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Sylvia G. Dunstan

1955 - 1993 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Go to the World" in Worship and Song After a brief, arduous battle with liver cancer, Canadian Sylvia Dunstan died in 1993 at the age of 38. For thirteen years, Dunstan had served the United Church of Canada as a parish minister and prison chaplain. She is remembered by those who knew her for her passion for those in need, her gift of writing, and her love of liturgy. Sing! A New Creation

Albert Hay Malotte

1895 - 1964 Person Name: Albert Malotte Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "MALOTTE" in Worship and Song

Chris Tomlin

b. 1972 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "How Great Is Our God" in Worship and Song

Greg Scheer

b. 1966 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Feed us, Lord" in Worship and Song Greg Scheer is a composer, author, and speaker. His life’s work includes two sons (Simon and Theo), two books (The Art of Worship, 2006, and Essential Worship, 2016), and hundreds of compositions, songs, and arrangements in a dizzying variety of styles. Greg is also co-founder of Hymnary.org and source of many ideas and inspirations, some good. Greg Scheer

Henry Thomas Smart

1813 - 1879 Person Name: Henry T. Smart Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "LANCASHIRE" in Worship and Song Henry Smart (b. Marylebone, London, England, 1813; d. Hampstead, London, 1879), a capable composer of church music who wrote some very fine hymn tunes (REGENT SQUARE, 354, is the best-known). Smart gave up a career in the legal profession for one in music. Although largely self taught, he became proficient in organ playing and composition, and he was a music teacher and critic. Organist in a number of London churches, including St. Luke's, Old Street (1844-1864), and St. Pancras (1864-1869), Smart was famous for his extemporizations and for his accompaniment of congregational singing. He became completely blind at the age of fifty-two, but his remarkable memory enabled him to continue playing the organ. Fascinated by organs as a youth, Smart designed organs for important places such as St. Andrew Hall in Glasgow and the Town Hall in Leeds. He composed an opera, oratorios, part-songs, some instrumental music, and many hymn tunes, as well as a large number of works for organ and choir. He edited the Choralebook (1858), the English Presbyterian Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867), and the Scottish Presbyterian Hymnal (1875). Some of his hymn tunes were first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). Bert Polman

