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Alfred V. Fedak

b. 1953 Scripture: Acts 1:8 Arranger of "PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS" in Glory to God Alfred Fedak (b. 1953), is a well-known organist, composer, and Minister of Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, New York. He graduated from Hope College in 1975 with degrees in organ performance and music history. He obtained a Master’s degree in organ performance from Montclair State University, and has also studied at Westminster Choir College, Eastman School of Music, the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, and at the first Cambridge Choral Studies Seminar at Clare College, Cambridge. As a composer, he has over 200 choral and organ works in print, and has three published anthologies of his work (Selah Publishing). In 1995, he was named a Visiting Fellow in Church Music at Episcopal Seminary of the Soutwest in Austin, Texas. He is also a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, and was awarded the AGO’s prestigious S. Lewis Elmer Award. Fedak is a Life Member of the Hymn Society, and writes for The American Organist, The Hymn, Reformed Worship, and Music and Worship. He was a member of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song that prepared Glory to God, the 2013 hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Laura de Jong

John Wilson

1905 - 1992 Person Name: John W. Wilson Scripture: Acts 1:8 Composer of "LAUDS" in The Worshiping Church Born January 21, 1905, in Bournville, Birmingham, England; died July 16, 1992, in Guildford, Surrey, England. He served as Vice President of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and was a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Leland Bryant Ross from a biographical article in the journal of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland: https://hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/1992/10/treasure-no-58-john-wilson-1905-92

Keith Green

1953 - 1982 Person Name: Keith Green, 1953-1982 Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Author (v. 3) of "There is a Redeemer" in Singing the Faith

Paul Leddington Wright

b. 1951 Person Name: Paul Leddington Wright, b. 1951 Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Arranger of "[There is a Redeemer]" in Singing the Faith

Carol Owens

b. 1931 Person Name: Carol Owens, b. 1931 Scripture: Acts 1:8 Author of "He said: Freely, freely you have received" in Singing the Faith Owens, Carol Sue. (El Reno, Oklahoma, October 30, 1931-- ). Foursquare. Attended San Jose State College, San Jose, California; Cathedral School of the Bible, Oakland, Calif. With her husband James (Jimmy), she composed Christian musicals. --Terry W. York, DNAH Archives

