A decisive factor in John Wesley's
"Methodism" was the importance of education for adults
and even for the children. Thus it was that the circuit
riders' saddle bags bulged with reading material. For
the child, Wesley believed not only in religious
education, but also in other forms of learning. As
Methodists forged into the wilderness, Christian
education and learning to read, write and figure kept
pace.
"Methodism" was the importance of education for adults
and even for the children. Thus it was that the circuit
riders' saddle bags bulged with reading material. For
the child, Wesley believed not only in religious
education, but also in other forms of learning. As
Methodists forged into the wilderness, Christian
education and learning to read, write and figure kept
pace.
The earliest Methodist Sunday School in Fulton was formed in 1816. By 1829, the
class could not meet in the basement of our then-unfinished church. Our church's
oldest written chronicle is a Sunday School book from 1834.
class could not meet in the basement of our then-unfinished church. Our church's
oldest written chronicle is a Sunday School book from 1834.
| During the Twentieth Century, the Sunday School has evolved with the church and American society. Having begun with 8 a.m. meetings, the hour has changed several times in accord with the worship service. It presently meets at 11 a.m., following the worship service. In 1922 the minister was given the power to appoint a Boy Scout Troop Committee and the Official Board voted unanimously to cooperate with Fulton's Board of Education to make weekday religious education possible. |
| In 1857, our church appointed its first woman as Assistant Sunday School Superintendent. One year later, our Quarterly Conference voted to seat the congregation by families in the Sunday evening meetings rather than to continue segregating the sexes on opposite sides of the sanctuary, as was the accepted custom for many church services. |
| Well ahead of the General Conference, our church voted equal representation at the Annual and General Conferences of 1870. In 1871 the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society was formed and the Woman's Home Missionary Society was organized in 1888. |
| The Home Society concerned itself with missionary work within the continental limits of the United States; the Foreign Society was concerned with missionary work outside the United States. Some of the institutions which they helped to support included: |
| Mitchell Home, Alabama Jesse Lee Home, Alaska Adaline Smith Home, Arkansas Oriental Home, San Francisco |
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| Please help support us. Your donations can help keep our Ministries strong. © First United Methodist Church, Fulton, New York - Contact Us at: umcfirst@windstream.net Web Design by Joe Abbate |
