On February 28, 1784, John Wesley chartered the first Methodist Church in the United States. Despite the fact that he was an Anglican, Wesley saw the need to provide church structure for his followers after the Anglican Church abandoned its American believers during the American Revolution.
Wesley first brought his evangelical brand of methodical Anglicanism to colonial Georgia from 1735 to 1737 in the company of his brother Charles, with whom he had founded the ascetic Holy Club at Oxford University. This first venture onto American soil was not a great success. Wesley became embittered from a failed love affair and was unable to win adherents to his studious practices. However, while in Georgia, he became acquainted with the German Moravians, who hoped to establish a settlement in the colony. The meeting proved momentous, as it was at a Moravian meeting upon his return to London that Wesley felt he had a true experience of God’s grace.
While closely allied to the Moravians, Wesley began taking the advice of fellow Oxford graduate George Whitfield and preaching in the open air when banned from Anglican churches for his unorthodox evangelical methods. By 1739, Wesley had separated himself from the Moravians and attracted his own group of adherents, known as Methodists, who were held in disdain by the orthodox Anglican clerical and civic hierarchy. By 1744, the Methodists had become a large enough group to require their own conference of ministers, which expanded to create an internal hierarchy, replicating some of the Anglican Church’s ecclesiastical order.
Wesley, however, remained within the Anglican fold and insisted that only ministers who had received the apostolic succession—the laying on of hands by an Anglican bishop to consecrate a new priest—could administer the sacraments. The refusal of the Anglican church to ordain Dr. Thomas Coke to preach to Americans newly independent from the British State Church, finally forced Wesley to ordain within his own Methodist conference in the absence of a proper Anglican bishop. He performed the laying on of hands and not only ordained Coke as the superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America but also commissioned him to ordain Francis Asbury as his co-superintendent.
Sunday, February 4, 2024 the Pender Sanctuary Choir sang El Shaddai as arranged by Amy Grant and further arranged by Pender’s Director of Music Ministry, Patrick King.
During the Traditional Service on February 4, 2024, Pender’s sanctuary was imbued with the spiritual tapestry of song as the Sanctuary Choir, under the masterful direction of Patrick King, lifted their voices in a moving rendition of “El Shaddai.” This particular arrangement, a harmonious blend of Amy Grant’s touch and King’s unique vision, filled the sacred space with an aura of reverence and awe.
“El Shaddai,” a melody that draws its powerful lyrics from the scriptural portrayal of God, was first brought to life by Michael Card and John Thompson in the early ’80s. Michael Card, a profound scholar and artist, has woven his faith into over three decades of music, crafting hit after hit, with “El Shaddai” being one of his most renowned works. This song, in its essence, is a quest to capture the enigmatic nature of the divine through the ancient Hebrew names of God, each name a key to the unfathomable relationship between the Creator and His creation.
The Pender Sanctuary Choir’s performance was not just an offertory but a profound homage to the timeless quest of hymn writers throughout the ages—a quest to give voice to the voiceless wonder of the divine. As the choir sang, the congregation was transported through the annals of biblical history, from the covenant with Abraham and Isaac to the deliverance at the Red Sea, and finally to the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Christ.
Michael Card, whose journey from the halls of Western Kentucky University to the honor of a doctorate from Philadelphia Biblical University, has always emphasized the importance of community and relationships in Christian growth. His storied career, marked by accolades such as the Dove Awards and millions of albums sold, is a testament to his commitment to exploring and expressing faith through music and writing.
As the last notes of “El Shaddai” resonated within the church walls, the profound and enduring impact of this piece, awarded the Dove Song of the Year in 1983, was felt by all present. It was a moment that transcended time, linking the congregation with the faithful of the past and the powerful biblical narratives that continue to inspire and guide. The day was a reminder that through music, the spirit of worship and the stories of sacred texts are ever alive, ever stirring the souls of those who seek to encounter the Almighty, the “El Shaddai.”
Biblical scholar J. Hampton Keathley III has described the context of the song:
“El Shaddai: God Almighty. The derivation is uncertain. Some think it stresses God’s loving supply and comfort; others His power as the Almighty one standing on a mountain and who corrects and chastens (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Exodus 6:31; Psalm 91:1, 2).
“El Elyon: The Most High God. Stresses God’s strength, sovereignty and supremacy (Genesis 14:19; Psalm. 9:2; Daniel 7:18, 22, 25).
“El Olam: The Everlasting God. Emphasizes God’s unchangeableness and is connected with His inexhaustibleness (Genesis 16:13).
“Yahweh (YHWH): Comes from a verb which means “to exist, be.” This, plus its usage, shows that this name stresses God as the independent and self-existent God of revelation and redemption (Genesis 4:3; Exodus 6:3 (cf. 3:14); 3:12).
The UM Hymnal contains only the refrain for the sake of space. The stanzas discuss God’s faithful acts as told in the biblical witness, including Abraham and Isaac, the parting of the waters during the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt (stanza one) and the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of Christ’s mission (stanza two).
Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Music, presents a series of hymn-based devotions on Wednesdays during Lent.
The first is Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross by Fanny Crosby
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
The United Methodist Hymnal Number 301
Text: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915
Music: William H. Doane, 1832-1915
Tune: NEAR THE CROSS, Meter: 76.76 with Refrain
The Pender UMC Traditional Service Middle Hymn “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” on Sunday January 29, 2023 was played by Liz Eunji Moon on piano, accompanied on guitar by Brian Stevenson, a student cellist and sung the Pender Sanctuary Choir and congregation.
In response to your address, allow me to attest the accuracy of it’s historical statements; indorse the sentiments it expresses; and thank you, in the nation’s name, for the sure promise it gives.
Nobly sustained as the government has been by all the churches, I would utter nothing which might, in the least, appear invidious against any. Yet, without this, it may fairly be said that the Methodist Episcopal Church, not less devoted than the best, is, by it’s greater numbers, the most important of all. It is no fault in others that the Methodist Church sends more soldiers to the field, more nurse to the hospital, and more prayers to Heaven than any. God bless the Methodist Church—bless all the churches—and blessed be God, Who, in this our great trial, giveth us the churches.
News and Views 