John Newton

1725 - 1807 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author (Stanzas) of "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" in Worship and Song John Newton (b. London, England, 1725; d. London, 1807) was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumultuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton's conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide-surveyor in Liverpool, England, Newton came under the influence of George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley and began to study for the ministry. He was ordained in the Church of England and served in Olney (1764-1780) and St. Mary Woolnoth, London (1780-1807). His legacy to the Christian church includes his hymns as well as his collaboration with William Cowper (PHH 434) in publishing Olney Hymns (1779), to which Newton contributed 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace.” Bert Polman ================== Newton, John, who was born in London, July 24, 1725, and died there Dec. 21, 1807, occupied an unique position among the founders of the Evangelical School, due as much to the romance of his young life and the striking history of his conversion, as to his force of character. His mother, a pious Dissenter, stored his childish mind with Scripture, but died when he was seven years old. At the age of eleven, after two years' schooling, during which he learned the rudiments of Latin, he went to sea with his father. His life at sea teems with wonderful escapes, vivid dreams, and sailor recklessness. He grew into an abandoned and godless sailor. The religious fits of his boyhood changed into settled infidelity, through the study of Shaftesbury and the instruction of one of his comrades. Disappointing repeatedly the plans of his father, he was flogged as a deserter from the navy, and for fifteen months lived, half-starved and ill-treated, in abject degradation under a slave-dealer in Africa. The one restraining influence of his life was his faithful love for his future wife, Mary Catlett, formed when he was seventeen, and she only in her fourteenth year. A chance reading of Thomas à Kempis sowed the seed of his conversion; which quickened under the awful contemplations of a night spent in steering a water-logged vessel in the face of apparent death (1748). He was then twenty-three. The six following years, during which he commanded a slave ship, matured his Christian belief. Nine years more, spent chiefly at Liverpool, in intercourse with Whitefield, Wesley, and Nonconformists, in the study of Hebrew and Greek, in exercises of devotion and occasional preaching among the Dissenters, elapsed before his ordination to the curacy of Olney, Bucks (1764). The Olney period was the most fruitful of his life. His zeal in pastoral visiting, preaching and prayer-meetings was unwearied. He formed his lifelong friendship with Cowper, and became the spiritual father of Scott the commentator. At Olney his best works—-Omicron's Letters (1774); Olney Hymns (1779); Cardiphonia, written from Olney, though published 1781—were composed. As rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, London, in the centre of the Evangelical movement (1780-1807) his zeal was as ardent as before. In 1805, when no longer able to read his text, his reply when pressed to discontinue preaching, was, "What, shall the old African blasphemer stop while he can speak!" The story of his sins and his conversion, published by himself, and the subject of lifelong allusion, was the base of his influence; but it would have been little but for the vigour of his mind (shown even in Africa by his reading Euclid drawing its figures on the sand), his warm heart, candour, tolerance, and piety. These qualities gained him the friendship of Hannah More, Cecil, Wilberforce, and others; and his renown as a guide in experimental religion made him the centre of a host of inquirers, with whom he maintained patient, loving, and generally judicious correspondence, of which a monument remains in the often beautiful letters of Cardiphonia. As a hymnwriter, Montgomery says that he was distanced by Cowper. But Lord Selborne's contrast of the "manliness" of Newton and the "tenderness" of Cowper is far juster. A comparison of the hymns of both in The Book of Praise will show no great inequality between them. Amid much that is bald, tame, and matter-of-fact, his rich acquaintance with Scripture, knowledge of the heart, directness and force, and a certain sailor imagination, tell strongly. The one splendid hymn of praise, "Glorious things of thee are spoken," in the Olney collection, is his. "One there is above all others" has a depth of realizing love, sustained excellence of expression, and ease of development. "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds" is in Scriptural richness superior, and in structure, cadence, and almost tenderness, equal to Cowper's "Oh! for a closer walk with God." The most characteristic hymns are those which depict in the language of intense humiliation his mourning for the abiding sins of his regenerate life, and the sense of the withdrawal of God's face, coincident with the never-failing conviction of acceptance in The Beloved. The feeling may be seen in the speeches, writings, and diaries of his whole life. