*Update*
In 2014, we ceased updating this page. Here is the happy reason why.
What is it?
Modern worship is witnessing a renaissance. Within the now decades-old phenomenon known as “contemporary worship,” a new generation of young people is discovering (perhaps for the first time) the rich heritage of the old worship practices and the ancient song of the Christian church. Diving into the deep waters of Christian hymnody, they are reopening a dusty vault filled with hymn texts long forgotten. As they pilfer the files, they are discovering songs that their hearts long to sing but contemporary worship rarely provides. And they are now bushwhacking an overgrown but once well-trodden path of church music…setting old hymns to new music. They are re-fitting ancient texts into the idioms and expressions of modern folk, pop, and rock music. They are singing these “new hymns” in college gatherings, urban and suburban church plants, student camps, and now even some mainstream established churches. They are producing albums which rival the sonic heights of the more popular worship leaders and artists.
Though many in recent years were doing this prior, the galvanizing force behind this movement is Indelible Grace, a Nashville-based partnership of artists led by Rev. Kevin Twit, a campus minister at Belmont University. Since their self-titled release in 2001, they have produced many more albums and have gained a strong influence and reputation among some mainstream contemporary Christian artists. Another early contributor to the movement was Red Mountain Music, birthed in an inner-city community in the heart of Birmingham, AL. Countless other hubs of hymn revival have been rising up and continue to emerge all over the United States; the observation of such can be characterized as nothing less than a grass roots movement.
Want even more explanation/analysis?
Cardiphonia: Observations on the New Hymns Movement ( Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 )
Sift through the many posts Zac has written on it.
Online
Who Are We?
JG Hymns – United Kingdom
New Scottish Hymns – United Kingdom (Scotland)
Bifrost Arts – all over the USA
Ordinary Time – Vancouver, British Columbia and other places
Jim Watkins / The Church at Brook Hills – Birmingham, AL
Wilder Adkins – Birmingham, AL
Redeemer Church of the Shoals – Florence, AL
Matt Henslee – Little Rock, AR
Visio Dei – Phoenix, AZ
Reality LA – Los Angeles, CA
Luke Brodine / Grace Presbyterian of Silicon Valley – Palo Alto, CA
Leah Goslen / Hillcrest Baptist Church – Richmond, CA
Chad Gray / Harbor Presbyterian Church – San Diego, CA
Karl Digerness / City Church – San Francisco, CA
Page CXVI – Boulder, CO
Adam Anglin / Edbrooke Collective / Fellowship Denver Church – Denver, CO
Blayne Chastain / St. Patrick Presbyterian Church – Greeley, CO
Wendell Kimbrough / The Church of the Advent – Washington, D. C.
Davis Evans / Northside Presbyterian Church – Melbourne, FL
Greg Willson / Orlando, FL
Ascend the Hill – Tampa, FL
Perimeter Church – Atlanta, GA
Jered McKenna – Statesboro, GA
Darby Hughes – Woodstock, GA
Nathan Partain – Indianapolis, IN
Grace & Peace Presbyterian Church – Bowling Green, KY
Sojourn Community Church – Louisville, KY
Bobby Krier / CityLife Church / Castle Island Hymns – Boston, MA
Sovereign Grace Music – Gaithersburg, MD
Daniel Zott – Detroit, MI
Reformed Praise / David L. Ward – Minnetonka, MN
Scott Johnson / The Crossing Church – Columbia, MO
Peter Assad / New City Church – Kansas City, MO
Rich Tuttle / Wornall Road Baptist Church – Kansas City, MO
David Potter – St. Louis, MO
Joshua Jones – St. Louis, MO
Christopher Miner – Jackson, MS
Wen Reagan – Durham, NC
Michael Van Patter / Hope Chapel – Greensboro, NC
Sonnet / Harmony Church – Greenville, NC
Chris Breslin / The Gathering Church – Chapel Hill, NC
Bruce Benedict / Cardiphonia Music – Raleigh, NC
Evan Mazunik / Resurrection Presbyterian Church – Brooklyn, NY
Red Mountain Music / New York Hymns – New York, NY
Trinity Grace Church – New York, NY
Scott Womer / Terra Nova Church – Troy, NY
Matthew Henry Curl / Intown Church – Portland, OR
Matthew Monticchio – Lancaster, PA
Jason McGovern / The Describers – Philadelphia, PA
Ryan Egan / Living Word Free Lutheran Church – Sioux Falls, SD
Gregory Wilbur – Franklin, TN
Jeremy Casella – Nashville, TN
Indelible Grace – Nashville, TN
Randall Goodgame / The Midtown Project – Nashville, TN
Matthew Smith – Nashville, TN
Sandra McCracken – Nashville, TN
Clint Wells – Nashville, TN
All Saints Hymns – Austin, TX
The Gentle Wolves – Austin, TX
Mosaic Austin – Austin, TX
Aaron Senseman / Crosspoint Church – Bellaire, TX
Justin Brooks / Church of the Incarnation – Dallas, TX
Alex Mejias / High Street Hymns – Charlottesville, VA
Isaac Wardell – Charlottesville, VA
Ryan James / Coram Deo Church – Bremerton, WA
Rest Assured Hymns – Lakewood, WA
Resonate Church – Pullman, WA
Mars Hill Church – Seattle, WA
Cross Point Church – Seattle, WA
Wayfarer – Seattle, WA
Zadok Wartes / The Opiate Mass – Seattle, WA
Brian Oaks – Seattle, WA
Brian Moss – Seattle, WA
Craig Harris / Sun Valley Church – Yakima, WA
BECOME PART OF THE NETWORK: Contact us.
Also Known As
This movement is by no means organized. “The Rehymn Movement” is but one title. Here are the other names and descriptions that have been floating around:
hymns movement / hymn movement
rehymn / rehymns / re:hymn / re:hymns movement
retuning hymns movement
updated hymns movement
revamped hymns movement
old new hymns movement
new old hymns movement
old hymns to new music movement
jazzed up hymns movement
modern hymns movement