an adult who had a Sunday School teacher like Ms. Wyant.
We were on the mission field a lot when I was growing up, so my mom was my Sunday school teacher quite a bit. She as great! Outside of that, I would have to say Sister (Tommie Ann) West from Silver Spring, MD. She was a jewel! Oh yes, and there was L. G. Taylor from Del Rio, TX. He was also our dentist. He really believed in me.
I am sure as the day wears on, I will think of others.
Why is everthing underlined here?
My first Sunday school teacher was also my first grade teachder. We prayed in Sunday school ahd at school. Beatrice Wear–We all called her Miss B.
My favorite Miss B story is about discipline. Miss B would call students back to the cloak room when they misbehaved for a “paddling.” I remember my one and only trip to said cloak room. She told me how it worked. She would paddle the bottom of her shoe after swearing me to secrecy and having me promise I would go back into the room, put my head on the desk, and afterwards not repeat my behavior.
And for some reason, I still don’t understand, she didn’t want you ending any story you told at story time with “that’s all she wrote.”
Peace.
Let me add a couple of my own.
Hattie Davenport sticks out in my mind. Her husband, Floyd, was one of our elders. I remember thinking she was O-L-D (like 125, or so), though she may not have been (from my new perspective of 50). But she loved, loved us.
Ray Stipp was a cool young married guy who came in to help in our high school class. (He’s now an elder in Neosho.) What I remember is his affirmation of me with questions I asked and things I said. For teenagers, it’s so important to have someone who is an affirmer.
Carolyn Redfield, Eloise Kuehn, Zola Thomas, my mother, and others. They used their gifts to teach songs and verses, but they also taught Christ and sharing. Giving, loving servants whose lives of dedication will stretch far past their time on this earth by pointing children ultimately to Jesus. My mother has now taught Bible Class to the 3 to 6 year old children for over 50 years in the church in which I grew up. She has touched many lives. Lots of stars in that crown, I think. And if you asked her how much she missed being in an adult Bible class every week, she would tear up a bit and say “Those kids need it, and they’re worth it.”
Lee Mabery, Dorothy Emerson, and Barbara Hightower are a few that I remember. Lee later became a good mentor for me as she was also a ministers wife. SHe was very no nonsense when it came to dealing with some types of people! Barbara Hightower still teaches every sunday in my home congregation, my sons have her when we visit.
Mary Elam. What a dedicated Christian woman. She had so much sorrow and hardship in her life, but always communicated her love for God.
The two that stand out most to me are Mark Berryman and my mother. The church I grew up at in Bossier City, LA supported Mr. Berryman’s mission work in Africa for a long time. He would come to visit and teach one of the children’s classes that morning. He is the first person who ever inspired me to work in international missions. I actually got to visit Africa with him when I was in college. That completed circle marks Mr. Berryman as a teacher of great influence in my faith journey.
My mother was equally profound in the Sunday School arena. She was the “coordinator” for the Nursery and Cradle Roll classes when I was a child. My mother was a Children’s Minister before I ever knew what one could be. . .she wrote curriculum, trained teachers, ministered to parents and taught more babies than my family can count. The best part is she did it all as a volunteer in that ministry because she believed it was the right thing to do, and never regretted the commitment of that time.
George Hilliard was a man of conviction and cared deeply about the cause of Christ. He instilled that in all of us. And ff you were lucky enough to be taken under his wing (like I was), you could remember and live his influence for the rest of your life. What a joy and blessing he was and still is, although he is walking in a far better place..
In the late 80’s, a guy named Fred at the First Baptist Church in Midland, TX (his last name escapes me)… He was the most energetic, passionate, and kind sunday school teacher… As 7th graders (or maybe it was 8th) we were blessed to have this man as our role model… Plus, as I remember, his wife made great brownies (when they hosted us for a weekly guy’s bible study)!
