''Singing the Faith'' is the current authorised

hymnbook A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chri ...

(hymnal) of the

Methodist Church of Great Britain The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestantism, Protestant List of Christian denominations, Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodism, Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, an ...

, first published in 2011. The decision to produce a new hymnbook was taken at the Methodist Conference of 2009. Since the publication of the previous authorised hymnbook, ''

Hymns and Psalms ''Hymns and Psalms'' was the primary hymnbook of the Methodist Church of Great Britain from 1983 until 2010. The hymnbook was first published by the Methodist Publishing House in 1983, to replace the ''Methodist Hymn-Book'', which was published so ...

'', in 1983, many new

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

and

contemporary worship song Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are f ...

s had appeared, reflecting current concerns and forms of expression. The objective was to produce a book that represented both modern and traditional hymnody while reflecting the doctrines, beliefs and emphases of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

in the 21st century. The opportunity was taken to remove non-inclusive language, especially by using

gender-neutral language Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids bias towards a particular sex or gender. In English, this includes use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions, formation of phrases in a c ...

as far as possible. The new hymn collection was authorised by the Methodist Conference in 2010.

Out of the 748 hymns and songs in the collection, 89 were written by

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...

(1707–88), one of the founders of Methodism. The most represented hymnwriter of the 20th and 21st centuries is

John L. Bell John Lamberton Bell (born 1949) is a Scottish hymn-writer and Church of Scotland minister. He is a member of the Iona Community, a broadcaster, and former student activist. He works throughout the world, lecturing in theological colleges in the ...

(b. 1949), who has 43 hymns included.

''Singing the Faith Plus''

''Singing the Faith Plus'' is an electronic hymn resource "designed to support and complement" the published book. As well as a comprehensive index of hymns and songs, it allows members to submit their own works.

References

External links

Singing the Faith Plus
Methodism in the United Kingdom Protestant hymnals {{Methodist-book-stub

Contents

''Singing the Faith Plus''

See also

References

External links