ACNA plans new hymnal in 2030

The Episcopal Church hymnals of 1940 and 1982 have been the main hymnals for most U.S. Anglican churches outside TEC. Longtime readers know that I've long been interested in what sort of hymnal these latter Anglicans will come up with. Now there are two (and someday perhaps three):

1. The Book of Common Praise 2017 was the first such hymnal, from the Reformed Episcopal Church (with its unique history and structure within the ACNA). The publisher released a version with a different title (Magnify the Lord) but later withdrew it to make room 
2. This spring, I learned of a second hymnal, Sing Unto the Lord, being organized by the music director of Christ Church Anglican, an ACNA parish in Savannah Georgia. The the hymnal is in production and will be in print in October. I plan to review this later this fall for North American Anglican.
3. As #2 began to send out promotional materials, the ACNA's on-again, off-again efforts to make an official hymnal warmed up with a decision out of the June 2023 House of Bishops meeting. This week the ACNA sent an email blast announcing their new hymnal (below) — also on their website.

I’ll follow up on this more down the road, but what is interesting to me about the latter email are two things. First, the new hymnal is not until 2030. Second, the tone of the email seems to be "don’t buy that bad hymnal while you’re waiting seven years for our new hymnal.”

Needless to say, I'll have more to say on all of these topics later on.

ACNA HYMNAL COMMISSION FORMED

Archbishop Duncan to Chair First Meeting in November

At the June 2023 meeting of the College of Bishops, Archbishop Foley Beach named, and the College confirmed, a 2030 Hymnal Commission.  An official hymnal for the Anglican Church in North America is to be prepared for College of Bishops approval and provincial use not later than the quinquennial Provincial Assembly of June 2029.

 

To the Commission were named the following:

            The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Chair, Archbishop Emeritus

            The Right Rev. Charles (Chip) Edgar, Bishop of South Carolina (Liturgy Task Force)

            The Right Rev. Andrew Williams, Bishop in New England

            The Venerable Dr Darrel Critch, Archdeacon of Eastern Canada

            The Rev. Dr Jonathan Kanary, Christ Church Waco, TX,  and Baylor University (Liturgy Task Force)

            The Rev. Rick Milliorn, Principal Musician, St. Clement’s, El Paso, TX

            Mr. Simon Dixon, Principal Musician, The Falls Church Anglican, Falls Church, VA

            Mrs. Dixie Hall, Principal Musician, St. John’s Anglican, Post Falls, ID

            Mr. Terry Fullerton, Principal Musician, St. John’s, Vancouver, BC

            Mrs. Kathy Fox Powell, Choirmaster, St. Mark’s, Arlington, TX

            Mr. Mark Snow, Principal Musician, Christ Church, Plano, TX

            Mr. Chris Walchesky, Principal Musician, St. Phillip’s, Charleston, SC

 

As initially conceived, the Hymnal Commission will do its work in four sub-committees:

1. Hymns of the Anglican Patrimony (esp. ref. 1940, 1982, and 2017 Hymnals)
2. Hymns of Ecumenical and Global Significance
3. Hymns, Choruses, and Spiritual Songs of the Last Half-Century
4. Service Music for the BCP 2019 (both ordinary and traditional language texts) 

Led by members of the Hymnal Commission, these sub-committees will engage many other members of the Province – clergy, musicians, and a panoply of respected lay leaders – in an effort representing the breadth and musical needs of the whole Province.

 

As with the development of the Book of Common Prayer 2019, regular reports and a wide-open feedback loop – hymnalcommission@anglicanchurch.net – will allow the whole Church to contribute to the development of this ACNA Hymnal.

As the Hymnal Commission is announced, the congregations of the Province are also advised that a hymnal under the title “Sing Unto the Lord” is being widely advertised. “Sing Unto the Lord” is not an official or authorized ACNA Hymnal. Indeed much of its Communion service music remains service music written for the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and there are unauthorized borrowings from the ACNA Altar Book. Moreover, its articles do not have instructional authority in this Church. Substantial portions of “Sing Unto the Lord” are already available in the Reformed Episcopal Church Hymnal of 2017, The Book of Common Praise. The publisher of this hymnal, Anglican Music Publishing, is an independent initiative and has no official or ministry partner relationship to the Anglican Church in North America.

Update Sept 14. Below is the clip art from the ACNA website (and AAC email blast) used to represent the new hymnal, which may (or may not) suggest what sort of hymnal is intended from the process.