Don Humphrey was one of our Sunday school teachers while in high school at Broadway CofC in Lubbock. He was an English professor (I think) who also taught at Texas Tech. From Michigan. One cool guy. He wrote a book titled “The Meanest Man in Texas” about a man who murderd two people as a teenager, was sent to prison, killed two more people while there, and eventually turned his life around and was paroled and became a prison minister, living the last part of his life in Lubbock. We all convinced Don to give us parts in the movie that we were sure was going to be made of the book. That was to be the start of our acting careers.
We enjoyed hearing Don talk, probably because of his “funny” accent, and also liked having him as a teacher because he was single and always brought his girlfriends to class and would have them sit right by him while he taught. Looking back, I am sure he did it just so that we would actually pay attention to him. It worked! Very impressive stuff to a bunch of smart-aleck high school boys.
Jerry Wamsley, Rick & Louise Gary, Lana Russell…these people taught me about the Bible in the most basic but profound ways. Being the preacher’s kid, it was hard to be good–but these people always saw me as just a kid, not a kid with the lablel of “preacher’s” before it.
Jerry taught me in Jr. High and High School. He always worked for us to see the “main point” of particular topics/passages. I can remember asking him questions about Viet Nam, and how his faith and family survived that time. He is still an inspiriation to me today, although we both no longer attend that small independant christian church in Oklahoma.
Rick & Louise were so much fun. They taught me in Elementary school, and always had a laugh and a hug for us kids. I think they were sort of left-over hippies–but man did they love Jesus. We called Louise “weesie.”
Lana still attends that small church in Oklahoma, and I imagine she still plays the piano there sometimes. She led children’s church for the longest time, and always had interesting stuff for us to do, and taught us the ancient sacred songs “Oh you can’t get to heaven…” and “This is the Day that the Lord has made…” or the Birdie song.
Thanks for this today, Mike. I haven’t reflected on my heritage of faith in a few months. Praise God.
Kindergarten class - Miss Kitty Ramfield at Arlington Heights in Fort Worth. She never married and I think lived with her brother - they always sat on about the second row on the right and I often sat with them. I don’t remember a lot of other details but I can still see the flannelgraph of “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
At the Elm & Hudson (formerly known as Hudson & Elm) Church of Christ in Altus, Oklahoma, the dynamic duo were Jo Gregg and Ada Robertson. Their 3rd-grade class was a finishing school for Bible totin’, quotin’ kids. Once or twice, I used my newly-acquired knowledge to show off during recess. I like to think that since then I’ve made better use of what I learned in that class. What ministers those ladies were! “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord . . . Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Revelation 14:13).
“Mrs. Frances” Ticer was one of my favorite Sunday School teachers. When I got old enough, I got to be her assistant. I can still see the poster of the “Books of the New Testament” with the real ribbon bookmark. Funny, I never learned the books of the Old Testament.
She may have been my favorite because I had a crush on her son!
Your wife, Mike, had a profound impact on my faith as my Bible class teacher. The sense of community that she builds within those sixth grade girls classes is incredible. But I think more than anything, I learned from her example.
As a current Bible class teacher, I will tell you that teaching kindergarten and first graders every Sunday morning is a joy that I can’t describe. My faith is formed by watching those precious children grow in the Lord before my very eyes. I love to see their enthusiasm for learning God’s Word and what it means to walk in His ways. And quite honestly, I’m not sure I’d know what to do in an adult Bible class. No crayons? No Play-Dough? No jumping and singing silly songs? Nah, I’ll stay upstairs with my kids, thanks!
Thanks for bringing this topic up, Mike. It’s been neat to read about all the spiritual influences that Sunday school teachers have been.
Frank,
I never knew when Hudson & Elm became Elm & Hudson, but it was always the former to me. My dad grew up in that congregation and my grandfather was an elder there for awhile until the late 60s.
During my preschool years in the mid-’70s, my dad was the associate minister at Taylor St. CoC in Hobbs, N.M. My Sunday school teachers were Glenda Ravanelli and Jane Evans. I had no idea the two women were the most innovative children’s ministry curriculum writers in the “brotherhood” at the time. I just knew I liked their class. Once they brought carrots and carrot peelers to class and taught us how to peel carrots. They also brought communion to class once so we could see what it tasted like. Another time they taught us the OT story about the jar that was never empty and I remember wishing our cookie jar at home could do the same thing.
