Clarence Herbert Benson (1879-1954) was born to a family in active service for God. His father was a builder of churches and a preacher/missionary, as was his father and grandfather before him. The senior Bensons were Moravians. Clarence's father would assist 16 young men to enter the ministry, including Clarence. Industrious as well as studious, his father directed the "purposeful" theme of their home.

His mother would be responsible for training in "cultural and aesthetic" issues. Clarence was a pianist and vocalist. It would be his mother who would instill in him a love for nature, particularly astronomy.1

A specific conversion experience cannot be dated. His home nurtured him in faith throughout his youth. Throughout his life, he would credit a nameless Sunday school teacher for giving wise counsel to him throughout his formative years and continue doing so into college.

He studied at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College. His bent toward multiple interests continued to develop during this period as he not only majored in astronomy but studied journalism as well. Somehow, he also managed to play football, do some yachting, and eventually took up volleyball..."to keep physically fit" he would say.

He went on to graduate from Princeton Theological Seminary at the age of 29. In August of that same year, 1908, he was ordained. One month later, he took two small churches in rural New York and married Rena Pearl Clark.

Benson met his wife through a young people's conference. His son, Clark David, relates the story:

"One morning my father did not get up in time to attend the morning devotional service, but those who did told him about the spiritual message brought by the young lady who led it. My father decided that he wanted to meet her and did." 2

Rena and Clarence had two sons, Charles F. and Clark D. Charles entered journalism and Clark became a 5th generation missionary, serving among the Indians of Honduras.

Throughout his life, Clarence was a relationship conscious man. He took care to be an attentive, sympathetic husband and build significant relationships with his two sons. Physically he is remembered for his prominent nose, bow legs and bold presentation. During his pastoral years, "visitation" drew him close to the people of his congregations.

A keen interest for worldview was a notable characteristic of his life. A pastoral experience in Kobe, Japan (to an English-speaking congregation) was of particular impact on his life. Much prayer and consideration was necessary to woo him from there to a teaching position at Moody Bible Institute. Many years later, Mrs. Benson would recall this memory to The Reisingers, Benson's successor, when it came time for him to move on:

"For it is a sacrifice, a terrific sacrifice, to lay aside a pastorate for other leadership no matter how exalted. I knew it must have been hard to leave the east [Reisinger was on his way to Gospel Light] and establish a new home...Pioneering in any field has always been necessary, but it is only something to build on, and reach loftier heights; it costs oh, so much, but it is worth all the cost, for without the foundation there can be no superstructure.
It will always be---'GO---TEACH'."3

Indeed, the move for Benson was the voice of God directing him for an unprecedented series of events in the evangelical Church. Clarence Benson was to be the center-point of a dramatic shift in church education.

Over the course of the next twenty years, Benson was on faculty at Moody Bible Institute. Within this forum, and covering the last eleven years of his life, he would create curriculum where none existed before, found an organization to rally the conservative Bible Institutes and Colleges toward standardized training, and empower lay leadership for revolutionary growth in the Sunday School.

On September 16, 1954, at age 75, Clarence Herbert Benson was called home. He had contracted a virus while preaching and teaching in Puerto Rico. A memorial service was held at Park Lake Presbyterian Church, in Orlando where he was an active member. His burial was at the city cemetery of Winter Park, Florida.

He was still serving as president of ETTA at the time of his death. He was also still serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Sunday School Association.

The following year, ETTA celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Commemoratively, 17 official member delegates of Bible Institutes and Colleges gathered with four additional visitor delegates to celebrate the accomplishment. Together, these participants represented some of most widely known Christian educator's of the day: Howard Hendricks, Lois and Mary LeBar, Rebecca Price, Majorie Soderholm and Harold Garner. In addition to the customary documentation of the ministry's success, these delegates passed a resolution honoring Dr. Benson which cited the accomplishments detailed throughout this manuscript. The resolution concluded:

..."Clarence H. Benson was called to higher service to hear the 'well done' of his Savior whom he loved and served so loyally.
He is greatly missed by all members of the Executive Committee and staff of the Evangelical Teacher Training Association, and it is their earnest prayer that the mantle of zeal of Dr. Benson will descend upon the future leadership of the association."4

Benson Timeline

1879 Born in August at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1908 Graduated from Princeton.
Was ordained in August.
Married Rena Pearl Clark in September and took two pastorates.

