{{Short description|British religious organization}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} '''The Sunday School Union''' was a British ecumenical organisation devoted to promoting Sunday schools in Britain and abroad.
==History== The Sunday School Union had been set up on 13 July 1803<ref>{{Cite book|title=The History of the Sunday School Union|author=Watson, William Henry|publisher=The Sunday School Union|date=1853|url=https://archive.org/stream/historysundaysc00watsgoog#page/n10/mode/2up}}</ref> "to encourage teachers to communicate with each other, improve methods, and support the opening of new schools".<ref name="stanton">Naomi Stanton, [https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/17342/1/Crucible_article1.pdf "A culture of blame – Sunday school teachers, youth workers and the decline of young people in churches"], ''Crucible: The Christian Journal of Social Ethics'', 2014, pp. 3-4. Retrieved 15 February 2023.</ref> Over the years, local auxiliaries were set up in London and then around the country. These became "local Unions affiliated to the now termed ‘National Sunday School Union’ (NSSU)".<ref name="stanton" />
The address of the Sunday School Union in the early years of the 20th century was 57 and 59 Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.<ref>W. J. Wintle, ''[https://archive.org/details/b24869922/page/n5/mode/2up The Story of Florence Nightingale: The Heroine of the Crimea]'', London: The Sunday School Union, 1911 (Splendid Lives Series), title page. Retrieved 15 February 2023.</ref> The office of the National Sunday School Union was located at the same address in the late 1920s.<ref>Robert Corkey, ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41755ucmf_5/page/n5/mode/2up Paths to Power in the Religious Education of the Young]'', London: National Sunday School Union, c. 1928, title page. Retrieved 14 February 2023.</ref>
In 1964, the latter organisation became the National Christian Education Council<ref>[https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/211542/full-print Charity overview: National Christian Education Council], charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2023.</ref> which in 2002 combined with the Christian Education Movement to form Christian Education.<ref>[https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/120fd2c9-b9eb-3cdf-8038-4e8e13c514e0 Records of the Christian Education Movement], archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2023.</ref><ref>[https://ininet.org/further-particulars.html Further particulars: From Sunday Schools to Christian Education: The Christian Formation of Contemporary Youth in Historical Perspective], ininet.org. Retrieved 15 February 2023.</ref>
The Canadian branch (the Sunday School Union Society of Canada) was established in Montreal in 1822.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sunday-schools|title=Sunday Schools {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref>
==Book series published by Sunday School Union== {{Div col|colwidth=20em}} * Daring Deeds Library<ref name="rutherford">William G. Rutherford, [https://archive.org/details/abrahamlincolnpl00ruth/page/n143/mode/2up Abraham Lincoln : Plough-boy, Statesman, Patriot], London: Sunday School Union, 1899 (The Splendid Lives Series), publisher's series in final pages. Retrieved 14 February 2023.</ref> * Endeavour Library Series * Gift Books for Girls and Boys * Great Biographies * Green Nursery Series<ref name="bryson2">Mrs. Bryson, [https://archive.org/details/cu31924023085628/page/n291/mode/2up James Gilmour and John Horden : The Story of Their Lives], London: Sunday School Union, 1895 (The Splendid Lives Series), page 2 of publisher's series. Retrieved 14 February 2023.</ref> * Heroines Library<ref name="rutherford" /> * Little Dot Series * Red Nursery Series * Splendid Lives Series<ref name="rutherford" /><ref name="bryson1">Mrs. Bryson, [https://archive.org/details/cu31924023085628/page/n289/mode/2up James Gilmour and John Horden : The Story of Their Lives], London: Sunday School Union, 1895 (The Splendid Lives Series), page 1 of publisher's series. Retrieved 14 February 2023.</ref> * Toy Books<ref name="bryson2" /> * Tracts for Teachers * Wonderful Shilling Library<ref name="rutherford" /> * Youth's Own Library<ref name="rutherford" /> {{Div col end}}
==See also== {{Portal|Christianity|Education|London}} * Deseret Sunday School Union * InFaith – formerly American Sunday School Union (ASSU) and the American Missionary Fellowship * Sunday School Society
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://curiosmith.com/pages/london-sunday-school-union London Sunday-School Union] on curiosmith.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunday School Union, The}} Category:Year of disestablishment missing Category:1803 establishments in England Category:Christian ecumenical organizations Category:Christian organizations established in the 1800s Category:Defunct Christian organizations Category:Defunct educational organisations based in England Category:Defunct organisations based in London Category:Educational organisations based in London Category:Organisations based in the City of London Category:Religious organizations established in 1803 Category:Sunday schools