Years later, when we were living in Abilene and I was hospitalized for complications with my first pregnancy, Jane came to see me. Her daughter Melanie had had the same complications with her pregnancies (although hers lasted her entire pregnancies — mine only lasted half). Jane brought one of Melanie’s daughters to my hospital room to show me that I would not only get through this pregnancy alive, I would also have a healthy child. My doctor at the time was telling me “I don’t know when this will end” and “You may have to terminate if this goes on much longer.” So Jane bringing me a message of hope was a lifeline that helped me keep going. That’s just one example of how Sunday school teachers keep teaching long after you get promoted out of their class. (The baby and I did survive — she’s seven now, healthy and too smart for her own good.)
I don’t remember a lot about Charlsie Woodson, but I remember she was tall, wore her hair up on top of her head and had black glasses.
She loved us and make us tow the line too. Good ole Robinson Church of Christ near Waco, those were the days!
In the 5th grade we thought that Freda Gentry, at the Trinity Heights church (lower case!) of Christ in Dallas, where my Dad and Mom were “Preacher and Ms. Preacher for 30 years, as excentric to say the least. She always wanted to make sure there was am empty seat for Jesus. We also would always silently quote along with her the opening sentence of every one of her prayers. “Righteous and Gracious Heavenly Father, fill me with your Grace. Help me to love these precious children more like you………………………..” Thinking back…..WOW!
I remember Mrs. Woodard, Mrs Smithey, Mrs. Conner. Right now though, I am thinking about Don Cobler, a burly ex-marine who loved Jesus and taught our high school class for a while. It was Don, many years ago, who raised the questions about Jesus. “What would he do in this or that situation today.” He made me think.
Goodness…DANA? As in DANA S from little Benton High School in Bossier City?
For me, it was guys named Jim McDoniel and Wyatt Kirk. Both were not necassarily my Sunday school teachers, but I saw them “teaching” every Sunday from the pulpit. Wyatt led singing and Jim delivered the lessons.
I still get chills sitting in my dad’s classes whenver I get a chance. He’s one of these guys that will take an entire quarter just to cover the FIRST FIVE VERSES OF PHILIPPIANS! You know what, though? EVERY WORD has an impact on me.
James Fiveash. The guy would put up with a small class of 7th grade boys before his sermons every Sunday… he should get three free sins just that!
James Fiveash. The guy would put up with a small class of 7th grade boys before his sermons every Sunday… he should get three free sins just for that!
Lucille Randolph, an aging alto, who sang “Low in the Grave He Lay” (her favorite) EVERY SUNDAY with such enthusiasm that even 5th and 6th grade girls (there were only 2 of us in the class!) could tell Jesus was very real indeed!
I loved growing up in a church of 100 strong!
(Mike, can you please blog on potlucks? Now THOSE were LEGENDARY!)
It was the Old Wire Road Church of Christ. We went there a few times growing up. I don’t remember the service. I remember the pew and laying down, but nothing about the service. But, I remember the journey to the Bible class. In the door to the left, take stairs down, second door on the right. The teacher had us memorize Psalm 23. I don’t know how well I could read, or if my mom read it, or my brother. But I memorized it. And that word stuck. To this day I can quote that passage in the King James Version even though I’ve never read the King James Version. Throughout the depths of sin of my late teens and early twenties that word would rise from the inner recesses of my memory and surface every so often; “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures… ” I eventually broke and submitted my life to my Shepherd. In the midst of other stories, that brief story stuck. And looking back, I am convinced that those words helped me form another story I could choose to live and ultimately led to my conversion to Christ.