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] A large number of Newton's hymns have some personal history connected with them, or were associated with circumstances of importance. These are annotated under their respective first lines. Of the rest, the known history of which is confined to the fact that they appeared in the Olney Hymns, 1779, the following are in common use:— 1. Be still, my heart, these anxious cares. Conflict. 2. Begone, unbelief, my Saviour is near. Trust. 3. By the poor widow's oil and meal. Providence. 4. Chief Shepherd of Thy chosen sheep. On behalf of Ministers. 5. Darkness overspreads us here. Hope. 6. Does the Gospel-word proclaim. Rest in Christ. 7. Fix my heart and eyes on Thine. True Happiness. 8. From Egypt lately freed. The Pilgrim's Song. 9. He Who on earth as man was Known. Christ the Rock. 10. How blest are they to whom the Lord. Gospel Privileges. 11. How blest the righteous are. Death of the Righteous. 12. How lost was my [our] condition. Christ the Physician. 13. How tedious and tasteless the hours. Fellowship with Christ. 14. How welcome to the saints [soul] when pressed. Sunday. 15. Hungry, and faint, and poor. Before Sermon. 16. In mercy, not in wrath, rebuke. Pleading for Mercy. 17. In themselves, as weak as worms. Power of Prayer. 18. Incarnate God, the soul that knows. The Believer's Safety. 19. Jesus, Who bought us with His blood. The God of Israel. "Teach us, 0 Lord, aright to plead," is from this hymn. 20. Joy is a [the] fruit that will not grow. Joy. 21. Let hearts and tongues unite. Close of the Year. From this "Now, through another year," is taken. 22. Let us adore the grace that seeks. New Year. 23. Mary to her [the] Saviour's tomb. Easter. 24. Mercy, 0 Thou Son of David. Blind Bartimeus. 25. My harp untun'd and laid aside. Hoping for a Revival. From this "While I to grief my soul gave way" is taken. 26. Nay, I cannot let thee go. Prayer. Sometimes, "Lord, I cannot let Thee go." 27. Now may He Who from the dead. After Sermon. 28. 0 happy they who know the Lord, With whom He deigns to dwell. Gospel Privilege. 29. O Lord, how vile am I. Lent. 30. On man in His own Image made. Adam. 31. 0 speak that gracious word again. Peace through Pardon. 32. Our Lord, Who knows full well. The Importunate Widow. Sometimes altered to "Jesus, Who knows full well," and again, "The Lord, Who truly knows." 33. Physician of my sin-sick soul. Lent. 34. Pleasing spring again is here. Spring. 35. Poor, weak, and worthless, though I am. Jesus the Friend. 36. Prepare a thankful song. Praise to Jesus. 37. Refreshed by the bread and wine. Holy Communion. Sometimes given as "Refreshed by sacred bread and wine." 38. Rejoice, believer, in the Lord. Sometimes “Let us rejoice in Christ the Lord." Perseverance. 39. Salvation, what a glorious plan. Salvation. 40. Saviour, shine and cheer my soul. Trust in Jesus. The cento "Once I thought my mountain strong," is from this hymn. 41. Saviour, visit Thy plantation. Prayer for the Church. 42. See another year [week] is gone. Uncertainty of Life. 43. See the corn again in ear. Harvest. 44. Sinner, art thou still secure? Preparation for the Future. 45. Sinners, hear the [thy] Saviour's call. Invitation. 46. Sovereign grace has power alone. The two Malefactors. 47. Stop, poor sinner, stop and think. Caution and Alarm. 48. Sweeter sounds than music knows. Christmas. 49. Sweet was the time when first I felt. Joy in Believing. 50. Ten thousand talents once I owed. Forgiveness and Peace. 51. The grass and flowers, which clothe the field. Hay-time. 52. The peace which God alone reveals. Close of Service. 53. Thy promise, Lord, and Thy command. Before Sermon. 54. Time, by moments, steals away. The New Year. 55. To Thee our wants are known. Close of Divine Service. 56. We seek a rest beyond the skies. Heaven anticipated. 57. When any turn from Zion's way. Jesus only. 58. When Israel, by divine command. God, the Guide and Sustainer of Life. 59. With Israel's God who can compare? After Sermon. 60. Yes, since God Himself has said it. Confidence. 61. Zion, the city of our God. Journeying Zionward. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================= Newton, J., p. 803, i. Another hymn in common use from the Olney Hymns, 1779, is "Let me dwell on Golgotha" (Holy Communion). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ----- John Newton was born in London, July 24, 1725. His mother died when he was seven years old. In his eleventh year he accompanied his father, a sea captain, on a voyage. For several years his life was one of dissipation and crime. He was disgraced while in the navy. Afterwards he engaged in the slave trade. Returning to England in 1748, the vessel was nearly wrecked in a storm. This peril forced solemn reflection upon him, and from that time he was a changed man. It was six years, however, before he relinquished the slave trade, which was not then regarded as an unlawful occupation. But in 1754, he gave up sea-faring life, and holding some favourable civil position, began also religious work. In 1764, in his thirty-ninth year, he entered upon a regular ministry as the Curate of Olney. In this position he had intimate intercourse with Cowper, and with him produced the "Olney Hymns." In 1779, Newton became Rector of S. Mary Woolnoth, in London, in which position he became more widely known. It was here he died, Dec. 21, 1807, His published works are quite numerous, consisting of sermons, letters, devotional aids, and hymns. He calls his hymns "The fruit and expression of his own experience." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872 See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church =======================

