I wrote an article about Sunday School being the one serious program of the National Baptist Convention, USA recently. However, is its relevance fading into history?

For a few years, and on our church’s YouTube channel, I taught three Sunday School lesson curriculums:

1.     Sunday School Publishing Board

2.     Standard International Lesson

3.     AME Church School

That channel is now largely inactive, and I taught my last set of lessons around October 2023. The logic of the decision was two fold. First, the Lord has given me the gift of knowledge and written content creation.

Second, any black pastor can turn on a video and talk good, but very few bother to put well written content in front of readers online.

Even for the few who can, and I do not mean the shallow, philosophical social media nonsense, fewer get page #1 of Google search results per topic.

Therefore, I am going to be obedient to this more anonymous format understanding that He will take care of the rest. Just an FYI - for website traffic, top Google page rankings is our land flowing with milk and honey!

Denominational Sunday School Material is Identical

Nevertheless, all three denominationally based curriculum use the same set of reference texts weekly although formatted differently, titled individually, and with various applicability focuses.

The Sunday School Publishing Board’s presentation is academically superior, while the AME Church School provides more insight and the International Standard Lesson is thin on discipleship to be kind.

However, Sunday School used to be the heartbeat of church life—a place where kids memorized Psalm 23, adults wrestled with Romans 12:2, and the ever present Proverbs 3:5-6, and the faithful gathered to better understand God's Word.

For small churches, it isn’t just a class; it is a legacy, a training ground for faith that shaped generations. I count myself among them not simply because of tradition demanding it, but rather the value in discipling the older generation.

But today, those classrooms are quieter. The chairs sit empty, the flannelgraphs gather dust, and the trend lines tell a story of fade. Why is Sunday School slipping away, and what can Black pastors and small-church leaders do about it?

Sunday School’s Decline

Sunday School’s decline isn’t new—it’s been whispering through church hallways for decades. Back in the early 2000s, Barna Group found 95% of Protestant churches offered it, a number that held firm from the Sunday School boom of the 19th century.

Robert Raikes kicked it off in 1780s England to teach poor children literacy through scripture, and by the 1900s, it was a staple in America—especially in Black churches where it doubled as a cultural and spiritual anchor. But fast forward to now, February 25, 2025, and the picture has shifted.

While exact stats for this year aren’t nailed down, the trajectory’s clear: fewer churches prioritize it. Barna’s 2002 pastor survey pegged Sunday School as a top focus for just 15%, down from 22% a decade earlier. If that slide’s kept pace, we’re likely under 10% today.

What’s driving this? Start with attendance. Ryan Burge, a religion stats guru, charts the rise of the “Nones”—folks with no religious tie—past 20% of Americans. For Black communities, Pew Research says 33% of Millennials and 28% of Gen Z are unaffiliated.

That’s a seismic shift for NBC churches, where Sunday School once packed rooms with kids reciting John 3:16. Families now juggle sports leagues, work schedules, and streaming services—Sunday mornings aren’t sacred anymore. In a small church with 50 members, losing even five kids to soccer practice guts the class.

Baptist Churches Prefer Worship Over Education

Worship is preferred over education, that is just true. This is not my suggesting that the Study of God's Word is not worship however, we tend to suggest duality where none could possibly exist.

Is there any wonder why church leadership, much more educated than those who came before, can so easily mislead God’s people?

All of us have heard "we had church today" but how many leave thinking "I am going to develop an implementation strategy for the sermon points?"

Furthermore, church folk will quickly share a video link for a worship song on social media, but post a link with sermon notes and marvel at the complete lack of downloads in comparison.

Churches—big and small—are leaning into worship over education. Lights, music, and a sermon that hits the soul often trump a 9 AM Bible study. Barna noted fewer Sunday Schools for kids under six or teens, with mainline pastors (8%) and those under 40 (10%) leading the pullback.

Black churches bucked this once—37% of Baptist pastors still championed it in 2002—but the tide’s turning. In a small congregation, volunteers might be too stretched to prep lessons when the sanctuary needs filling.

Plainly, the current generation find it less needful and many my age and older are indifferent with whether Sunday School should stay or go. Sunday School’s old-school feel—workbooks, lectures—doesn’t always vibe with a generation scrolling TikTok or YouTube for older folks.

Kids want interactive faith; adults crave relevance over rote. Yet, some adapt—18% of churches customized curricula by 2005, up from 10% in 2002 and that was nearly a quarter of a century ago!

A Biblical Mirror

Scripture doesn’t mention Sunday School, but it’s got plenty to say about teaching faith—and fading zeal (Jude 1:9, 1 Pet. 3:15). Look at the seven churches in Revelation. Ephesus lost its first love—could Sunday School’s decline signal a drift from those early roots of learning God’s Word (Rev. 2:4).

The church at Laodicea got lukewarm, coasting on comfort; maybe our churches are too comfy to fight for classes (Rev. 3:15-17). But Philadelphia, with “little strength,” held fast to the Word despite smallness (Rev. 3:8).