That would be my mother, Ann Nichols. 6th grade Wednesday night Old Testament. I aced my way through OT at ACU as an undergrad because of her. And as I got my masters in theolgy, I came to see just how right she is: that you cannot understand the New until you understand the Old. While I have since really ‘discovered’ Jesus, and come to have a real affection for Paul; it will always be the OT I love the most and where I spend the majority of my time - and that is all because of her.
Mark Filipovich (not sure of spelling) taught the fifth grade boys class at Highland for years at Highland. He taught us skills like leading prayers, leading singing, and reading scripture in public worship. Just a few years later I was regularly doing these things in a much smaller congregation. I’m sure I would not have had the courage to try it without having had those lessons. I can still remember his bringing a 1/2 scale cross to class and asking for a volunteer to stand on to get an tiny idea of what it was like for Jesus. I volunteered which tells you something about how he made me feel as I was normally pretty shy. When I fell off and ripped my skin on the lower nails he made me feel like I had made a small sacrifice for Jesus. He was the first of several men to encouraged me to preach.
Later when I was at ACU, I used to pop in and visit him in the bakery for the cafeteria and he would usually let me sample one of his deserts since I never ate there. I was disappointed he had left highland for 5th and Grape but he never discouraged me from going there. I also visited him at home a number of times. Once he told me a bit about being in WWII and insisted I take a German luger he had taken off a German soldier to try it our as i was headed for the shooting range.
I think my life would have been a not different without Mark Filipovich.
I would have to say the best Sunday School teacher I ever had was my mom! She was excited to be there, and was passionate about her subject, showing Jesus’s love. We always went to small churches (paradise, tx c of c, callisburg c of c), so she was frequently needed. She ignored the politics that often accompany small town churches, and even let the girls in class pray (pretty progessive for churches in the 70s.)
Mrs. Rosie Brewster, Wynne AR, 3rd grade bible school. She looked like what I would envision the widow who gave her last two coins might look like. Very old and slightly humpback, walked with a limp. The most humble woman I have ever met. Soft spoken, gentle spirit, and very impacting.
I cannot remember the name of even one of my Bible class teachers, but I remember what they taught. I do remember them instilling in me the love of the word of God. I can remember coming home from class reading my Bible because I wanted to learn more about the person or event that we studied at class that day. I remember them instilling in me the knowledge that what was in the Bible were not words on a printed page, but real people whose lives were forever changed by their encounter with God.
Just recently I was involved in Ladies’ Bible study of the Patriarchs. Some ladies who had been baptized as adults had never really heard or read these stories before and in wonder at how these were the very scriptures that were fulfilled in Christ. I was amazed, not at my knowledge, but amazed by the realization that the knowlege I had was taught to me in those early years of Bible Class. I owe those dedicated men and women so much.
I pray that children today will have people teaching them the inspired word of God with the same zeal and dedication. I pray that we have teachers today who don’t care if their name is remembered, but that the word of God is remembered.
Serena, first off, I’m curious about your grandfather’s name (and dad too). My family moved to Altus in the early 70s.
The transition of the church’s name is a bit of a mystery to me. I can remember Hudson and Elm. You can always tell the old-timers, ’cause that’s what they call it. But somewhere along the line, the winds of change began to howl and blow through the congregation. The brethren, prone to drifting, eventually made a complete turn and allied themselves with the progressives. Hence the name, Elm and Hudson Church of Christ. Years later, a visitor asked, “By they way, who was Elmer Hudson?” Anyway, email me sometime. We gotta talk.
When I was around six or seven, I recall the patience and persistence of my Sunday School teacher, Joyce Chumley, who bravely guided my class over what seemed to be many months in the assembly of one of those store-bought, packaged tabernacle models. The whole thing must have been three or four feet long. We painted little wooden columns on which the tent walls were suspended. There were sacred furnishings and little animals. For the girls, it must have been like playing holy dollhouse. At that age, I would have wanted simply to bring in my plastic civil war figures, line them up on either side of the ark of the covenant and mow them down with my air-powered cork rifle. Perhaps the whole thing was wasted on boys like me. On the other hand, I have few memories of Sunday School as vivid as this one.