1919 Took a pastoral position in Kobe, Japan

1923 Began teaching at Moody Bible Institute.

1926 Became associate editor of Moody Monthly.

1930 Founded Evangelical Teacher Training Association.

1932 Began prolific writing for Sunday School Times.

1933 Students help him prepare the All Bible Graded Sunday School Lessons and Superior Summer Series

1934 Help Victor Corey found Scripture Press

1939 Founded the Church School Promoter; became its editor-in-chief.
Chair of committee preparing the Uniform Bible Lesson series.

1941 Concluded chairmanship of MBI C.E. Department.
Concentrated on curriculum development.

1946 Help found National Sunday School Association

1954 Died in September at Orlando, Florida

1997 His flagship organization, known now as ETA, still flourishes. His curriculum continues to be published. Remarkably, the best selling title to date is Teaching Techniques, with well over 500,000 copies.

Benson, The Minister

Following his seminary training at Princeton, Benson pastored two rural churches in eastern New York. He would later add to the Lawyersville and Buffalo experiences with a congregation in Harrisburg Pennsylvania and one other unnamed church for a total of five pastorates. His last pastoral experience was in 1919 to the Union Church of Kobe, Japan where he served three years. Although his son, Clark David, today corrects historians by distinguishing the Japan church as "not a missionary" venture, it is clear Benson's enthusiasm for worldview issues throughout his teaching life would qualify him for mission experience by today's standards.

His pastorates were characterized by the strength of the Sunday school and biblical sermons. Between the two, he advocated "the personal responsibility of each member to witness regularly, have a family altar, give systematically and proportionately to the church and missions. He believed in publicity of church activities, lay leadership, cottage prayer meetings...5

Benson, The Educator

Benson's first teaching experience was in Sunday school as a teenager. Little details have been preserved to highlight anything more specific than this being a glimpse of imagination toward the power of education.

Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, and before entering the ministry, he taught at the elementary and high school levels. His field was science, particularly astronomy. Since childhood, he had been fascinated with the created order of the sky. His mother had spent many hours with him in the yard gazing into the sky. With his formal training he contributed much to the literature, from a Christian perspective, writing:

• Immensity (now out of print)
• The Earth, The Theatre of the Universe, 1929
• The Greatness and Grace of God as Seen Through the Eyes of an Astronomer, 1929
• (A combination of the two articles with additional material. now out of print, but formerly published by Scripture Press)

He was a member of the Barnard Astronomical Society of Canada. He maintained a private observatory at Maitland, FL, on a family homestead.

In 1923, Benson joined the faculty of Moody Bible Institute. He became founder of the Christian Education Course (some 1924 references use the title "Religious Education Course", nevertheless, this position was the precursor of the present Dept. of C.E.). Students remember him as a visionary. There were no aberrations to share. He was simply insightful, confident, yet practical and given to focused direction in his life. He was friendly and humorous. If he displayed a weakness it would be that his concentration on developing himself as a teacher and championing the curriculum issues of the day did not leave all his early students with a keen sense of the techniques for the conclusion of a lesson. He was gifted in developing application for himself but weaker at analysis for others. His forte was in preparation.

Oddly, given the profound impact of his life on others, his students also remember his teaching style as largely lecture oriented (attributed to ministerial training), rather boring (due to his scientific training and style bound to notes) and a rather coldly, mechanical delivery with nervous mannerisms. His enthusiasm for Christian education prevailed with his theme of "teaching teachers to teach others to teach"; a direct obedience to 2 Timothy 2:2.

Benson would be director of the new found department until 1941, an explosive era for Christian education. Theological liberalism had so shaken the foundations of the Church in America, that Moody had severed its relationship with the International Council of Religious Education over theological issues. It must be understood, this was the only organization available as a teacher training source! Rationalism, evolution, and liberalism were rapidly growing influences on many institutions who had previously been "citadels of truth".6 Benson's own alma mater, Princeton, was abandoning a prominent position for God's Word in favor of modernity.

