More than 750,000 people have already registered to take part in the third annual Global Hymn Sing this Sunday.
As part of the event – organised by Getty Music in association with mission organisation OMF International, churches across the globe willl be singing the classic hymn Jesus Shall Reign as part of their worship services in what is described as “as an act of solidarity and fellowship in support of global missions to the unreached”.
Keith Getty, who has written a new chorus for the song with his wife Kristyn, said the hymn is very special to him given its history. Scottish athlete Eric Liddell famously sung it at Edinburgh’s Waverley train station in 1925 when waiting media, having called him a fool for doing so, questioned him about why he was retiring from running just a year after winning gold at the the Paris Olympics to become a missionary in China.
“In that moment when the world was against him, Liddell stood firm and continued on the mission he knew God had called him too,” said Mr Getty. “The story of the church in China has been an incredible one, growing from one million believers to an estimated 100 million believers today. We want this campaign not only to be about congregational singing, but churches partnering in missions to see more lives impacted by the transformational message of the Gospel.”
Dr Patrick Fung, general director OMF, said that with more than two billion people around the world waiting to hear the Gospel, the event was a “great opportunity to encourage more individuals and churches to engage with global mission”.
As of 19th February, more than 750,000 people representing 3,704 churches from 67 countries had registered to take part in the event.
Resources – including the song, sheet music and MP3s – can be downloaded for free via the website at www.globalhymnsing.com.
