Factors associated with Sunday School attendance among members of Presbyterian Churches lead by Korean Missions in Iloilo City

Abstract

This study, Factors Associated with Sunday School Attendance Among Members of Presbyterian Churches Led by Korean Missions in Iloilo City, describes and analyzes the state of the Sunday School program of Presbyterian churches led by Korean missions in the city of Iloilo and to ascertain the underlying factors responsible for such state. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following problems: 1) What is the state of the Sunday School program in the Presbyterian Churches led by Korean Missions in Iloilo City?2) What are the possible factors responsible for this state?

To obtain a comprehensive picture of the Sunday School program in the local congregations, all three stakeholders of the said program were engaged in the study: the church pastors, the Sunday School teachers, and the church members. Drawn from a random sample, fifteen(15) pastors, twelve(12) Sunday School teachers, and one hundred sixty seven(167) church members were made the subjects of the study. The pastors were asked to state their working definition of Sunday School and its value for the local church under their watch. The Sunday School teachers were asked to respond to questions that unearthed their preparation for teaching, the pedagogical tools which they employ in their teaching, and class management. The church members were asked about their level of interest in Sunday School, their regularity of attendance, and the impact of the program on their growth as church members.

While the pastor-respondents differ in their focus of the Christian Education content, all of them believe that Sunday School is a tool or instrument that helps in an understanding of the Bible, Christian values, Godly living. In other words, Sunday School is a reformatory channel.

Of the fifteen (15) pastors interviewed, eight (8) were themselves Sunday School teachers who rated Sunday School with great importance which was why they took on the Sunday School leadership in their own congregations. Out of the twelve (12) Sunday School teachers, seven(7) had never undergone any formal training for Sunday School teachers. Neither did they use any form of Sunday School material as they had no access to these. Their Sunday School lessons were a repeat of what they had heard from the Korean missionaries and/or their mentors. It was found out that fifty four (54) of the one hundred sixty seven(167) church members did not feel a compelling need for Sunday School.

On the basis of the given problem, the following assumptions were established:

1. The pastor’s theology of Christian Education significantly influences the Sunday School program of a local congregation.

2. The Biblical and pedagogical preparation of the Sunday School teacher significantly influences Sunday School attendance

3. There is a significant correlation between the member’s perception of church membership and his/her Sunday School attendance.