Conservatives, at this time, were highly critical of both the graded system and experience centered lessons being published because they neglected Scripture at the expenses of modern concepts. John Dewey was frequently cited, correctly and incorrectly, as a major contributor to a new may of viewing education. A final blow was struck to conservatives when the long-cherished conservative "Advanced Training Course" was revised by the liberals to "Leadership Training Course" and eliminated evangelism, missions, and adequate Bible study from its content. As a result, Sunday schools in America dramatically declined from 1922 to 1945.7

In retrospect, Benson's contributions have been likened, in the field of Christian Education, to the profound about-face seen in the 16th Century reformers. Unlike those forefathers, however, Benson was in position to act more swiftly with his counteractive strategy. He had been involved, at least philosophically, with curriculum preparation when, in 1917, the Religious Education Association began to introduce its extra-biblical material of highly "experience centered" nature that attributed to excessive influence from John Dewey.

Toward Dewey's philosophy Benson wrote, "Modern educationalists have made a mistake in thinking that expressional methods can be improved by changing the content of the lesson [omission of Biblical study and evangelism]. The Bible is the changeless Book for the changing age, and the Scriptures can be applied to meet the needs of the individual." 8

Benson was not completely anti-Dewey, rather anti-false application of Dewey. He also wrote,

Few modern educators have commanded greater attention and enlisted a larger following than Dr. John Dewey, of Columbia University...As a student of Pestalozzi, Froebel and Herbart, he carried their theories of child training even further, to lay the foundation of a new education based almost entirely upon individual experience.

Quoting Dewey's definition for the aim of education ["reconstruction and reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience and which increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experiences"] Benson counters with
"The key word to this definition is experience. But the weakness of Dewey's theory is that its field is limited to the discoveries of the individual. To undervalue the achievements of the past discredits the whole heritage of culture as illusion. A world-view has little or no place in his system."9

Benson's books, particularly his History of Christian Education recall the major figures of church history with great passion; from early Jewish education to the modern Sunday School in America and its influence through the world. He was deeply committed to the belief that the gospel message was of such great importance that the Christian teacher must be as well qualified as a secular (then called "normal") teacher. It was on this backdrop Benson and Cory developed Scripture Press and later Benson formed Evangelical Teacher Training Association.

Benson's criticism of the literature being used in churches gave him hope that Moody Bible Institute would tackle an alternative. The institution did not want to enter publishing at that time, so with the help of his students (in 1933) he prepared the "All Bible Graded Sunday School Lessons" and the "Superior Summer Series", based on his developing philosophy of Christian Education. His pioneer work in curriculum development later lead to a prominent position and founding the National Sunday School Association (1946).

Benson's curriculum was departmentally graded, rather than closely graded and forced teachers and pupils to use their Bibles! The curriculum utilized all Scripture rather than 35% as attributed to the "Uniform Lessons" or 65% as previously graded lessons. Victor E. Cory was working for the Bible Institute Colportage Association 10 and became keenly interested in Benson's curriculum. By 1934, the two men had teamed to establish Scripture Press; Cory with a vision for publishing and Benson with a structured curriculum.

By 1930, Bible Institutes were multiplying rapidly throughout the United States. The zeal for theseh institutions was out running their common standard in curriculum. Little unity of fellowship existed. The leading schools, long accustomed to independent programs, would need a formidable organization to consider three proposals:

(1) "Should the training of Sunday School teachers be abandoned to those agencies which were then furthering it in church and community classes?
(2) Should a compromise be effected and a plan of co-operation furthered?
(3) Should an independent organization be launched?"

Informally, representatives met in the offices of the Sunday School Times, in Philadelphia to ponder the situation. They were:

• Dr. James M. Gray and Clarence Benson for Moody Bible Institute
• Dr. Charles G. Trumbull and Philip E. Howard, for the Sunday School Times
• Dr. Lew W. Gosnell, for the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania
• B. Allen Reed, for the National Bible Institute
• Dr. Calvin C. Ellis, for Juanita College

Agreeing unanimously that a new association would not only bring constituents together but would also place teacher training on a plane higher than ever before existed, they determined to begin The International Bible Institute Council of Christian Education and they chose Dr. Robert C. McQuilken of Columbia Bible College to preside over the Council.

