We Believe: Faith, Community, and the Holy Act of Singing

Sponsored by Joanne Reynolds

It's one thing when a hymnal is prepared for a denomination or large community of believers, and something else entirely when a local congregation prepares a hymnal. This sectional will explore two such local projects: Bethphage Hymnal of 1922 crafted by the Swedish Lutheran leaders of Bethphage Mission, a facility to care for developmentally disabled children in Nebraska; and Mawl a Chân/Praise and Song of 1952, a Welsh/English language hymnal published by Welsh United Presbyterian Church of Detroit, MI. In addition to looking at the contents of each book, we will delve into the community context that made it important for these groups to publish their collections of hymns, both for themselves and for any other similar groups who might benefit from them.