Jan Hus

1369 - 1415 Scripture: Acts 1:8 Author of "Als Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn" in Unparteiische Liedersammlung zum Gebrauch beim Oeffentliche Gottesdienst und zur Häuslichen Erbauung (Revidirt und vehmehrt) [John Huss] Jan Hus was born in Bohemia (part of the region, along with Moravia, we now call the Czech Republic), ca. 1370. He studied philosophy and theology at Prague University. Though only regarded as an average student, he received an undergraduate degree in 1396 and a Masters in 1398. In 1402 he was ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church and became rector and priest at Bethlehem Chapel. Hus lived in a time of great political and religious upheaval and to fully understand the man and his circumstances, some background is necessary. Domestic political turmoil was emerging in Bohemia and in the early 1400s the Catholic Church was enmeshed in the Great Schism in which three rival popes vied for control of the church. The schism led to the formation of the Council of Constance (1414-1418). This Council would prove pivotal to the fate of Jan Hus. It could be said that the story of Hus actually began in Oxford, England. Although Hus never studied there, Oxford was the home of Hus' greatest human influence, Jon Wyclif. Wyclif died in 1384 but several Bohemians were students at Oxford in the late 1300s and, upon their return to Bohemia, they brought many of Wyclif's writings with them. These were soon translated into Czech. Hus himself translated some of Wyclif's work at the turn of the century. Needless to say, the Catholic Church despised Wyclif. In 1415, the aforementioned Council of Constance condemned Wyclif, ordered his writings to be burned, and directed his bones to be exhumed and cast out of the consecrated ground where he was buried. In 1428, under papal command, his remains were dug up, burned, and the ashes were thrown in a nearby stream! As the Wyclif movement waned in England, it found traction in Bohemia through the preaching of Hus. He became the chief exponent and defender of Wyclif at Prague University where he also was appointed dean of the faculty of Philosophy in 1402. Drawing large crowds, he became an extremely popular preacher among the common people and the aristocracy. Hus sought to reach the general populace with the word of God by preaching in Czech as well as Latin. Though not his intent, his Czech preaching stimulated an increasingly fervent nationalism. Hus' themes were staunchly anti-clergy. His reputation for unblemished purity stood in sharp contrast with the corruption and worldliness of the existing religious clergy, especially in Bohemia. He denounced evil and immorality in the church. He once wrote, "The church shines in its walls, but starves in its poor saints; it clothes its stones with gold, but leaves its children naked." He held that Christ, not Peter, was the foundation of the church, and he taught, like Wyclif, that popes were not inerrant but some had been heretics! One might describe Hus as Wyclif in action. In his premier work, De ecclesia, Hus followed Wyclif on several matters. He taught that the Roman pope and cardinals were not the church. He held that, "Not every priest is a saint, but every saint is a priest." E.H. Gillett summarized Hus' views on church organization: "In the early church there were but two grades of office, deacon and presbyter; all beside are of later and human invention. But God can bring back his church to the old pattern." In following Wyclif, Hus consistently elevated the Bible over church tradition and viewed it as the only binding principle in life. Even Wyclif's teachings were only accepted when Hus found them in agreement with scripture. These were dangerous ideas to hold in the early 15th century, especially in the cultural, religious, and political atmosphere of central Europe. In 1408, Wyclif's Czech translations came under scrutiny from the Catholic hierarchy. In 1409, the archbishop of Prague became openly antagonistic toward both Wyclif and Hus. By 1410, Pope Alexander V issued a papal bull ordering the surrender and burning of all of Wyclif's writings. Hus refused to relinquish his copies and the archbishop excommunicated him. Hus defied this order and continued preaching in Bethlehem Chapel. Despite receiving support from the nobility, pressure was mounting. Yet, Hus would not be deterred. In a letter to the Pope, Hus stated that he was bound to speak the truth and that he was ready to suffer a dreadful death, rather than declare something contrary to the will of Christ. That same year he antagonized the pope when he publicly denounced the selling of indulgencies in order to finance a crusade against the king of Naples. By 1412 Hus' preaching had alienated him from the archbishop, the university, and the clergy. At the advice of the king Hus withdrew from Prague. His popularity grew as he continued preaching in the fields, forests, and marketplaces of southern Bohemia. About this time he wrote that for one, "to cease from preaching, in obedience to the mandate of the pope or archbishop, would be to disobey God and imperil his own salvation." Czech sentiment remained with him, but Hus' writings and reputation began to draw negative attention across Europe. In 1414, the Council of Constance began. Sigismund (king of the Romans and heir to the throne of Bohemia) convinced Hus to appear before the Council and guaranteed his safe conduct to Constance and back. Hus could have remained in Bohemia under the protection of many loyal princes, but he was hoping his arguments would be heard and was willing to be convinced if proven wrong. It was his goal to confirm his beliefs with the truth. He once wrote, if anyone can "instruct me by the sacred Scriptures or by good reasoning I am willing to follow him. From the outset of my studies, I have made it a rule to joyfully and humbly recede from a former opinion when in any matter I perceive a more rational opinion." Hus would not get this opportunity at Constance. Almost immediately upon his arrival — despite the guarantee of safety — Hus was sent to prison on November 25, 1414. He was interrogated, abused, and fell ill. During his lengthy imprisonment, he was deprived of all books including the Bible. He was tried on several counts related to his embrace of Wyclif's writings. The Council repeatedly aligned Hus with the already regarded, though dead, heretic Wyclif. Among the final charges levied against him was that he defended Wyclif as a good Christian, salvation did not depend on the pope, and only God himself could excommunicate someone from the church. Several attempts were made to get Hus to recant. He refused them all. His final sentence came on July 6, 1415. At the sentencing, he was placed on a high stool in the middle of the church and sentenced to death. The chronicler of the events noted that they placed a hood over his head, with pictures of the devil and the word "heresiarch" (a leader of heretics), then committed his soul to the devil. Hus responded, "And I commit myself to the most gracious Lord Jesus." In a letter written the night before his sentencing, Hus prayed that if his death would contribute anything to God's glory, then he might be able to meet it without fear. Hands bound behind his back, Hus was chained to the stake. Wood and hay were piled up to his chin. Rosin was sprinkled on it. He was given one last chance to recant and be set free. Bravely, he refused and said, "I shall die with joy today in the faith of the gospel which I have preached." As they lit the flames around him he sang out twice, "Christ thou Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me." He died singing and praying. It is no wonder that historians refer to Wyclif and Hus as "pre-reformers." Luther was not directly influenced by Hus, and was unaware of his work when he began his own reform movement. But, as he learned of Hus he grew to admire him. Luther condemned the burning of Hus and wrote of him, "If such a man is to be regarded as a heretic, then no person under the sun can be looked upon as a true Christian." In the Prague library, there is a hymn to Hus' memory, dating from 1572, with three medallions pictured. On the first medallion is a picture of Wyclif striking sparks against a stone. The second shows Hus kindling fire from the sparks. And the third depicts Luther holding aloft a flaming torch. --lavistachurchofchrist.org/ (excerpts)

