The Rev. Ted Campbell sings the old hymns and encourages fellow United Methodists to do the same.
But he’d love to see them reading those hymns too.
After all, says Campbell, hymn texts are poetry. Read carefully, lingered over, they offer pleasures and theological depth that can prove elusive during the forced march of congregational singing.
“When you sing (a hymn text), you don’t always get the nuances,” said Campbell, who will retire May 31 as Albert C. Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at Perkins School of Theology.
Perkins School of Theology is one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries supported by the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment of the United Methodist Church.
To further hymn reading, Campbell has edited and brought forth “A Core Methodist Hymnal,” a collection of 126 enduring hymn texts in the public domain. The book is part of a broader project of Campbell’s to highlight early Methodist materials that he considers crucial to Christian formation in the Methodist way.
With the old hymns, in particular, Campbell sees familiarity slipping away, as many churches have embraced contemporary Christian music. Among churches that do sing the old hymns, many project the words on a screen, which Campbell notes does not allow for close study of texts or show how they fit in the broader “way of salvation” that hymnals teach.
Campbell dedicated “A Core Methodist Hymnal” to his late mother, Lucretia Campbell, who remembered hymns even after Alzheimer’s robbed her of the names of close friends.
It’s a words-only book, shorn of musical notation as the earliest hymnals were. And it’s a labor of love. Campbell published the book himself, and while copies of the slim paperback are for sale, he’s made a PDF version available for free.
Campbell intends “A Core Methodist Hymnal” for individuals, Sunday school classes and other small groups.
Each hymn text in “A Core Methodist Hymnal” is followed by a pithy commentary from Campbell. He becomes the reader’s guide through the texts.
Campbell, an ordained elder in the Texas Conference, has taught at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Duke Divinity School, Wesley Theological School and, since 2006, at Perkins. He served as president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological School, yet another United Methodist seminary, from 2001 to 2005.
A surprise enthusiast for “A Core Methodist Hymnal” has been Campbell’s friend the Right Rev. Stephen Duncan, a leader of the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America and director of fine arts for the Galveston (Texas) Independent School District.
Duncan was so intrigued by Campbell’s book that he began making music videos of its hymn texts, often with his own vocals.
He kept going and has now posted videos of all 126 hymns.
Retirement from Perkins looms for Campbell, but not idleness. He’ll continue as the Texas Conference archivist, and he’s at work on a history of southeast Texas. He moves among hobbies, including guitar-playing and drone videography.
He’ll keep teaching Sunday school, and he’ll teach through his books, including “A Core Methodist Hymnal.”
excerpt from a story by Sam Hodges, Dallas-based writer.
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Ministerial Education Fund is at the heart of preparing people for making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The 13 United Methodist seminaries help students to discover their calling through the challenging curriculum. The fund enables the church to increase financial support for recruiting and educating ordained and diaconal ministers and to equip annual conferences to meet increased demands. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
