Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 8 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Continued from page 1 Hobson.
Some of the new hymns are from other Christian traditions. “They are not new, but they are new to us,” says Mr. Hobson.
He believes that everybody will find at least one favorite hymn missing from the new hymnal but that they will appreciate the additions.
The typography of the new hymnbook differs from its predecessor. “I like the real changes but visually I could do without them,” he smiles, referring to the cleaner look.
Mr. Hobson says that the Episcopal Church has changed appreciably in recent years and that this change is reflected in the new hymnal. “We’re not as ‘WASPish’ as we were before,” he says, “there is a more multicultural dimension now.”
“The third world is at the cutting edge of Christianity today,” he says. “People are hungering to be a part of the Christian church all over the world.” He says that in some places, including Africa, there are too many congregations for the available number of clergy. The demography of the church is also changing. “We are approaching the point where the majority of Episcopalians are black,” he says.
Asked about the decline in membership of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Mr. Hobson says that he “doesn’t buy” that notion. “In actual numbers there may be a slight decrease but the life of the Episcopal Church is bursting forth strongly.”
90.1%