News

Joint Music Study Results Now Online

(November 13, 2007, GBOD) — The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) and the United Methodist Publishing House announced last week that the complete results of a four-year joint music study and the resulting hymnal petitions are now available online at www.gbod.org/worship/musicstudy.

The joint study is the first of its kind in more than twenty years and has resulted in two petitions to the General Conference, the denomination's highest administrative body.

"The study revealed a clear need for new resources for ethnic communities, our younger constituency and a growing desire for global music," said Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for GBOD.

GBOD has prepared the contents of the full report for publication on the GBOD.org Web site. The complete wording of the two new hymnal petitions is also available.

The first petition asks the 2008 General Conference to appoint a hymnal committee to develop a USA hymnal and present it for consideration and approval by the 2012 General Conference. Publication could come as early as 2013.

The second petition asks General Conference to approve a four-year study of the issues around developing an Africana hymnal and to appoint a committee to accomplish the study and report back to the 2012 General Conference with possible recommendations.

The materials available online include:

• The complete 500-page music study report on survey findings
• A 17-page abbreviated summary report included in the Advanced Daily Christian Advocate (the official publication of General Conference)
• Copies of all of the survey documents used
• A summary of the responses of a select group of music and worship specialists from across the denomination
• The two new hymnal petitions; and
• Answers to frequently asked questions.

The GBOD board of directors, at its August 2007 annual meeting, and the UMPH board of directors, at its annual summer 2007 meeting, approved the petition to the 2008 General Conference that could lead to the development of a new official hymnal for the denomination with music, ritual, and worship resources for use by English-speaking United Methodists in the United States.

In addition, the GBOD board approved a petition to study the need for an Africana hymnal; that is, a hymnal with music, ritual and worship resources for United Methodist congregations and people of African descent.

This would include the long-established African American constituency of the church, but also other Africana persons in and coming to the United Methodist Church from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and from countries of Africa.

The 2004-2007 joint music study concluded its work last summer. As charged by General Conference, it focused its efforts on identifying the needs of The United Methodist Church in the areas of worship and music, particularly those related to congregational song.

Dean McIntyre, GBOD director of music resources and chair of the study committee, says, "The full online report of the joint study contains a wealth of data, statistics, and commentary on current United Methodist worship and music practices never before made available to this extent and in this accessible format."

GBOD's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.