Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882) was a Canadian provincial educator as well as a Methodist minister, who for a time was a missionary in North America. He founded the first non-Anglican school to receive a royal charter in Canada. It later was renamed Victoria College.

Egerton Ryerson held the office of Chief Superintendent of Education for Canada from 1844 until 1876 enabling him to promote his belief that education should be universal and compulsory. He also believed that education would produce a literate society adept at reading the Holy Bible daily. Much of what he did was based upon his belief that with education and religion man could improve himself and society.

Today we mainly remember him through Ryerson University, which is named for him. It is unfortunate that his idea of the need to education individuals so that they could read the Bible has fallen by the way side. Most can read today, but few use that ability to read the Bible on a regular basis. The result of that lack can be seen in problems in today’s society.

If more people would establish the practice of daily Bible reading, more lives could be changed. Changes in individuals would result in changes in society and a reduction of many of our social ills. For the past several years, the United Church of God has posted a Daily Bible Reading schedule which, when followed, enables a person to read through the Bible completely each year. It only takes about 20 minutes daily and is highly beneficial. Try it, you’ll like it!