Daniel L. Schutte

b. 1947 Person Name: Dan Schutte Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Table of Plenty" in Worship and Song

Jim Strathdee

b. 1941 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "POXON" in Worship and Song

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1872 - 1958 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "SINE NOMINE" in Worship and Song Through his composing, conducting, collecting, editing, and teaching, Ralph Vaughan Williams (b. Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England, October 12, 1872; d. Westminster, London, England, August 26, 1958) became the chief figure in the realm of English music and church music in the first half of the twentieth century. His education included instruction at the Royal College of Music in London and Trinity College, Cambridge, as well as additional studies in Berlin and Paris. During World War I he served in the army medical corps in France. Vaughan Williams taught music at the Royal College of Music (1920-1940), conducted the Bach Choir in London (1920-1927), and directed the Leith Hill Music Festival in Dorking (1905-1953). A major influence in his life was the English folk song. A knowledgeable collector of folk songs, he was also a member of the Folksong Society and a supporter of the English Folk Dance Society. Vaughan Williams wrote various articles and books, including National Music (1935), and composed numerous arrangements of folk songs; many of his compositions show the impact of folk rhythms and melodic modes. His original compositions cover nearly all musical genres, from orchestral symphonies and concertos to choral works, from songs to operas, and from chamber music to music for films. Vaughan Williams's church music includes anthems; choral-orchestral works, such as Magnificat (1932), Dona Nobis Pacem (1936), and Hodie (1953); and hymn tune settings for organ. But most important to the history of hymnody, he was music editor of the most influential British hymnal at the beginning of the twentieth century, The English Hymnal (1906), and coeditor (with Martin Shaw) of Songs of Praise (1925, 1931) and the Oxford Book of Carols (1928). Bert Polman

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

b. 1961 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "O Christ, When You Ascended" in Worship and Song Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has been a pastor in rural, small town, suburban, and city churches; she has also served as a hospice chaplain, a hospital chaplain, and a school bus aide helping children with special needs. She and her husband Bruce are pastors of the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego, NY. Carolyn is a gifted hymn writer who has written over 400 hymns. These hymns have been sung by congregations throughout the United States and around the world — from the Washington National Cathedral to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland to St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa to small town churches and small household congregations; they have also been sung at national church and international ecumenical meetings. She has written four books: "I Sing to My Savior: New Hymns from the Stories in Luke's Gospel", "God's World is Changing: New Hymns for Advent and Christmas", "Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today's Worship" (Geneva Press) and "Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbo"r (Upper Room Books). Her hymns have been published in over 20 books. Two of her hymns have been published by the Choristers Guild as anthems. Carolyn was commissioned to write the lead article for the special issue on "Singing Our Lives" for Baylor University's "Christian Reflectio"n journal. Her hymns have also been in "Call to Worship" journal, "The Chorister" (cover story), "Reformed Worship," "The Presbyterian Outlook" and posted on thousands of web sites. All of her hymns can be found on her website with indices to scriptural references, topics, tunes, and the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary: http://www.carolynshymns.com The World Council of Churches, National Council of Churches, Church World Service and Churches Uniting in Christ have asked her to write hymns. Habitat for Humanity International used a hymn by Carolyn for their 30th anniversary celebration. Family Promise (Interfaith Hospitality Network) did a music video of her hymn for their ministry with homeless families. The Humane Society of the United States did a music video contest of her hymn for their Blessing of the Animals service. The Presbyterian Church (USA) 216th General Assembly presented her with the "Ecumenical and Interreligious Service Recognition." Sojourners did a short video about her hymn writing. A Canadian scholar wrote her biography for the "Cambridge Dictionary for Hymnology." Feature stories about Carolyn's hymns addressing concerns facing the Church, nation and world, were done by The New Yorker, The Christian Century, America, National Public Radio, national PBS-TV, and newspapers (Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, New Jersey Courier Post, Delaware News Journal, and others). Carolyn is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College and Princeton Theological Seminary. She finds joy in parish ministry, hymn writing, and most of all in her family as a wife, mother (and foster mother), grandmother, sister, and human parent to a rescue dog, "Annie." Carolyn sees her hymn writing as a partnership and is very grateful for prayers for her hymn writing, suggestions for hymns, gifts for hymn use and commissions, and invitations to speak at conferences, workshops, and church gatherings (in person and online). She hopes her hymns nurture people in their discipleship and support churches in their worship and service in the world. Sing to the Lord a new song! Copied from "About the Author" in "I Sing to My Savior: New Hymns from the Stories in Luke's Gospel." Email from Bruce Gillette

