自1865年英國長老教會(The Presbyterian Church of England)到臺灣拓展傳教事業後，教育工作一直是傳教士們培育信徒和擴展教會的重要途徑。其中，兒童主日學（每個禮拜日為教導兒童認識福音而開設的課程）可說是基督信仰教育的根基，攸關未來教會人數的增長。從晚清到日治時期英國長老教會逐漸發展出組織化、系統化的主日學教育，1917年更特別設立「主日學部會」專責改進教會的主日學教育。筆者根據潘道榮牧師《主日學中心的問題》一書的觀點，以1926年之前為長老教會主日學的創立時代，1926年以後則進入整理和擴充的時代。本文主要探討1926年以前南部（大甲溪以南）長老教會的兒童主日學教育發展之內涵，包括其設立與變遷過程、教育理念、課程與教材、師資培育以及教學等，以期能了解日治前期南部教會主日學教育的成果及其對傳教事業拓展之貢獻。

Since 1865 the Presbyterian Church of England came to Taiwan to develop the ministry of preaching, the work of teaching in church has been an important channel of cultivating the disciples and expanding the church. Among the teaching tasks, Sunday School is regarded as not only an important foundation of beliefs but also an influential factor of increasing the church members. Initially, Sunday School is established on Sundays for the children to learn about biblical (evangelical) knowledge. The lessons include singing hymns, studying the Bible, praying and learning the biblical truths. A set of organized and systematic Sunday School has been gradually developed by the Presbyterian Church of England from the Late Chin Dynasty to Japanese Colonial Period. Especially, the Presbyterian Church of England established "Sunday School Department" in 1917, mainly responsible for improving the teaching of Sunday School. This study aims to explore the development of Sunday School lessons in southern Presbyterian churches in Taiwan before 1926, including the establishment, educational beliefs, curriculum design, materials and teachers' training of Sunday School. In addition, this study expects to understand the contribution and the expansion of preaching of Sunday School in southern churches in Taiwan.