My mother read us bible stories every night so I guess she was my first official teacher. Dorothy Campbell was my first grade teacher at Oak Cliff Christian school back when it was still in a church building and our school room was a class room.
Strange but I don’t remember but one of my Sunday School teachers growing up, Pearlene Northam, from Daingerfield. She brought communion to class one time when I was in about 3rd or 4th grade. It made a big impression. I was only in class EVERY Sunday and Wednesday night through college but I can’t say as any of my teachers ever stoked any fires of passion for the Lord up until about 10 years ago when Patty Sikes did a study of Hebrews 11 with the women in Anson. Then I started studying with Beth Moore. And then….I came to Highland about 3 years ago and found the Faithseekers class with David & Charles. I’m glad God has brought me to this place for such a time as this.
Frank,
Thanks for asking. I will shuffle over to your blog.
Maude Milstead, a true legend. She raised several generations of 3rd graders at Highland. She lived to be just beyond 100 yrs old. But I think the last 10 years of her life she was mostly forgotten as she suffered from Alzheimers. Few knew how to give back to her.
I can remember the first time I set foot in a Sunday School class. My three siblings and I were living with our Aunt Betty. Our father was killed in a car accident, and our mother had abandoned us, probably because of her mental illness. Aunt Betty was very abusive, primarily due to her alcoholism.
For some unknown reason, one Sunday morning she took us to Friendly Lane Baptist Church in Haltom City, Texas to go to Sunday School. I will never forget walking into that classroom. It reminded me a little of my first grade class at school except for the kids were sitting in a circle. The teacher had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. She introduced herself to me and asked me for my name. She then instructed the kids to sing along, “We’re glad you are here, we’re glad you are here,….” to the tune of Happy Birthday. I can remember feeling as if the Sunday School teacher really loved me.
Shortly after this my Aunt died and we were picked up by a family from the nearby Church of Christ.
I had the privelage of growing up with Edd Eason as my youth minister and Larry James as my pulpit minister. Try and tell me they weren’t two of the most Godly men and wonderful influences!
Then, I married an atheist man (with my Elder father’s blessing, by the way). The same two men were ENORMOUSLY infuential in bringing Christ to my sweet husband. Now he won’t and can’t stop telling everyone he meets about how great God is.
Edd and Larry (among so many others) are two of the greatest teachers I know.
I remember Mickey Pennington. She did the things so many teachers also did, like give me my first Bible. But how she really stands out is in remaining in my memory as someone who desperately loved every student. Those early years were such a hard time of loss for me, but she was someone who lived, taught and showed a consistent message of love and acceptance. She’s now at the feet of another Teacher, but I still think of her fondly even more than thirty years later.
What a great memory - my favorite teachers were Hymonda Merkel & Louella Penrod - Wednesday night girl’s class at Southern Hills C of C in the early 70’s - they were the best - I’ll never forget when Hymonda reminded us not to be impatient drivers, because the older person in front of us that was driving slowly could be our Grandmother! I still think of that when I start to get impatient…now I’m the one that drives more slowly!
My son wrote this a couple of years ago about several of his teachers.
“There are men like the late Bobby Terry, a Sunday school teacher of mine in a local church. He lost his fight with cancer when I was in about the seventh grade. I’ll never forget his enthusiasm for life, his unforgettable, constant smile, and his love of Jesus. Other men like Joe Curtis have a lasting impression on my life too. When I was 6-years-old he was my preacher and as a teenager he was a mentor. I’m 27 now, and Joe Curtis is my friend and I love him. And of course, I cannot forget my close friend Tony Elliott who no longer lives in the area. Thanks for being a mentor and a “big brother” when I needed guidance.”
This was his special tribute to men who have touched his life, and I wanted to share with all of you. Perhaps you know or have heard of these people. If not, you’ve missed something. Thanks for allowing me to share.
I was looking for stories of special and influential Sunday School Teachers for a sermon. Thanks!
I don’t even remember what the pastor looked like who served when I was a little kid, but I remember my Sunday School Teachers.