NEW 106TH

Composer: John L. Bell

John Bell (b. 1949) was born in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, intending to be a music teacher when he felt the call to the ministry. But in frustration with his classes, he did volunteer work in a deprived neighborhood in London for a time and also served for two years as an associate pastor at the English Reformed Church in Amsterdam. After graduating he worked for five years as a youth pastor for the Church of Scotland, serving a large region that included about 500 churches. He then took a similar position with the Iona Community, and with his colleague Graham Maule, began to broaden the youth ministry to focus on renewal of the church’s worship. His approach soon turned to composing songs within the identifiable traditi… Go to person page >

Arranger: Marcus Hong

Marcus A. Hong, originally from Salt Lake City, graduated from Alma College in Michigan in religious studies, where he also served as a Student Ministry Coordinator, developing the student worship program; he then studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, receiving both an M.Div. and MA in Christian Education program in 2011, and then began a PhD program in Christian Education and Formation. He served as a chaplain from 2011-2015 in Koinonia, the fellowship for Princeton Seminary’s PhD students. He is co-author of UWorship (2014) and several of his musical arrangements were included in Psalms for All Seasons (2012). Emily Brink Go to person page >