* FINAL VERSION - Concurred
Resolution:B004
Title:Hymnal Revision Study
Topic:Liturgy
Committee:13 - Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music
House of Initial Action:Bishops
Proposer:The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention authorize 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. All costs associated with said study will be borne by Church Publishing Incorporated.


EXPLANATION

With the publication of The Hymnal 1918 the Episcopal Church set a standard of excellence for music in congregational worship that has been a model for all future revisions. Church Publishing (formerly the Church Hymnal Corporation), the oldest affiliate of the Church Pension Fund, is dedicated to continuing this vital ministry.

The world of this new millennium is very different from that of the prior century, when The Hymnal 1982 and its predecessors were created. Rapid liturgical, cultural and technological change continue to have an impact on the lives of all the faithful. A study of the need for a new hymnal for the Episcopal Church would explore sensitivity to expansive language, the diversity of worship styles, the richness of multicultural and global liturgical forms, and the enduring value of our Anglican musical heritage.

The study will also involve discernment about economical and efficient delivery vehicles for a new hymnal, assuming a printed book as foundational. In addition, the study will consider necessary steps to augment the canonical membership of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, as well as additional staffing at Church Publishing, to accomplish the work of revision.

If the 77th General Convention decides to proceed with hymnal revision, Church Publishing will provide financial support for staffing, meeting expenses, and other related costs. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music would then prepare texts for submission to the 79th Convention in 2015, with the goal of publishing a centenary hymnal for the Episcopal Church in 2018.


* Note: The final language, as well as the final status of each resolution, is being reviewed by the General Convention office. The Journal of the 76th General Convention and the Constitution and Canons will be published once the review process has been completed.