Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music seeks comments on possible hymnal revision

The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) is inviting input and comments about a possible revision of The Hymnal 1982.

Starting December 15, an online survey is available to engage the entire church in this discussion, noted the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, chair of the SCLM. The survey is available at http://www.cpg.org/hymnalstudy2

“We have established this survey as part of The Episcopal Church’s ongoing work with liturgical materials and in compliance to Resolution B004 as approved at General Convention 2009,” Meyers explained. “This is important work in the life of our church and we are grateful for participation as our church embraces this task.”

Resolution B004 “authorize(s) Church Publishing Incorporated, working with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, to conduct a feasibility study on the need for revision of The Hymnal 1982 by speaking to congregations, dioceses and all seminaries of this Church, and to report its findings to the 77th General Convention.”

The survey, coordinated by the Church Pension Fund’s Office of Research, will be available online until January 31, 2011.

“The study seeks answers to two basic questions,” said Dr. Matthew J. Price, Church Pension Group Director of Analytical Research. “First, do the hymnal and the other authorized resources that the Church has for worship music meet the needs of the Church? If the answer to the first question is ‘no’, then the question should be asked as to whether a new Hymnal is the most efficacious means of answering these new needs.”

Meyers explained that prior to the December 15 debut of the online survey, the first step in the Hymnal Revision Feasibility Study was to invite clergy, music directors and church members in 1400 congregations, representing all sizes, locations, and languages in a stratified random sample, to participate in an initial phase of the study.

Following the January 31 deadline, the responses from the initial phase along with the general survey info, will be collated and all data reviewed, under the leadership of Jeannine Otis, a well-known musician from the Diocese of New York and an SCLM member.

These results, along with recommendations for next steps, will be presented to General Convention 2012 as part of the SCLM report.


Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music: http://generalconvention.org/ccab/mandate/2
General Convention 2009 Resolution B004: http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=931&type=Final

Church Pension Group Office of Research: http://www.cpg.org/productsservices/research.cfm

The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org
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