Born in song

Methodists are well known as enthusiastic singers, in choirs and congregations. Singing is still an important means of learning about, sharing and celebrating our faith.

The latest authorised hymnbook of the Methodist Church is Singing the Faith. see www.singingthefaithplus.org.uk.

The annual Methodist Conference always opens and closes with traditional hymns. Many visitors are inspired by the power of a large gathering singing unaccompanied in harmony.

John and Charles Wesley first realised the power of singing to strengthen faith when they were travelling across the Atlantic to Georgia in January 1736. There was a terrible storm at sea, but a group of German Moravian Christians inspired the brothers with their confidence in God. They preached and sang hymns together and the Wesley brothers realised their own faith was much weaker.

Two years later, back in London, both John and Charles experienced a kind of conversion in which they felt a deep assurance that they personally had received salvation.

Charles wrote in all about 6000 hymns, and many of them are still sung today, not only by Methodists, but by Christians across the world.