''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). They are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Christi ...

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. M ...

, first published in 2011.

Background

''Singing the Faith'' is the latest in a line of hymnbooks going back to ''A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists'' (1779) by

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

and

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a principal 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 ...

. The decision to produce a 21st-century 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 publishe ...

'', 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 songs 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 Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

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 reference 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 i ...

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

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

Background

Contents

''Singing the Faith Plus''

See also

References

External links