Doreen Lankshear-Smith

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Peace for the Children" in Worship and Song

Brooke Fraser

b. 1983 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Hosanna" in Worship and Song Brooke Gabrielle Fraser Ligertwood. Uses Brooke Fraser. She was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She began a singing career as a teenager, signing with Sony Music. After moving to Sydney, Australia, she and her husband Scott began writing songs for Hillsong Church. They later moved to Los Angeles and and lead worship at Hillsong LA. Dianne Shapiro, from hillsong.com/contributor/brooke-ligertwood, accessed 3/10/2017

Steve Hindalong

b. 1959 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "God of Wonders" in Worship and Song Steve Hindalong (b. November 29, 1959) is a drummer, percussionist, songwriter, and producer. He is a founding member of Christian alternative rock group The Choir. He lives with his wife Nancy and their two daughters. Laura de Jong

John Middleton

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Come, Let Us Dream" in Worship and Song

John Goss

1800 - 1880 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "LAUDA ANIMA" in Worship and Song John Goss (b. Fareham, Hampshire, England, 1800; d. London, England, 1880). As a boy Goss was a chorister at the Chapel Royal and later sang in the opera chorus of the Covent Garden Theater. He was a professor of music at the Royal Academy of Music (1827-1874) and organist of St. Paul Cathedral, London (1838-1872); in both positions he exerted significant influence on the reform of British cathedral music. Goss published Parochial Psalmody (1826) and Chants, Ancient and Modern (1841); he edited William Mercer's Church Psalter and Hymn Book (1854). With James Turle he published a two-volume collection of anthems and Anglican service music (1854). Bert Polman

Carl P. Daw Jr.

b. 1944 Person Name: Carl P. Daw, Jr. Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Hear My Prayer, O God" in Worship and Song Carl P. Daw, Jr. (b. Louisville, KY, 1944) is the son of a Baptist minister. He holds a PhD degree in English (University of Virginia) and taught English from 1970-1979 at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. As an Episcopal priest (MDiv, 1981, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennesee) he served several congregations in Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. From 1996-2009 he served as the Executive Director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Carl Daw began to write hymns as a consultant member of the Text committee for The Hymnal 1982, and his many texts often appeared first in several small collections, including A Year of Grace: Hymns for the Church Year (1990); To Sing God’s Praise (1992), New Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1996), Gathered for Worship (2006). Other publications include A Hymntune Psalter (2 volumes, 1988-1989) and Breaking the Word: Essays on the Liturgical Dimensions of Preaching (1994, for which he served as editor and contributed two essays. In 2002 a collection of 25 of his hymns in Japanese was published by the United Church of Christ in Japan. He wrote Glory to God: A Companion (2016) for the 2013 hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Emily Brink

Hal H. Hopson

b. 1933 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "HYMN CHANT" in Worship and Song Hal H. Hopson (b. Texas, 1933) is a prolific composer, arranger, clinician, teacher and promoter of congregational song, with more than 1300 published works, especially of hymn and psalm arrangements, choir anthems, and creative ideas for choral and organ music in worship. Born in Texas, with degrees from Baylor University (BA, 1954), and Southern Baptist Seminary (MSM, 1956), he served churches in Nashville, TN, and most recently at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas. He has served on national boards of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and the Choristers Guild, and taught numerous workshops at various national conferences. In 2009, a collection of sixty four of his hymn tunes were published in Hymns for Our Time: The Collected Tunes of Hal H. Hopson. Emily Brink

