In Owen County, Indiana, public school students have the opportunity to pray, read the Bible, and learn about Jesus. This privilege stems from one of the best kept secrets in the country today. It is called Release Time Religious Education and has been available to churches and religious institutions since 1914.

Released time for religious education began in Gary, Indiana. Superintendent William Wirt, believing school children were not receiving enough moral and religious training, invited local ministers to hold such classes. He released all children who desired to attend.

In Owen County this program is called Weekday Religious Education or WRE. WRE has been operating successfully in Owen County for more than 40 years in all four of the elementary schools of the Spencer-Owen School Corporation. It is operated and funded by the Owen County Christian Men’s Fellowship and supported financially by the Tri-County Christian Men’s Fellowship of Morgan, Monroe, and Owen Counties.

Once each week, children in the third through sixth grades (one school releases its first through sixth graders) are transported by bus or walk to a local church or community center for Bible reading, prayer, and Christian instruction. The lesson time lasts from 20 to 30 minutes and includes singing, praying, Bible reading, fellowship, refreshments, and spiritual guidance. The children then return to the public school to resume their regular classes. The lesson material is non-denominational in nature and covers basic Bible stories and events.

Some wonder if this is legal in light of the laws surrounding the separation of church and state. A lawsuit was filed against an organization in New York in 1952 to stop them from operating such a program. Their right was upheld all the way to the United States Supreme Court. This case is still used as the standard by which all Release Time Religious Education programs are measured and judged today.

The principal of one of the schools in Owen County made the following observations about WRE. “A child doesn’t care that two plus two equals four,” she said, “when her parents have just divorced and her home is falling apart.” She believes the WRE program gives these children a reference point for stability in their lives, thus improving their attitude toward learning.

During a study of Oakland, California schools conducted in the fall of 2002, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency discovered that students who attended their Release Time Religious Education programs:

(1) performed better in academics than their classmates as a whole in almost every category.

(2) were reinforced in key literacy components such as spelling and reading comprehension, among other subjects.

(3) after one year improved in three categories of literacy skills: comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary.

(4) were provided with strong adult mentorship and bonding.

(5) were reinforced with positive moral and character development.

The WRE program receives strong support from parents as well as schools. Recently one parent made this comment: “All three of our children have benefited from participating in the WRE program. From my perspective, it has been great that our children have had something available to them at school to reinforce the godly principles we have endeavored to teach them at home.”

According to Scripture Union, an organization that provides Released Time Education in South Carolina, nearly 600,000 students in 32 states participate in a Weekday Religious Education program of some kind. Indiana Code-Title 20 under Education, Section 22 provides for parents of public school students to request “religious Instruction” for their children during school hours. This can happen only if a church or religious organization provides this instruction without the use of public funds. In other words there can be Bible reading and prayer for public school students if there is someone who will take the responsibility for organizing, operating, and funding such a program.

In Owen County, Indiana, the Owen County Christian Men’s Fellowship has accepted the responsibility for providing Weekday Religious Education for the elementary schools of the county. The group meets monthly to oversee the WRE program, conduct business, and pray for the children of the county.

Christian Contender Ministries of Freedom, Indiana was recruited by OCCMF in an effort to bring more consistency to the WRE program throughout the four schools. As a result the attendance has increased across the board.

Max Anderson, elder at the Christian Church of Gosport, Indiana, observes, “It has been my privilege to work with the Weekday Religious Education program at the Gosport Elementary School. This program has been a blessing to the children of the community who might otherwise never hear the good news of Jesus Christ. It is also a blessing to all of those who work so hard to make it all happen. We would have a changed world if WRE were a part of every school in America.”

Currently every elementary school in Owen County is involved in the WRE program. Once the children arrive, they are led in singing, games, and Bible lessons. Although the children are encouraged to attend church services, they are not persuaded toward any particular denomination. Bibles are provided for each child to use while at WRE. Each child is also given a personal Bible to take home with them. These Bibles are provided from the general budget or by special donations from churches or individuals.

For many children Weekday Religious Education is the only opportunity they have for exposure to God’s Word and the Lord’s church. Nearly 60 percent of the children who attend WRE do not attend any church on a regular basis. Every year we hear about many children who begin attending worship on Sunday as a result of the WRE program.

The following brief essays were written by WRE students on the topic, “What WRE Means to Me.”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t think I had been to a church over 10 times but I wanted to go to church. The last time I went to church before I joined WRE was when I was seven years old. That’s the last time I remember going to church. But now I can go to church every Wednesday and my mom and dad might go Sunday.”—Brady

“WRE means so much to me that I sleep with my Bible beside me and if I lose it I look everywhere till I find it. And I read it when I get up, when I get home from school, and when I am going to bed. WRE is the best place I have ever been because it gave me the courage to be good to my brother, my sisters, even my mom and dad. The reason I’m so happy is because I used to always fight.”—Joseph

Jacob was in the fifth grade when he attended WRE. For memorizing the Ten Commandments the children were given a yard sign displaying the Ten Commandments. Jacob was explaining why his parents had thrown his sign away when he broke down in tears. After comforting him I explained, “Jacob, it is not nearly as important that you have the Ten Commandments posted in your yard as it is that you have them written on your heart. No one can take that away.”

Weekday Religious Education is a wonderful opportunity to impress the Word of God on the hearts of public school children. If a program exists in your area, I hope you’ll get involved in it. If there is no such program in your area, with God’s help, perhaps you can start one. |L

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