Mennonite Weekly Review

Even in an age of “off-the-wall” music and changes in worship, Mennonites in about another decade will want to sing from a new hymnal — preferably one reflecting their increasingly diverse voice.

The 1969 Mennonite Hymnal and 1992 Hymnal: A Worship Book have been supplemented by Sing and Rejoice, Sing the Journey and Sing the Story. — Photo by Laurie Oswald Robinson

That’s the finding of a committee of representatives from Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Publishing Network.

After conducting a survey and doing other research, the committee gathered April 11-12 at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. Members shared their findings and their joy that even amid massive change, Mennonites still love their hymnbooks.

“What struck me most about our survey results is the continuing passion Mennonites have for music and hymn singing at a time when so much is changing,” said committee member Mark Diller Harder, pastor of St. Jacobs (Ont.) Mennonite Church and director of Menno Singers, an Ontario Mennonite choir.

Committee member Marlene Kropf, denominational minister of worship for MC USA Executive Leadership, agrees.

“This research convinced me more than ever that a hymn book is a way for us to sing in common, to pray in common, even in the midst of so much diversity and questions about the state of printed material in worship,” she said. “Having said that about commonality, I hope the next hymnal will continue to enliven and expand what happens in singing in our worship and refresh the act of singing in our worship. It’s not a matter of just getting new songs, as important as that is. It’s also about learning to see old things in fresh ways.”

Research revealed a resounding desire among Mennonites for freshness, vitality and relevance in their music and worship. The committee concluded it’s likely that about in 2018, Mennonites will be ready for a new hymnal. It will follow the 1992 Hymnal: A Worship Book, produced by the former Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church. The Church of the Brethren was a third partner.

Kropf, part of the team that produced the 1992 hymn book, said it incorporated more diverse musical styles, using fewer Western European selections and more global music. It expanded the worship resources and used more inclusive language. She looks for the next hymnal to be equally reflective of where the church is going. This likely means even more of a focus on the global church, a greater multicultural emphasis, an expanded section for worship resources and more attention to language.

Supplements extend life

The committee also found that because two supplements have followed the 1992 hymnal — Sing the Journey (2005) and Sing the Story (2007) — the hymnal’s life can extend a bit beyond the typical 20-to-25-year life span of a denominational hymnal.