The United Methodist Church is experiencing great changes in how we worship and sing as well as the worship and music resources we use. Since publication of The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), two additional General Conference-authorized hymnals have been released: the Spanish language Mil Voces Para Celebrar (1996) and the Korean-English bilingual Come, Let Us Worship (2001). In addition, worship and music styles in The United Methodist Church continue to change as congregations incorporate a variety of musical and liturgical resources.

Other unofficial songbooks have been developed primarily for use in the USA since the 1989 hymnal: Voices: Native American Hymns and Worship Resources (1992); The Faith We Sing (2000); Rock of Ages: Songbook for Older Adults (2002); Upper Room Book of Carols (2004); The Upper Room Worshipbook (2006); Global Praise 1, 2, and 3; Zion Still Sings: For Every Generation (2007).

The need to expand and update the content and form of official resources that support liturgy, worship, and song is already in evidence with the offering of a number of unofficial resources by several United Methodist organizations and agencies. This need will increase as worship and music practices continue to evolve.

This recommendation for a joint study by The General Board of Discipleship and The United Methodist Publishing House to ascertain the worship needs of The United Methodist Church, including the needs for resources to support congregational singing, will provide General Conference with the research and information necessary to determine how best to serve the Church in the future, both short-term and long-term. The joint study may result in recommendations to the 2008 General Conference, including but not limited to a revision of The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), publication of supplemental resources in worship and music, or continued study and research.

Authority for Preliminary Study of the Needs of The United Methodist Church in Worship and Hymnody

The General Board of Discipleship petitions the General Conference to authorize a joint study by The General Board of Discipleship and The United Methodist Publishing House of the worship needs of The United Methodist Church, including the needs for resources to support congregational singing.

1. The study will include, but not necessarily be limited to, five major areas:
   • Trends and Measurement of Congregational Singing
   • Psalter, Services, Ritual, and Service Music
   • Texts and Tunes (including global and ethnic music)
   • Implications of Digital and Other Emerging Technologies for Worship and Congregational Singing
   • The Wesley Hymns
2. Research will take a variety of forms, but may include consultations, surveys, and focus groups.
3. The joint study will culminate with a report to the 2008 General Conference, which will contain the results of the research and, if deemed appropriate, recommendations for General Conference action.
4. The management and cost of the study will be shared by The General Board of Discipleship and The United Methodist Publishing House as determined by those agencies, in accordance with their responsibilities, mandates, and available funds and personnel.

The study committee initially met under the guidance of Harriet Olson (UMPH) and Vance Ross (GBOD), with equal representation from both agencies. UMPH membership included Bill Gnegy and Gary Alan Smith. GBOD membership included Daniel Benedict and Dean McIntyre (GBOD), who was selected to chair the committee. As work progressed, Safiyah Fosua (GBOD) and Amy Smith (UMPH Research Office) joined the committee. In September 2005, Taylor Burton-Edwards joined the committee upon Dan Benedict’s retirement. In February 2006 Bob MacKendree replaced Bill Gnegy. In January 2007, Jessica Miller Kelley (UMPH Research) served in Amy Smith’s place while Amy was on maternity leave. Amy completed the committee service.

The study committee has met mostly on its own through the quadrennium, meeting and consulting as needed with administration of both agencies: Neil Alexander and Harriett Olson of The United Methodist Publishing House and Karen Greenwaldt and Vance P. Ross of The General Board of Discipleship.

With direction from agency administration, the committee narrowed the geographical scope of the study:

For nations and areas of Africa, it was left to the multiagency Africa Collaboration Team (ACT) to do the work of the study as they chose. GBOD also continues to work with the Brazilian Methodist Church to make available a Portuguese language hymnal for the Angolan church.

Other areas, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Haiti, are mission churches and The United Methodist Church has no churches there with provisional conference status. These areas were excluded from the study.

GBOD will continue participating with and supporting the European Central Conferences and bishops in developing their own resources, as was done with the 2002 German hymnal.

GBOD will continue its work with the Native American constituency to identify their music and worship needs and how best to meet them. Attempts were also made to include them in this study.

The Philippines church does well producing its own resources, but the Study Committee made numerous attempts to include them in the study. These included attempts to contact the bishops’ offices, their assistants, and other contacts. All attempts were unsuccessful.

These limitations determined the focus for this study to be around the needs in the areas of congregational singing and worship for the USA United Methodist Church.

The study sought input from across the church using survey instruments with bishops, congregational leaders chosen by their bishops, academics, and ethnic congregations and pastors. We also surveyed The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (FUMMWA) and The Order of Saint Luke (OSL). A third survey target was an identified group of music and worship experts: specialists, leaders, authors, hymn writers, and others known to be able to offer expert opinions on United Methodist worship and music practices across the connection.

The authorizing legislation called for study in at least five areas:

1. Trends and Measurement of Congregational Singing


2. Psalter, Services, Ritual, and Service Music


3. Texts and Tunes (including global and ethnic music)


4. Implications of Digital and Other Emerging Technologies for Worship and Congregational Singing


5. The Wesley Hymns

While there was inevitably some overlap, the committee remained aware of the need to not duplicate the work of a possible future hymnal revision committee and remained focused on identifying needs within the church.

As the committee neared the end of our work we met with administration of both agencies to coordinate the reporting process. Study results would be brought to each agency’s board of directors and then to General Conference through a written summary, with the extensive complete versions of the report, data collected, and results made available online.