wfn.org | Publishing House ships new hymnal supplement early

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Nov. 29, 2000  News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{536}
 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Pew editions of the United Methodist Church's new
hymnal supplement, The Faith We Sing, are being distributed ahead of
schedule, and other versions of the book are close behind.

The pew edition is being shipped out to churches about two weeks ahead of
schedule, said Bill Gnegy, music resources director at the United Methodist
Publishing House. Shipments of the accompaniment edition are expected to
begin within days, and the singer's edition will be shipped around Dec. 10,
he said. Six more editions will follow.

"By mid-February, we'll have all the editions out," Gnegy said. A big
marketing push for all nine is planned for the spring.

About 50,000 of the pew editions have already been shipped out in response
to both single-copy and bulk orders, he said on Nov. 28. That amount is just
scratching the surface of what Gnegy expects. Most orders for the book are
expected in mid-December, he said.

Gnegy attributed the early distribution in part to the Publishing House
meeting all of its scheduled production dates and the absence of snafus.
"The biggest hurdle we thought we'd have was clearing all the permissions,
but that went very smoothly," he said, referring to the process of getting
approval from entities that own the rights to the songs.

The book, a collaboration of the Publishing House and the United Methodist
Board of Discipleship, is a 284-song supplement to the United Methodist
Hymnal, published in 1989. The Faith We Sing covers a wide range of music,
including contemporary choruses, hymns written since the mid-1980s, world
music, traditional-style songs and classics that aren't in the main hymnal.
Some of the best-known songs include "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our
Love," "I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry," "I'll Fly Away," "Wade In The
Water," "Sanctuary," "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," "His Eye Is On The
Sparrow" and "Gather Us In."

The nine editions consist of the pew edition for congregational use; the
accompaniment edition for music leaders and accompanists; the singer's
edition for choirs and worship teams; a CD-ROM edition; an edition for MIDI,
an electronic format that allows the player to control the key, tempo and
other characteristics of the music; a compact disc accompaniment edition; a
worship planner, with suggestions for using and teaching each song; a
simplified version, which will have basic keyboard parts and guitar chords;
and a guitar edition, which will be the last one distributed.

Churches that order before Dec. 31 can save $1 on the pew edition and $1.50
on the singer's edition, Gnegy said. Special prices are not being offered
for the other books. A pamphlet is available that offers ideas to help local
congregations raise money to buy the new supplement. The Faith We Sing
Fund-raising Idea Book is available free of charge to churches that request
it. For information, contact Gnegy at (615) 749-6181.

Information on ordering The Faith We Sing can be obtained by calling local
Cokesbury stores or the toll-free line, 1-800-672-1789.

Seats are still available for the Feb. 6-8 hymnal introductory event planned
by the Board of Discipleship and the Publishing House. The event, which will
be at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, will include
workshops and worship led by some of United Methodism's foremost experts on
sacred music.

"It's got the highest quality leadership of any event I can think of," Gnegy
said. 

For registration details, contact Jeannie Musterman, (877) 899-2780, Ext.
7070, or jmusterman@gbod.org. For answers to event questions, contact Dean
McIntyre, (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7073, or dmcintyre@gbod.org. Both Musterman
and McIntyre are with the Board of Discipleship. Details, along with options
for registering and paying fees online, are also available at
http://www.gbod.org/worship/events/faith_we_sing.html.

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United Methodist News Service
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