LCMS Council of Presidents records hymns for Worship Anew

On the morning of April 28, the studio boomed from the awe-inspiring praise coming from the voices of the Council of Presidents of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).

On Oct. 26 during Reformation Sunday, you will be able to hear those voices for the first time on “Worship Anew.”

This group of men, the Council of Presidents, are the presidents and vice presidents of the 35 LCMS districts across the country as well as the International Office in St. Louis, Mo. The Council of Presidents meets four times per year for “mutual counsel regarding the doctrine and administration of the Synod and to edify and support one another in the work that they share, those responsibilities found throughout the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod,” according to the LCMS website. For their April meeting, they were at the Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, which provided an opportunity to record at Worship Anew.

“I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the visit to Worship Anew by members of the Council of Presidents. It was truly an honor to host the group, and their presence was a tremendous blessing to our ministry,” said Matthew Leighty, executive director of Worship Anew. “The support and encouragement from the Council of Presidents means a great deal to us. The hymns sung by the Council of Presidents Choir will be a great blessing to our viewers.”

They recorded two hymns, “The Church’s One Foundation” and “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word,” and both will be shown on the Oct. 26 program of “Worship Anew.”

“What a blessing it is for the pure Gospel to be proclaimed to edify people through Worship Anew,” said the Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, president of the Missouri District of the LCMS. He helped to organize the men to come and sing. “We hope that our participation simply supports the ongoing work to share God’s Word through the various media platforms.”

The men were led in song by the Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, president of the Atlantic District of the LCMS.

“All those voices singing in chorus was a treat,” he said. “Faith in Christ crucified and risen for us undergirds the musical gifts shared by these holy men and this informs their pastoral desire to bring the Good News of Jesus to people through the recording of hymns.”

These men hope that Christ will be shared to all their districts through the message in their music, and that they would continue to hear the messages each week through Worship Anew.

“These recordings are a treasure and gift that can be used in congregations, schools, and agencies to share the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Taylor said. “How blessed we are that Worship Anew makes these and other resources available to us as we are ‘Making Disciples for Life’ in the mighty name of Jesus!”

Pictured above: On April 28, the Council of Presidents recorded two hymns for “Worship Anew,” which will air on Oct. 26.