WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Faith Matters: Baptist hymnal makeover

Faith Matters: Baptist hymnal makeover

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Southern Baptists are changing their tune. After nearly 15 years, the Baptist hymnal is getting a major makeover.

Inside First Baptist Church Lexington, the hymn "Amazing Grace" is a crowd favorite. But some other, more contemporary songs can be a touchy topic.

"Therein lies the challenge," says worship leader Roy Stenstrom.

Stenstrom knows this issue isn't black and white and tries to "blend" music, using a combination of songs, singers and instruments.

"Sometimes I'll take a contemporary song and follow it with a traditional hymn," he explains.

It's a common theme with many churches, where old time religion is being measured by new generation.

"The young people are begging me for more contemporary worship choruses and other say we just want the hymns," says Stenstrom.

That's the idea behind a bold move by the Southern Baptists to update its hymnal, tossing out nearly half of its 600 songs for newer, more contemporary anthems.

WIS' Hannah Horne went over the list with Stenstrom.

Songs like Amazing Grace, At The Cross, Sweet Hour of Prayer and even I'll Fly Away are all included, but so are newer titles like Shout to the Lord, Awesome God and In This Very Room.

"It's about time some really good hymns are going in there and reaching across generations," Stenstrom says.

The Baptists, and hymnal publisher Lifeway, spent months going over the songs, enlisting the help of theologians, worship leaders and pastors from across the country.

They put each song and verse to a theological review of eleven questions. Among them - is it God honoring? Does it speak of salvation? Does it present a westernized gospel?

"Do you think they did a good job?" asks Hannah?

"Absolutely!" answers Stenstrom. "They (the songs) should reflect what's in the inherent word of God."

But some won't embrace the change.

Stenstrom says, "As we try to make blended worship work, it calls for tolerance from all ages at the same time."

The new hymnals won't be available until later in the year.

It includes 674 titles, half are new to this book, and 100 have never been published in any hymnal before.

Reported by Hannah Horne

Posted by Bryce Mursch