Murdoch expands religious empire with online hymn books

by Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 17-Jan-08, 10:40

LONDON - Mission Praise, a hymn book published by Rupert Murdoch's HarperCollins and connected with the famous evangelist Billy Graham, is to be made available digitally for churches to download and create playlists.

The hymns can be downloaded from the Missionpraise.com website, which hosts the words, sheet music and accompanying audio backing to 1,800 songs including 'Amazing Grace', 'Abide with Me' and 'The Lord's my Shepherd'.

The idea is provide a resource for churches, which increasingly are using large screens to show the words for hymns rather than the traditional books.

Access is via subscription, which costs £60 for an individual and £80 for an organisation. The subscriptions last for a year.

Mission Praise was first published to coincide with preacher Billy Graham's 1984 crusade and is one of the best-selling hymn books. It combines traditional hymns with more recent worship songs.

It is part of Collins' plans to develop the website in to a one-stop resource for churches. There are plans to add Sunday school materials, bible readings and information from bible study books. HarperCollins is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which also owns Beliefnet one of the largest faith and spirituality sites on the web.

It is the first time a publisher has made a major hymn book available in a digital form.

Ian Metcalfe, editorial director for Collins Bibles, said: "Mission Praise was the first hymnbook to combine traditional hymns with newer worship songs and now it is the first hymnbook to go online, making it as easy as possible for churches to use this great collection of old and new hymns."