American sisters pen winning song about peace and unity for global church event
A song written by two sisters from the eastern United States has won an international competition to compose the theme music for the Uniting General Council, a global gathering of representatives of Reformed Churches which is to be held in Grand Rapids, United States, in June 2010.
The winning song "Bonds of Peace", written by Linda Price Draper and her sister Barbara Price-Martin, evokes the theme of the general council “Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” a biblical text from Ephesians 4.
The UGC is expected to attract more than 1000 participants from 108 countries to mark the launch of the World Communion of Reformed Churches through a merger of two existing Reformed church movements - the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).
Barbara Price-Martin is an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) serving a parish in
In announcing the winning selection from the 18 submissions received, the general secretaries and presidents of WARC and REC encouraged member churches to learn the song and sing it throughout the preparatory period leading up to the general council.
The judges awarded honourable mentions to three songs which will also be sung at the Uniting General Council: "Unidos en Espiritu" by Horacio Vivares, a composer and teacher from Buenos Aires, Argentina; "Unity of the Spirit" by Barbara Boertje, Minister of Music at First Reformed Church, Grandville, Michigan, United States; and "We Are People on a Journey" by Gregg DeMey, Teaching Pastor at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, Elmhurst, Illinois, United States.
Emily Brink of the Calvin College Institute of Christian Worship in
Music and lyrics for the winning composition and the three songs awarded honourable mentions will be posted to the Uniting General Council website www.reformedchurches.org