Marty Haugen

b. 1950 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "SING FOR PEACE" in Worship and Song Marty Haugen (b. 1950), is a prolific liturgical composer with many songs included in hymnals across the liturgical spectrum of North American hymnals and beyond, with many songs translated into different languages. He was raised in the American Lutheran Church, received a BA in psychology from Luther College, yet found his first position as a church musician in a Roman Catholic parish at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was undergoing profound liturgical and musical changes after Vatican II. Finding a vocation in that parish to provide accessible songs for worship, he continued to compose and to study, receiving an MA in pastoral studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota. A number of liturgical settings were prepared for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and more than 400 of his compositions are available from several publishers, especially GIA Publications, who also produced some 30 recordings of his songs. He is composer-in-residence at Mayflower Community Congregational Church in Minneapolis and continues to compose and travel to speak and teach at worship events around the world. Emily Brink

John Wesley

1703 - 1791 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Covenant Prayer" in Worship and Song John Wesley, the son of Samuel, and brother of Charles Wesley, was born at Epworth, June 17, 1703. He was educated at the Charterhouse, London, and at Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, and graduated M.A. in 1726. At Oxford, he was one of the small band consisting of George Whitefield, Hames Hervey, Charles Wesley, and a few others, who were even then known for their piety; they were deridingly called "Methodists." After his ordination he went, in 1735, on a mission to Georgia. The mission was not successful, and he returned to England in 1738. From that time, his life was one of great labour, preaching the Gospel, and publishing his commentaries and other theological works. He died in London, in 1791, in his eighty-eighth year. His prose works are very numerous, but he did not write many useful hymns. It is to him, however, and not to his brother Charles, that we are indebted for the translations from the German. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872 ====================== John Wesley, M.A., was born at Epworth Rectory in 1703, and, like the rest of the family, received his early education from his mother. He narrowly escaped perishing in the fire which destroyed the rectory house in 1709, and his deliverance made a life-long impression upon him. In 1714 he was nominated on the foundation of Charterhouse by his father's patron, the Duke of Buckingham, and remained at that school until 1720, when he went up, with a scholarship, from Charterhouse to Christ Church, Oxford. Having taken his degree, he received Holy Orders from the Bishop of Oxford (Dr. Potter) in 1725. In 1726 he was elected Fellow of Lincoln College, and remained at Oxford until 1727, when he returned into Lincolnshire to assist his father as curate at Epworth and Wroot. In 1729 he was summoned back to Oxford by his firm friend, Dr. Morley, Rector of Lincoln, to assist in the College tuition. There he found already established the little band of "Oxford Methodists" who immediately placed themselves under his direction. In 1735 he went, as a Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to Georgia, where a new colony had been founded under the governorship of General Oglethorpe. On his voyage out he was deeply impressed with the piety and Christian courage of some German fellow travellers, Moravians. During his short ministry in Georgia he met with many discouragements, and returned home saddened and dissatisfied both with himself and his work; but in London he again fell in with the Moravians, especially with Peter Bohler; and one memorable night (May 24, 1738) he went to a meeting in Aldersgate Street, where some one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. There, "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." From that moment his future course was sealed; and for more than half a century he laboured, through evil report and good report, to spread what he believed to be the everlasting Gospel, travelling more miles, preaching more sermons, publishing more books of a practical sort, and making more converts than any man of his day, or perhaps of any day, and dying at last, March 2, 1791, in harness, at the patriarchal age of 88. The popular conception of the division of labour between the two brothers in the Revival, is that John was the preacher, and Charles the hymnwriter. But this is not strictly accurate. On the one hand Charles was also a great preacher, second only to his brother and George Whitefield in the effects which he produced. On the other hand, John by no means relegated to Charles the exclusive task of supplying the people with their hymns. John Wesley was not the sort of man to depute any part of his work entirely to another: and this part was, in his opinion, one of vital importance. With that wonderful instinct for gauging the popular mind, which was one element in his success, he saw at once that hymns might be utilized, not only for raising the devotion, but also for instructing, and establishing the faith of his disciples. He intended the hymns to be not merely a constituent part of public worship, but also a kind of creed in verse. They were to be "a body of experimental and practical divinity." "In what other publication," he asks in his Preface to the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780 (Preface, Oct. 20,1779), "have you so distinct and full an account of Scriptural Christianity; such a declaration of the heights and depths of religion, speculative and practical; so strong cautions against the most plausible errors, particularly those now most prevalent; and so clear directions for making your calling and election sure; for perfecting holiness in the fear of God?" The part which he actually took in writing the hymns, it is not easy to ascertain; but it is certain that more than thirty translations from the German, French and Spanish (chiefly from the German) were exclusively his; and there are some original hymns, admittedly his composition, which are not unworthy to stand by the side of his brother's. His translations from the German especially have had a wide circulation. Although somewhat free as translations they embody the fire and energy of the originals. It has been the common practice, however for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his Journals and other works. The list of 482 original hymns by John and Charles Wesley listed in this Dictionary of Hymnology have formed an important part of Methodist hymnody and show the enormous influence of the Wesleys on the English hymnody of the nineteenth century. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) =================== See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Shirley Erena Murray

