Millions of Christians in 100 Countries to Sing Keith Getty Song in Global Missions Event (Interview)
World-renowned hymn writer Keith Getty, whose song "For the Cause" is set to be sung by millions of Christians in the Global Hymn Sing missions event on June 25, says society is increasingly telling children that Christianity is "odd" and "anti-social."
Getty told The Christian Post in a phone interview ahead of the Global Hymn Sing, which thousands of churches across 100 nations are expected to take part in, that with the way Christianity is being marginalized in society, now is a vital time to preach the Gospel to the world.
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"It is a common belief running through society that if you are a Christian, your faith has to be privatized," Getty told CP.
The artist, who along with his wife, Kristyn, have seen their songs hit the top of the charts in the U.K. and other places, talked about the important role of children in missions.
"I think anyone who is an adult who has children (knows that) their mission begins with their children," Getty said.
Many of the churches participating in Global Hymn Sing, where they will sing "For the Cause" with millions of Christians around the world, have indicated that children will be leading the congregations into worship.
"Children are our mission, they are our first mission," Getty said, but noted that in society, "children are being taught now more than ever before that Christianity is odd, that it is anti-social, that it is wrong."
Getty emphasized that that's why it's important to involve children in Christian missions from an early age and encourage them to sing, so that they can know "Christianity is true, and it's natural," and they will "want to share it."
As a press release for Sunday's event noted, sheet music, lyrics and audio to "For the Cause" will be provided for free, with translations in different languages available for those who want to participate.
In February 2016, the Gettys and OMF International, an international Christian mission, hosted the first Global Hymn Sing, which attracted an estimated 1.1 million people who sang an updated version of the Frank Houghton classic hymn, "Facing a Task Unfinished."
Getty said that he and the other organizers are "still amazed" by the success of the evangelistic event.
"As we move toward a second global hymn sing, our desire is to see even more churches come together and unite like never before and to inspire the generations coming behind us to a radical Christian witness," he added.
"If the Church isn't singing about missions, it likely isn't passionate about it. We want this event to be a catalyst to build deep believers who sing, speak, pray and go for the cause of the Kingdom."
The hymn writer told CP that most of the songs they sing don't directly mention missions, but noted that "For the Cause" is an urgent call to Christian service.
"If you look at trends in society, the idea of a cause is very important for everyone," he said. "Especially to millennials, the idea of a cause is very important."
Getty said that there is a lack of missional hymns in churches, which could be one reason why his songs are embraced around the world.
"I think the fact that there are 2.3 billion people around the world" who still don't have faith is what gives such a great urgency to mission, Getty added.
He encouraged Christians to get involved in service "in any way that we can; all of us have a different calling, all of us have a different skill set."
Getty has spoken with CP about the influence of mission on the growth of Christianity before, and in a December 2016 interview said: "If you look at the world around us we see more people becoming Christians in the last hundred years than at any point in history. Christianity is growing in 4.5 continents in the world. The Bible is in more languages — potentially every known language."
He added: "The growth of Christianity in the last century and the cost in terms of martyrdom is greater than anybody could ever have imagined. The average Christian around the world is either first or second generation Christian in four-and-a-half continents."
Just last week Getty was honored by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as an "Officer of the Order of the British Empire" for his contribution in music and modern hymn writing.
"When I first received the call, I was shocked. As a Brit living in America it is an incredible gift to receive from home especially given the long history of the award and the legacy of individuals who have received it," Getty said in a statement about the news.
"It is also wonderful to see hymnody and the great hymn-writing heritage I am from in the U.K. be recognized in this way. I am very grateful to her Majesty the Queen for this honor."
The free resources for this Sunday's Global Hymn Sing are available on the official website, which also includes a children's version of "For the Cause."
