Untaught Teacher
© 2010 Don Rogers
One of the most distinct memories of Christian Education that I have is of a woman named Annie Mae Adams. She was my Sunday School teacher in the church where I came of age in North Carolina.
Mrs. Annie Mae was a master teacher. There was never a Sunday when you left her class feeling as if your mind was not stretched and expanded. Her breath of Biblical knowledge was amazing. She would involve all of the students in class projects and we all had homework to complete for the next class. As you can imagine, no 10 year old is ever interested in homework, especially on weekends, but she made us want to come to church next Sunday with the right answer.
I delivered the eulogy for Mrs. Annie Mae a few years ago. It was during the repast following the funeral that I learned that Mrs. Annie Mae never learned how to read. She would have her daughter come over to her home on Saturdays and read the lesson for Sunday. We never knew.
Perhaps one of the greatest teachers in my life happens to be a woman who never learned the basic root of education. Having never been taught, yet able to teach.