In His Name Devotionals
SUNDAY SCHOOL LEADER
In His Name Devotionals
SUNDAY SCHOOL LEADER
Nearly everyone knows that during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote America's National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." He also enjoyed writing poetry, and by profession was an attorney who argued many cases before the Supreme Court.
One of the best kept secrets about him is the central role he played in establishing the Sunday school movement in America. He taught a large Sunday school class and in 1824 helped to establish the American Sunday School Union, which in 1830 formed a religious organization that over a period of fifty years established 61,299 Sunday schools, with 407,242 teachers, and 2,650,784 pupils; placing over a million books in Sunday school libraries.
Francis Scott Key played a prominent role in the spiritual direction of the Sunday school movement, enlisting the aide of many members of Congress, as well as several Supreme Court Justices and American diplomats. These early leaders believed the establishment of Christian Sunday schools was an important goal for America.