That’s the small church greatest testimony—fewer folks doesn’t mean less fire.

Furthermore, let’s consider Gideon’s 300 (Judg. 7:7). God trimmed the army to a handful, proving power isn’t in numbers but in faithfulness. A Sunday School of five youngster or adults, taught with Holy Ghost anointing, can shake the heavens like those trumpets shook Midian.

Then there’s the boy with loaves and fish (John 6:9-11). Small offering, big miracle—Jesus didn’t need a crowd to multiply it. A small church’s Bible class, given to Him, can feed souls beyond its walls and our tiny little fellowship is proof!

Early small churches started with a few—120 in an upper room (Acts 1:15)—yet Pentecost sparked 3,000 salvations (Acts 1:15, Acts 2:41). Mark 4:30-32’s mustard seed grows from small to mighty—an NBC class of three could still birth a revival.

However, Sunday School needs to be either replanted or reimagined

Black Church Traditions

For Black pastors like me, Sunday School is more than a program—it’s heritage which effectively educates the sheep. Many rail against tradition but this is one that both edifies the kingdom and justifies investment.

Under my pastorate, and except for the first year, no financial support has gone to the national convention and state support, as well as at the district level has been spotty at best.

Although these are traditions, I do not see the value except for the Sunday School lessons which we can purchase directly.

Judging by the condition of local Baptist district leadership, not only is there zero value, but it should also be actively opposed! It is led by a black church, preacher pimp arche-type who doesn’t feed God’s sheep rather feeds on them.

However, Sunday School was where kids like me learned Exodus alongside the angel choir's greatest hits! Today cultural shifts hit hard as my generation and younger folk have drifted away. Big mamma is no longer bringing the grand-children to church because she is in the club with her daughters 'dropping IT like it is hot.'

Pew’s data on Black Gen Z and Millennials stings—and resources are shrinking to capture their attention. Part-time pastors, like me, more commonly called bi-vocational, are gaining numbers in leadership which shift the dynamic of church operations as well.

Although working pastors have always been present, as the United States shifted from a manufacturing to service economy, and a corporate advancement is more available to us, the pastorate is being redefined.

X (Twitter) chatter (general vibes, not quotes) shows Black clergy wrestling with this. Some say Sunday School is boring while others mourn its loss as a community glue. Yet, there’s resilience. African-American churches historically turned smallness into strength—think storefronts birthing movements.

Lewis Center’s 2025 trends note tech’s rise—online Bible studies or midweek youth nights might replace Sunday 9 AM. But tradition lingers—pastors still preach Hebrews 12:1’s “run with endurance” to keep it alive.

Hope for the Small Church

So, is Sunday School dead? Not yet. It’s fading, but small churches can survive and even thrive amidst this cultural shift.

Here’s how:

1. Reimagine Church School: Shrink the scope and make it hands on. I am not suggesting the “coffee and donut” marketing gimmicks either. If that is what it takes to get people, they are on their way to Hell whether attending or not.

   
   

2. Leverage Tech: Stream live online and provide quality video production. A small church, like ours, has literally reached hundreds of thousand for Jesus! The Lewis Center says AI’s trending—repurpose sermons into bite-sized studies. It’s the widow’s oil—stretch what you’ve got (1 Kings 17:14).

   
   

3. Tie It to Mission: Link Sunday School or its successor to community—teach justice from Amos 5:24, then serve the needy. Black churches shine here! A small class feeding the hungry proves its worth. Who says we must show up and just sit in the pews for an hour?

   
   

4. Double Down on Small: Embrace your size and stop trying to use gimmicks to get butts in the seats. Matthew 18:20 says Jesus is with two or three gathered. A tight-knit class builds bonds megachurches envy—every kid’s name known, every adult’s story heard.

   
   

5. Preach It: Use your pulpit to rally. A sermon like “The Faith of a Small Seed” can fire up folks to teach or attend (Matt. 17:20).

A Call to Replant and Reimagine

The fade is real—empty chairs don’t lie. But small convention churches aren’t done. Sunday School is a seed, not a tombstone. Revelation 3:21 promises overcomers a throne with Christ—no size requirement. Your church of 50, with a class of five, can still raise warriors for God.

Think of Timothy—Paul taught him young, and he led nations (2 Tim. 1:5). One kid grasping John 3:16 today could preach to thousands tomorrow. My boyhood pastor led me to Christ, baptized me, and I am his successor after wandering around the planet for twenty-fives years (and returning).

Furthermore, without pastor's investment, how am I writing this article which has reached many tens of thousands I will never meet?

Don’t despise small beginnings (Zech. 4:10)!

Parents, bring your kids—Proverbs 22:6’s “train up a child” still holds. The world’s pulling Sundays away, but God’s pulling us closer. Replant the seed. Water it with prayer. Watch it grow.

Sunday School’s fading, but in your hands, it’s not finished—it’s just waiting for a Philadelphia moment, a mustard-seed miracle, a small-church shout that echoes to eternity.