Michael Hewlett

1916 - 2000 Person Name: Michael Hewlett, 1916-2000 Scripture: Acts 1:6-14 Author of "Sing to him in whom creation" in Singing the Faith Michael Edward Hewlett (b. 1916; d. 2000) was ordained in England as an Anglican priest in 1949, and served several parishes as curate, vicar, or parish priest. For most of his career he was vicar in the diocese of Exeter. He was author of about seventy hymn texts and contributed to many hymnals in the UK and North America. Emily Brink

Wilson Niwagila

b. 1940 Person Name: Wilson Niwaglia Scripture: Acts 1:8 Author of "Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading " in Lift Up Your Hearts Wilson Niwagila was born in Bukoba, Tanzania, and later studied theology in Tanzania, the United States, and Germany. He became a Lutheran parish pastor in several congregations in Tanzania and Germany. In Tanzania, he was the Lutheran secretary for Christian Education, the director of the Evangelical Academy, and provost of Makumira University College. He resided in Germany for a period as the Executive Secretary for Evangelism of the United Evangelical Mission for Germany, Asia, and Africa. Upon his return to Tanzania, he served as a member of the Task-Force for the establishment of the Bishop Josiah Kibira University College of the Tumaini University in the Kagera Region-Tanzania. --Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

F. Crawford Burkitt

1864 - 1935 Person Name: F. C. Burkitt, 1865-1935 Scripture: Acts 1:4-8 Author of "Our Lord, his Passion ended" in Common Praise Burkitt, Francis Crawford, M.A., son of Crawford Burkitt, was born in London, Sept. 3, 1864, and educated at Harrow and at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1886, M.A. 1889). In 1905, though a layman, he was appointed Norrisian Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. He has been a Fellow of the British Academy since 1904, and is the author of various works on Biblical Criticism and Early Church History. He contributed two translations (12, 194) to the English Hymnal, 1906. [Rev. James Mearns. M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

C. Michael Hawn

b. 1948 Person Name: C. Michael Hawn, b. 1948 Scripture: Acts 1:8 Arranger of "NJOO KWETU ROHO MWEMA " in Lift Up Your Hearts C. Michael Hawn University Distinguished Professor of Church Music Director, Master of Sacred Music Program Education D.M.A., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1975; M.C.M., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1972; B.M.E., Wheaton College, 1970 Teaching Specialties Worship and music, worship and culture, Seminary Singers, hymnology Research Interests Global music and worship, cross-cultural worship, enlivening congregational song Selected Publications :: C. Michael Hawn, ed., New Songs of Celebration Render: Congregational Singing in the Twenty-First Century (Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2013) :: C. Michael Hawn, contributor, Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology (Norwich, UK: Canterbury Press, 2013), http://hymnology.imprezadev.co.uk/; 25 articles on global hymnody with a focus on sub-Saharan African hymns :: Gather into One: Praying and Singing Globally (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2003). :: One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship (Bethesda, MD: The Alban Institute, 2003). :: C. Michael Hawn, author and compiler, Halle, Halle: We Sing the World Round (Garland, TX: Choristers Guild, 1999). Professional Distinctions Regional winner and national finalist, National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards contest, 1974; Citation for Excellence in Teaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1988; grant from Association of Theological Schools for sabbatical study in Nigeria and Kenya, 1989; Chair, Board of Directors, Children's Chorus of Greater Dallas, 1996-1998; Louisville Institute Sabbatical Research Grant, Lilly Foundation, 1998-1999; Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, MI, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc., 2000; Choristers Guild, President of the Board of Directors, 1990-92, 2001-03; Elected Fellow of the Hymn Society (2008); ordained Baptist minister (1980) --www.smu.edu/