A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

hem, general trends and demands became apparent, resulting in the addition of many new hymns and gospel songs. Several other groups, such as Richert's class in hymnology at Tabor College, along with other music teachers, helped in the selection of the hymns. On two different occasions ministers and church musicians gathered for all-day evaluating sessions where they listened to a mixed quartet sing through all the hymns and gospel songs on the list. The most critical work took place in what Richert called "The Hillsboro, Kansas, Meetings." During the fall and winter of 1951 a group of ministers and laymen met once a week, generally on Monday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m., for the expressed purpose of critically reading and examining every song. Resolutions authorizing the publication of the Mennonite Brethren hymnal and arranging for financial support were passed by the General Conference at Winkler, Manitoba, in 1951."' Finally, after eight years of intensive work, the Mennonite Brethren Church Hymnal containing five hundred hymns came off the press in August, 1953. The demand for the hymnal was so great that the 7,500 copies of the first edition were immediately exhausted. It subsequently went through six printings with a total of 37,000 copies. Its contents were largely from the gospel song tradition. Paul Wohlgemuth in his doctoral dissertation, "Mennonite Hymnals Published in the English Language," concludes "In comparison with earlier gospel song books used in Mennonite Brethren churches, the Mennonite Brethren Church Hymnal does present to its members a greater variety and better quality of hymn tunes."'" B. J. Braun, chairman of the General Conference in 1953, evaluated the hymnal as "distinguished for its contents, its facilities for the ready use of its contents, and its broad scope of the evangelical message." 11 Almost simultaneously with the publication of the Canadian German hymnal, Gesangbuch der Mennoniten Bruedergemeinde (1952), a new need began to appear in that country. With a gradual shifting from the use of German to the English language especially in Sunday schools, the need for an English hymnal was voiced. It was not until the 1955 Canadian Conference in Coaldale, Alberta, that the churches decided to publish an English translation of the Gesangbuch. The task of compiling the hymnal was assigned to the Songbook Committee: Jacob Wedel, Cornelius Klassen, Henry Voth and Ben Horch. Many others assisted in this project, especially Mrs. Ben Horch. The Songbook Committee envisioned their objective in the light of the bilingual status of the church. Recognizing this they felt that this hymnal would: SINKING THE NEW SONG 245 First — afford the best opportunity for adopting into another language the spiritual heritage of congregational song epitomized for our forefathers by the term Kernlieder and Second — assure the present time as most favorable for the retention of just