1931 - 2020 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Touch the Earth Lightly" in Worship and Song Shirley Erena Murray (b. Invercargill, New Zealand, 1931) studied music as an undergraduate but received a master’s degree (with honors) in classics and French from Otago University. Her upbringing was Methodist, but she became a Presbyterian when she married the Reverend John Stewart Murray, who was a moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Shirley began her career as a teacher of languages, but she became more active in Amnesty International, and for eight years she served the Labor Party Research Unit of Parliament. Her involvement in these organizations has enriched her writing of hymns, which address human rights, women’s concerns, justice, peace, the integrity of creation, and the unity of the church. Many of her hymns have been performed in CCA and WCC assemblies. In recognition for her service as a writer of hymns, the New Zealand government honored her as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit on the Queen’s birthday on 3 June 2001. Through Hope Publishing House, Murray has published three collections of her hymns: In Every Corner Sing (eighty-four hymns, 1992), Everyday in Your Spirit (forty-one hymns, 1996), and Faith Makes the Song (fifty hymns, 2002). The New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, for which she worked for a long time, has also published many of her texts (cf. back cover, Faith Makes the Song). In 2009, Otaga University conferred on her an honorary doctorate in literature for her contribution to the art of hymn writing. I-to Loh, Hymnal Companion to “Sound the Bamboo”: Asian Hymns in Their Cultural and Liturgical Context, p. 468, ©2011 GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago

Swee-Hong Lim

b. 1963 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "AI HU" in Worship and Song Dr. Swee Hong Lim is the Deer Park Assistant Professor of Sacred Music at Emmanuel College, and the Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program. He also serves as Director of the Chapel for the worship life of Emmanuel College. Before joining Emmanuel on July 1, 2012, Dr. Lim served as an Assistant Professor of Church Music at Baylor University. Prior to his work at Baylor, he served as a Lecturer of Worship, Liturgy, and Music at Trinity Theological College in Singapore. Swee Hong is widely utilized as a leader for global seminars and conferences dealing with sacred music. He currently serves as the Co-Moderator of the Worship Committee for the 10th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches for its meeting in Busan, South Korea (2013), and also served as a member of the Worship Planning Committee for the 2011 Ecumenical Peace Convocation sponsored by the World Council held in Jamaica. From 2008-2010, he chaired the Board of Worship and Music for the Trinity Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Swee Hong holds a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University, where his dissertation won the Helen LePage and William Hale Chamberlain Prize for Outstanding Dissertation. He also holds a Master of Arts in Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology. He completed his undergraduate work in Church Music at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music in the Philippines. Swee Hong is well-published in global music, with his monograph, Giving Voice to Asian Christians, especially known among global musicians. He is also a prolific composer of hymnody. By Swee Hong Lim, From: http://www.emmanuel.utoronto.ca/about/faculty/lim.htm, 24 June 2014.

