School for Christian Workers
Encyclopedia
The School for Christian Workers was a school established by Rev. David Allen Reed in Springfield, Massachusetts
in 1885 to prepare young men for work as Sunday school
superintendents, secretaries
of Young Men's Christian Associations, pastor
s, lay assistants, Bible colporteurs, and lay home mission workers.
The school was organized as four departments: a school for YMCA administrators, a French Protestant school, a technical school, and a school for religious pedagogy; by 1890, each department split off into an independent institution.
The YMCA departments, Secretarial (YMCA management) and Physical (physical education), split off to become the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School in 1890 which later became Springfield College.
The religious education part took the name Bible Normal College
in 1897, and relocated to Hartford Seminary
. The two institutions remained legally separate, but shared resources until they finally merged in 1961.
The technical school became the Christian Industrial and Technical School
in 1890; it trained future missionaries
in carpentry
, blacksmith
ing, foundry
work, typesetting
, and bookbinding
; it closed in 1898.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
in 1885 to prepare young men for work as Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
superintendents, secretaries
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of Young Men's Christian Associations, pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
s, lay assistants, Bible colporteurs, and lay home mission workers.
The school was organized as four departments: a school for YMCA administrators, a French Protestant school, a technical school, and a school for religious pedagogy; by 1890, each department split off into an independent institution.
The YMCA departments, Secretarial (YMCA management) and Physical (physical education), split off to become the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School in 1890 which later became Springfield College.
The religious education part took the name Bible Normal College
Bible Normal College
The Bible Normal College of Hartford, Connecticut was a training school for Sunday school teachers. It started in 1885 as part of the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1889, it became the first American seminary to accept women...
in 1897, and relocated to Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary is a theological college in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.-History:Seminaries in the city of Hartford date back to 1833. In 1913, the current Hartford Seminary came into existence through the combination of three Hartford-based schools affiliated with the city's Congregationalist...
. The two institutions remained legally separate, but shared resources until they finally merged in 1961.
The technical school became the Christian Industrial and Technical School
Christian Industrial and Technical School
The Christian Industrial and Technical School in Winchester Park, Springfield, Massachusetts trained future missionaries in carpentry, blacksmithing, foundry work, typesetting, and bookbinding. It was founded in 1887 by Daniel B...
in 1890; it trained future missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
ing, foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
work, typesetting
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
, and bookbinding
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
; it closed in 1898.