wfn.org | Agencies offer training events for new songbook

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Feb. 11, 2002  News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{049}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- The United Methodist Publishing House and
churchwide Board of Discipleship are planning a series of six introductory
and training events for The Faith We Sing songbook.

The three-day events will be held in the United Methodist Church's five U.S.
jurisdictions. The first will be at Mathewson Street United Methodist Church
in Providence, R.I., Feb. 25-27. It will be followed by others in different
regions: Feb. 28-March 2, First United Methodist Church, Evanston, Ill;
April 22-24, Saint Mark United Methodist Church, Atlanta; April 25-27, First
United Methodist Church, Garland, Texas; May 6-8, First United Methodist
Church, Garden Grove, Calif.; and May 9-11, Taylor Memorial United Methodist
Church, Oakland, Calif.

The two United Methodist agencies held a national introductory event for the
book a year ago in Nashville. "It was so well received and attended, we
closed that event off to registrations, and we've had continued interest in
it," said Dean McIntyre, music resources director at the Board of
Discipleship and coordinator of the training events.

The Providence event will feature some of the church's most prominent music
and worship experts, including Michael Hawn, Perkins School of Theology;
Mark Miller, instructor of organ and choral music at Drew University and
artist-in-residence at Union Theological Seminary; Dan Benedict, Board of
Discipleship worship resources director; and Gary Alan Smith and Debi Tyree,
both Abingdon Press music editors at the Publishing House. Topics will
include gospel and ethnic music, the theology of the songbook, worship
planning, Taize music and use of the hymnal as a choir book.

Evening worship will include a Taize service and a hymn festival, both open
to the public.

A different plenary and workshop leader will be featured at each location.
Providence: Carl Daw, executive director of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and
Canada; Evanston: Ruth Duck, professor of worship and hymn writer at Garrett
Evangelical Theological Seminary; Dallas: Jane Marshall, composer, hymn
writer, author, teacher; Atlanta: Brian Wren, professor of worship and hymn
writer, Columbia Theological Seminary; and for both California events: Jim
and Jean Strathdee, music directors and songwriters. 

The church's response to The Faith We Sing has been strong. "It has exceeded
our expectations for sales," McIntyre said. "We've had an ongoing string of
phone calls and e-mail messages and letters asking about it."

The book is available in several editions, each designed for a specific type
of user - church member, choir, worship planner, musician and so on. 

Sales of the various editions are at around 500,000 copies, said Judy Smith,
executive director of publishing at the Publishing House. Sales of the pew
edition are about 30 percent above expectations, she said.

Last year, after the songbook was introduced, the board and the Publishing
House received an initial flurry of postcards critical of the book's
theology, primarily regarding the use of feminine references to God in some
songs.

McIntyre said he has had ongoing conversations with some of the critics. The
people who have complained are in the minority, though they hold an opinion
that "we certainly don't want to slight or ignore," he said. 

For more information or a brochure on the training events, contact Jean
Musterman at the Board of Discipleship, toll free, (877) 899-2780, Ext.
7070, or at jmusterman@gbod.org. Information and materials are also
available at http://www.umcworship.org.

The early registration deadline for the Providence event has passed, but
McIntyre said walk-ins would be accepted there and at the other events until
attendance is full.
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United Methodist News Service
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