Natalie Sleeth

1930 - 1992 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "God of Great and God of Small" in Worship and Song

Dan Damon

b. 1955 Person Name: Daniel Charles Damon Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "MONA WEST" in Worship and Song Daniel Charles Damon (b. 1955) is an internationally published writer of hymn texts and tunes and is Associate Editor of Hymnody for Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, Illinois. Damon is also a jazz pianist and has played in many hotels and clubs in the San Francisco Bay area. He holds degrees from Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois (BME, 1977) and Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California (MDiv, 1987). He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church in the San Francisco Bay area and a life member of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Several single-author collections of Damon's hymns have been published: Faith Will Sing (Carol Stream, 1993), The Sound of Welcome (Carol Stream, 1998), To the Thirsty World (Nashville, 2002), Fields of Mercy (Carol Stream, 2007), and Garden of Joy (Carol Stream, 2011). He collaborated with text writer Gracia Grindal in A Treasury of Faith: Lectionary Hymns Series A (Colfax. 2012). Damon's hymns have been included in several major hymnals and supplements. He has also written hymn translations from Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Shona languages, and, with Patrick Matsikenyiri, edited Njalo, A Collection of 16 Hymns in the African Tradition (Nashville, 1996). He has released three recordings of hymns, carols, and traditional songs, and a solo piano recording of jazz standards (available at www.damonstuneshop.com). Damon has presented his work at national conferences of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. He is a contributor to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. In 2016, Damon was made a Fellow of the hymn Society, the highest honor The Hymn Society can confer. Dan Damon

Carlos Rosas

1939 - 2020 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Translator (Spanish) of "The Lord's Prayer (Padre nuestro)" in Worship and Song

Carlton R. Young

b. 1926 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "RAYMOND" in Worship and Song

Rusty Edwards

b. 1955 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Bidden, Unbidden" in Worship and Song

Susan Palo Cherwien

1953 - 2021 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "In the Desert, on God's Mountain" in Worship and Song

Mark A. Miller

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Welcome" in Worship and Song

Lori True

b. 1961 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Composer of "PLACE AT THE TABLE" in Worship and Song

John Thornburg

b. 1954 Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Gracious Creator of Sea and of Land" in Worship and Song

Dean B. McIntyre

Person Name: Dean McIntyre Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Adapter (English) of "The Lord's Prayer (Padre nuestro)" in Worship and Song

Donnie Harper

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Praise Him" in Worship and Song

Jesse Reeves

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "How Great Is Our God" in Worship and Song

Ed Cash

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "How Great Is Our God" in Worship and Song

Louie Giglio

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author (Refrain) of "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" in Worship and Song

Laurie Zelman

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Welcome" in Worship and Song

Marc Byrd

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "God of Wonders" in Worship and Song Marc Byrd is an American musician, producer, and writer. He is currently one half of the post-rock/ambient duo Hammock, and previously fronted the alternative rock band Common Children, as well as the duo GlassByrd with his wife Christine Glass. He has performed with a number of artists, including Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós and Alex Somers of Parachutes. In 2005 he joined the Christian alternative rock band The Choir as musician and producer. He’s worked with Steve Hindalong, of The Choir, on a number of projects, and the pair wrote “God of Wonders” in 2000 for their co-produced worship series, “City on a Hill.” Laura de Jong

Jackson Henry

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Arranger of "MIGHTY GOD" in Worship and Song

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Topics: Earth and Environment; Earth and Environment Author of "Bless Christ through Whom All Things Are Made" in Worship and Song Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia was born in Tampa, Florida, one of a long line of native Floridians and teachers. She didn’t grow up attending church. As a teen, she started attending a local Baptist church with her boyfriend. At age 16 she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and was baptized. A few months later “the guy left, but God stayed.” Lisa first found God through music and thought she would be a high school choral director. God had other plans. In 2000, Lisa received a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and was later ordained a United Methodist minister in 2003. She has served congregations in Largo, St. Petersburg, DeBary and Sarasota, Florida. In addition to serving as a pastor, Lisa enjoys leading retreats, photography, theatre, and writing. She is indebted to the many wonderful mentors and teachers in her life, including her mother who first gave her a love for words. You are welcome and encouraged to follow her writing at www.revlisad.com Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

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