Their small consortium quickly received favor and requests from other institutions to broaden its sphere of activity. Meeting again in Chicago, representatives from Moody Bible Institute, (now) Biola College, (now) Philadelphia College of Bible, Ontario Bible College, and (now) Northwestern College chose the more suitable name Evangelical Teacher Training Association, drafted Bylaws, and appointed Clarence Benson to the helm.

The ETTA birth is Benson's best known achievement. The organization's founding thesis was to represent "orthodox constituents of the denominations in teacher training". The presence and co-operation of Dr. Charles G. Trumbull (a former editor of Sunday School Times) is most significant to this mission. Trumbull saw the new formation as no other event of greater importance to the Sunday School field.

Benson, Author and Editor

Through much of ETTA's early history Benson prepared most of the manuals for study.
He meticulously designed a series of studies that would give one-half of the courses to Bible content (Bible survey in three volummes, personal evangelism, and missions) and one-half to Bible Application (Child study, pedagogy, Sunday school administration).

With passionate devotion to righting the Sunday school movement, he wrote thirty-one articles (from 1932-1953) for the Sunday School Times periodical, in addition to two special projects for them; "Teacher Training Lessons" and "Teacher Training Questions".

He wrote The Sunday School In Action, widely used among evangelicals.
"The whole Word for the whole world" became Benson's slogan for his writing ministry.

Benson was also an active editor. In 1926, he became associate editor of Moody Monthly magazine, a position he held for 15 years. In 1939, he founded the Church School Promoter, a training periodical, and became its editor in chief. He additionally served as Chair of the committee that prepared the Uniform Bible Lesson Series.

In addition to his scientific writing Benson's books include:

• Brief Bible Outline
• An Introduction To Child Study (1927)
• The Church At Work (1929)
• The Greatness and Grace of God
• The Sunday School In Action (1932)
• Sunday School Success (1935)
• Teaching Techniques
• Triune God
• A Popular History of Christian Education
• Techniques of a Working Church (1946)
• Old Testament Law and History (1950)
• The Christian Teacher

Conclusion

Clarence Benson's tenacious belief that the Holy Scriptures were to be pre-eminent in the preparation of a godly teacher, gave firm foundation for his students, like Lois LeBar, to refine and broaden his early concepts to integrate a proper view of the student in the educational relationship.
His book, The Christian Teacher, concludes with a chapter titled "The Master Teacher." Benson believed the supreme object lesson, role model, and guide for the teaching gifts could be found in our Lord Jesus. On examining Jesus, Benson observes:

 

His preparation
a. He was a master of the art of reading (as witnessed in the synagogue)
b. He was familiar with the less common art of writing (a detail of competency)
c. He knew Hebrew as well as the Aramaic dialect (to reach common people)
d. He was profoundly versed in Scripture (combatting challenges to His scholarship)
e. He was familiar with the traditions (practices of the people)

His convictions
Not primarily an orator, reformer, or ruler, but rather a teacher...He chose to be a teacher.

His recognition
a. The name by which He was addressed (sixty out of ninety time was "teacher")
b. The name by which his followers were known (disciples implied learners)
c. The comparatively large amount of time He spent instructing His disciples.
d. The method he employed in dealing with large groups
e. The employment of the word teach in the Great Commission

Continuing to illustrate the methods Jesus employed, Benson characterizes the results of Jesus teaching:

1. Lives transformed
2. Lives dedicated
3. Lives multiplied
4. Lives sacrificed

Certainly the life of Clarence H. Benson could be outlined in similar fashion, as a disciple of Christ, mirroring his Supreme Mentor. Lois LeBar remembers him:
"He was creative. Who else could have done that [innovator for C.E.]? He did it so wisely that they followed him for years. That was all anybody had was what he produced. It means that he was a spiritual person. He got it from the Lord. He revered Scripture and used it. At the same time, the way he was with us, he was personal with people. He took people into the process. Which all innovators, theologians, do not do. They don't have room in their thinking for people. But he did. He was very personal with all of us...It isn't often one man, one person, can really be responsible for the changes that he made. And he made them; he changed it. He was tireless in his efforts. He was always after something, because he had a burden and he was going to see to it."12

ENDNOTES

Other Historical Research