1969’s Largest Sunday Schools:  How are Those Churches Doing Today?

Orginally published on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 7:50 AM
by Todd Rhoades

My friend Mark Wilson had a great post over at his Revitalize Your Church Blog... Remember Elmer Towns huge book from back in 1969? (Quite frankly, I don't because I was five... but I digress). Anyway, in the book, Elmer named the largest 10 Sunday Schools in the country. Back then, Sunday School attendance was measured (only because more people used to attend Sunday School than worship services). How are those top churches from 1969 doing today? Check it out... then read the commentary and comments over at Revitalize Your Church...

1. Akron Baptist Temple, Akron, OH
1968—5762
2008—2000

2. Highland Park Baptist Church, Chatanooga, TN
1968—4821
2008—no response

3. First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX
1968—4731
2008—2600

4. First Baptist Church, Hammond, IN
1968—3978
2008—12,000 (did not respond—this figure comes from Outreach Magazine)

5. Canton Baptist Temple, Canton, OH
1968—3581
2008—1500

6. Landmark Baptist Church, Cincinnati, OH
1968—3540
2008—1200

7. Temple Baptist Church, Detroit, MI (Now Northridge Church)
1968-- 3400
2008—13,865

8. First Baptist Church, Van Nuys, CA
1968—2847
2008—does not exist

9. Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg VA
1968—2640
2008—17,445

10. Calvary Temple, Denver, CO
1968—2453
2008—3500

Here is a bit of the Introduction from this classic book.  Elmer Towns writes:

Why do some Sunday Schools grow in attendance at fantastic rates to unbelievable sizes,
and others stagnate? Some Sunday Schools reach a vast number of people, win hundreds to
Christ, and have a large teaching ministry. Others seem to die in the delivery room.

Why?

I have been in some churches that seem to have all the ingredients for expansion yet they
remain inhibited year after year. Other churches I would write off the possibility list, stating,
“They can’t grow in that location or in that building.” But they continue to expand.

Why?

What is the secret to Sunday School expansion? Is there some magical formula to be
applied for growth? Does correct theological doctrine produce a rise in attendance figures?
Many years ago I asked if there existed a set of laws that automatically built attendance when
applied.

Years ago the Southern Baptist Convention released a filmstrip, The Laws of Sunday
School Growth, that reflects the Convention’s strategy for growth. These laws were restated by
J. N. Barnette in his study book The Pull of the People, Convention Press, 1956. Many Sunday
School authorities outside the ten million member Southern Baptist Convention look to the laws
of Sunday School growth as expressed by the Southern Baptist as an infallible guide to Sunday
School expansion. Yet these laws of Sunday School growth are either ignored or broken by many
of the ten largest Sunday Schools. In fact, most of the ten largest Sunday Schools in America do
not follow these laws of Sunday School growth, yet continue to grow.

Why?

Six of the Sunday Schools among the ten largest are listed in the yearbook of The Baptist
Bible Fellowship, Springfield, Missouri. Only one of the ten largest Sunday Schools is from a
Southern Baptist Church. May we conclude that the Baptist Bible Fellowship has better laws for
Sunday School growth, or that perhaps the laws for Sunday School growth as expressed by the
Southern Baptist Convention are not as effective as once believed? Maybe the youthful
enthusiasm of the Baptist Bible Fellowship produces more dedication and hard work than the
older, more formal Southern Baptist Denomination. The Baptist Bible Fellowship does seem to
be more effective in building larger Sunday Schools.

Why?

An interesting prediction was made by Dr. John Rawlings, minister of Landmark Baptist
Temple, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Vice President of Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Missouri. He
feels that in the next ten years the Baptist Bible Fellowship will have between twenty-five and fifty
churches averaging over three thousand in Sunday School. Today, there are only seven Sunday
Schools that average that high in attendance and five of these Sunday Schools are listed in the
Baptist Bible Fellowship Yearbook. If the Baptist Bible Fellowship works as hard in the next ten
years as it has in the past ten years it probably will prove Rawlings correct.

This book is written to help many struggling Sunday Schools wanting to grow. Small
works drain the vision and enthusiasm of faithful lay workers and clergymen. Nothing is more
discouraging than to pour energy, hope and prayers into a Sunday School, then see it defiantly
refuse to expand. A stagnant Sunday School eats the heart and desire out of workers.
The example of these ten churches can help small Sunday Schools spot weaknesses and
plan fruitful programs. Their principles of growth may rejuvenate a discouraged pastor, giving
him a new vision of the work. A successful man surely does not follow the example of failure.
The author gets disturbed at some of the lectures given at Sunday School conventions and
Christian education conferences. Speakers with little experience in building attendance at Sunday
School give lectures on outreach and expansion. Principles are suggested to help Sunday Schools
grow in attendance, when in fact, the application may deter the outreach and growth of a work.
And then some people are up in the air. Ivory towers are fine, but very few people live there.
Solid research is needed in Sunday School outreach and expansion.

I was greatly impressed with the ministers, staff and the congregations that I visited in the
ten largest Sunday Schools project. Much is heard today about the dying church institution. The
ten largest Sunday Schools have life, and you feel as if you are “where the action is” when you
visit their services. The lost are being converted, prayers are being answered, and progress is
evident. I wished I lived close enough so my family and I could attend one of these churches,
But I do not give a “blanket” approval to all I saw in the ten largest Sunday Schools.
Some of the churches have features I think are not educationally sound. But this study is not to
express my opinions. I have attempted to remain objective, and report the facts as they exist.

The purpose of this study was to determine why these ten Sunday Schools became the largest in
the United States not to examine the all round effectiveness of their programs. I have not tried to
criticize these Sunday Schools, but to communicate those principles that have caused them to
grow.

Read more here at Revitalize Your Church…

Interesting Question:  No doubt that many of today’s top ten churches may be either much larger, or even non-existent in 40 years.  Which of today’s top ten churches do you think will continue to grow tremendously through 2048; and which ones do you think will be much smaller?  And, of course, why?

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