For the past twenty years The United Methodist Hymnal  (UMH) has served as a source of unity within United Methodism.  Despite a number of divisive forces at work in the denomination there have not been  major battles over the hymnal.   There is something for everyone in the present hymnal.

Thus there is the temptation to say, “If it isn’t broke, why fix it.”  Of course times are changing; worship styles are changing; technology is changing.  But the church is handling these changes without the necessity of publishing a brand new hymnal when the present hymnal is not even 20 years old (1989). 

But, it seems, many are intent on a new hymnal.   The fear, quite frankly, is that a new hymnal will not help the church much and could harm the church a great deal.  From an evangelical perspective, the report of the Joint Music Study Committee does not appear to be evangelical-friendly.   Many groups were consulted—academics, racial/ethnic groups, research consultants, Fellowship of UMs in Music and Worship Arts, Order of St. Luke’s—but no group that would reflect populist and evangelical (a major portion of UMs) concerns.  Furthermore, the Hymnal Revision Committee being proposed makes no provision for the evangelical and populist constituency.  The evangelical-populist portion of the church has a great interest in gospel music, theological integrity, and desire a link with the larger evangelical world.  

The problem is that Hymnal Revision Committees historically have shown a high preference for “good” and high culture music (read “Anglican” here) and disdain for the music of the people.  A quick survey of past hymnals reveals the problem.

The 1848 M.E. hymnal (the first official hymnal in America) contained 1148 hymns, none of which save two hymns were written by Americans.  This was at a time when fresh American Methodist music (including the African-American spirituals), as a truly indigenous music form, was taking the nation by storm. 

Out of 1,117 hymns in the 1878 M.E. hymnal only three were identified with anyone west of Rochester, New York, or south of ‘Washington, D.C.

66 of the authors were Anglican (or Episcopalian).  Only ten were American Methodists.  This was known as the hymnal that filled up furnace rooms.  Meanwhile, the Methodist Sunday school superintendent, Ira Sankey, published his Gospel Hymns 1-6  which in various combinations sold 50 million copies. 

The M.E. South hymnal of 1889 was only slightly better (55 Anglicans and 15 American Methodists).   The hymnal was received with enthusiasm and sold 576,000 copies in the first edition, only to (also) find itself stored in the furnace rooms.   Sixteen years later the M.E. South Church joined with the M.E. Church to publish the 1905 hymnal.

The 1935 hymnal replaced “O For a Thousand Tongues” with an Anglican hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” as hymn #1.  It was known as the liberal hymn, reducing Wesley hymns from 121 in 1905, to 56.  Sections on “Need for Salvation,” “Ascension and Reign,” “Judgment,” “Retribution” and “Heaven” were eliminated and replaced with sections on “Kingdom of God,” “Service,” and “Brotherhood.”   Reference to the virgin birth in Wesley’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was deleted.  The ritual removed references to “redeemed by the blood,” and “fleeing from the devil and his works.”  Adults no longer needed to confess the Apostles’ Creed in baptism.  Liberal creeds were added.

After extensive lobbying the 1964 hymnal included popular hymns like “The Old Rugged Cross,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”   It also restored “O For a Thousand Tongues” to hymn #1.

The EUB hymnal of 1955 was published only after major controversy over the emission of former UB hymns.  Not one of the hymns of E. S. Lorenz (sometimes referred to as the father of the gospel hymn) was included.

The 1989 hymnal (UMH) represented a major breakthrough for populist UMs.  Not only were there more gospel hymns than all the previous official hymnals combined, but fifty spirituals and gospel hymns from the Black tradition were included (previously considered unworthy by the cultured elite).  The hymnal, for the most part, maintained the integrity of the original wording of hymns but more importantly, maintained the integrity of historic UM doctrine.  More specifically, it included atonement hymns and (following Wesley) references to the blood of Jesus.   It did not delete (as many wished) hymns like “Onward Christian Soldiers” (the Bible school marching song) and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” because of supposed militaristic imagery.

Meanwhile, other mainline denominations have issued politically correct, theologically compromised, and generally unpopular hymnals.  Noticeably missing in the Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Disciples, and United Church of Canada hymnals are atonement hymns.  All of these denominations, for example, have deleted from their version of “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” the verse “He breaks the power of cancelled sin…”

The fear is, obviously, that any new single-volume hymnal will go the way of the Presbyterians, and further divide the United Methodist Church.  The appeal, therefore, is that any Hymnal Revision Committee will be sensitive to the needs of the whole church, not just a select few.

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