The Beginning of the End

As we turn the page on 2019 and enter 2020, we find ourselves reaching some critical milestones in the WELS Hymnal Project. This past November, the Executive Committee met for its final scheduled face-to-face meeting. Just a few days after this final meeting, a draft of the new hymnal was turned over to Northwestern Publishing House for copyediting. A few days after that, a draft of the Psalter was also given to NPH for copyediting. Thus begins an 18-month process of getting these substantial volumes ready for print. There will be much back-and-forth in the coming months as issues are brought up and resolved and small alterations are made, but it is a significant milestone in the history of this project.

The Agenda Book, the Manuals, the Musician’s Resource, the digital tools, and other ancillary resources are still in progress but are scheduled to be released concurrently with the Hymnal and Psalter around Advent of 2021.

We can now say the new hymnal comes out next year, Lord willing!

So now what? We enter what might be considered a brief “intertestamental period” as we await the advent of the new hymnal. The remaining work on these resources will be largely silent to the public. Now that our research and development work is largely complete, and assuming that the public won’t necessarily want to hear about the figurative crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s as the books go through copyediting, the Communications Committee of the WELS Hymnal Project and www.welshymnal.com will be decommissioned sometime in the next couple of weeks. Replacing it at that time will be the website for the new hymnal with first looks at pages, artwork, and information that will help congregations and schools plan for adopting the new hymnal when it is released.

For the last six-and-a-half years, by means of roughly a dozen synod-wide surveys, over 120 blog posts and educational articles, and receiving and responding to over 2,000 comments and questions that have come from the public, we have endeavored to educate, to be as transparent as possible, and to give the members of our synod a voice in this process. Be assured that every comment and question that has come in through this website has been read by real people and shared with the Executive Committee and Committee chairmen. It is our hope that as we pass this milestone of the project, the members of our church body feel as though they had a window into the process and had opportunity to let their voices be heard.

Thank you for being a part of the process. Thank you for your honest and thoughtful feedback through surveys and messages. Thank you for the many words of support and encouragement these past several years. Thank you for your prayers. This project could not continue without you and without the blessing of our Lord.

In the very near future, the Hymnal Introduction Program (HIP) will be your source for information for the new hymnal and its resources. The Director of the HIP is Adam Mueller and working with him, Bryan Gerlach, Director for the Commission on Worship. So let me introduce the men who will introduce you to the new hymnal:

Adam Mueller
I am privileged to serve as the Hymnal Introduction Program national Director. Currently, I serve a parish of about 500 in greater Tucson, AZ. For more than half of my ministry, I served a parish that worshiped less than 100. My experiences in both settings have taught me that when worship is done well it not only feeds the soul, but positively influences your entire parish culture.

The latest hymnal family of products overflows with outstanding Gospel content. Print and digital tools will help pastors, musicians, and laity cooperate to proclaim the Gospel. Like any new tool, it's only as good as the guy who's using it! Throughout the next two years the Hymnal Introduction Program will familiarize you with the upcoming wealth of resources that will be released. It will also orient you and train you to be able to use them.

Bryan Gerlach
I’m excited to be part of the Hymnal Introduction Program for several reasons: 1) Worship is the heart of parish life and vitality; it deserves our best. 2) People will appreciate the richness and variety of excellent new content. 3) As someone trained both as a parish pastor and as a church musician, I was part of the introduction program for the 1993 hymnal. Now, having served as the Director for the Commission on Worship since 1996, I am happy to use my experiences to help congregations adopt a new hymnal “for a generation yet unborn” (the project’s motto).

As the project’s executive committee is firmly grounded in parish ministry, so it’s good that the introduction program is chaired by someone in the parish. Thus Pastor Mueller’s role will assure that HIP is practical and accessible to any congregation. My role is to organize and implement various aspects of the introduction program.

What I look forward to in HIP is simple: helping congregations, pastors, and musicians to discover a wealth of superb quality content. Chief among these are some wonderful new hymns, a lectionary revised toward thematic unity for each Sunday, the amazing ability of the digital resources, and the exceptional design quality of the printed products.

For me it’s more about ministry and stewardship than marketing to promote the new hymnal suite of resources.

Please pray for these two as they begin their work. Please continue to pray for our project director, Mike Schultz, project chairman Jon Zabell, the subcommittee chairmen and their members, the folks at Northwestern Publishing House, and all others who are continuing to work to make this hymnal a blessing for our church body and beyond.