Praise for Today

Abstract

"A new Baptist hymn book, and after only twelve years? Isn't the Baptist Hymn Book a success then? It is an outstanding ~uccess, e-yen beyond these islands. Most Baptist churches m Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica now use it. It is l!sed in S?m.e churches in other English speaking countnes. And It Is used beyond our denomination· one famous. Publi_c School in England has ordered music ~opies for their chOir. Out of the profits made since the BHB was p~blished in 1962 over £50,000 has been devoted to assisting Widows and orphans of Baptist ministers and missionaries, and over £25,000 has been given to th~ HMF of the BU. Why then a new hymn book after only 12 years? This was a decision made by the Trustees of the Psalms and Hymns Trust two years ago. The Trust by an old agreement With the BU and BMS has the sole right to publi~h hymn books for the BU of Great Britain and Ireland on the understanding that its profits are devoted as mentioned above. The Trustees, who have in every generation included some of the best known figures in BU and BMS circles and who today have as their Chairman Dr L. G. Champion, realised that there had been a spate of hymns on contemporary themes since 1962. Many of our young people -al.'!~ oJder people too-hav~ come to like these, through famllmnty with them on radio and TV, in schools and on records. In the past. it ~as been thought by us and by almost every other denommatwn that a new hymn book is needed about every thirty years, i.e. for every new generation. Changes have been so rapid in these past few years however that it was thought wise to produce now a supplement embodying, say 100, of the best of the new hymns"