wfn.org | Release date set for Korean-English hymnal

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 10, 2000  News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-35-71B{322}

NOTE:  A photograph is available with this report.

By Chrissy Gourneau*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church's long-awaited
Korean-English hymnal will be available on Nov. 15, 2001, denomination
officials say.

"This will be the first time that Korean United Methodists will have the
traditional worship services available to them," said the Rev. Dan Benedict,
worship resources director at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
"This will be a supplement for Korean congregations," he added.  

The hymnal was approved in May by the General Conference, the denomination's
highest legislative assembly. The book, titled Come, Let Us Worship, will be
jointly published by the United Methodist Publishing House and the Board of
Discipleship, both based in Nashville. The first printing of hymnals will be
10,000 copies.

The 860-page hymnal will include music, liturgies and worship resources. A
15-member committee chose 360 hymns for the book out of a possible 6,000
songs. The committee was led by Bishop Hae-Jong Kim of the church's New York
West Area.

This hymnal will be bilingual so both the "new"- and the "old"-generation
Korean Americans will be able to sing and join together in services. English
is the primary language among most young Korean-Americans.

"This book will be very good for English-speaking Koreans," said the Rev.
Dal Joon Won, general editor of the hymnal committee and a Publishing House
staff member. 

The project began in 1998, when the board and the Publishing House approved
a proposal brought by the Korean-American United Methodist Caucus. The
hymnal committee met for the first time in July that year, and it's expected
to wrap up its work this October.

Korean congregations account for more than half of the United Methodist
churches formed since 1981. The denomination had only 20 Korean-American
congregations in 1975. Today, it has 285 chartered and 62 unchartered
congregations. 

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*Gourneau is an intern working with United Methodist News Service in
Nashville, Tenn.

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United Methodist News Service
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