January 23, 2010
By Barbara Dunlap-Berg

Although work on a new denominational hymnal was suspended in May 2009, the United Methodist Publishing House and the United Methodist Board of Discipleship are developing a shorter, different type of resource – "Worship & Song" – to be published in February 2011.

"The forthcoming ‘Worship & Song' collection," said Gary Alan Smith, general editor, "will offer the best of the best of the newest worship resources to The United Methodist Church and beyond."

The new collection will include separate volumes for singing and worship.

"To be included in the music volumes," Smith added, "are traditional hymns, praise and worship songs and choruses, Taizé chants, worship music from various racial-ethnic and global communities, and even some hymns from older generations that warrant a revival. Also included in its own volume will be non-musical worship resources (prayers, litanies and other liturgical acts of worship) intended for pastors and worship leaders as they plan worship."

"This is just the type of project that makes sense at this time," said Neil Alexander, publishing house president and publisher. "It is an opportunity to work with worship leaders across the connection to offer music and worship resources that are currently not available and that can be made available in a matter of months."

The song collection will include up to 180 hymns and songs in a wide variety of styles. The worship resources collection will include service music, prayers, liturgies and spoken acts of worship. Neither collection will duplicate material contained in The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) or "The Faith We Sing" (2000).

Revision of The United Methodist Hymnal requires a vote of the General Conference. Supplementary resources such as the new worship and song collection augment the official hymnal and do not require formal denominational approval.

The collections will be available in print, digital and online versions. The music collection will include PowerPoint slides and CD accompaniment. The worship resources collection also will include PowerPoint and PDF files. As rights are cleared, most of both collections will be available for individual purchase online. In addition, Internet downloads of hymns, songs and worship resources that do not appear in the print volumes will be available.

"We are receiving a good bit of original material to be considered," Smith said. "As music and worship styles continue to evolve, our efforts to meet these changing needs will be ongoing, and I am excited and blessed to be able to be a part of this vital endeavor."

Persons desiring to submit original hymns, songs, service music and worship resources for publication consideration in the new collections may send submissions to Smith at gsmith@umpublishing.org.

United Methodist News Service
Barbara Dunlap-Bergis internal content editor for United Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn.