Keith Getty, an Ulster-born hymn-writer whose “In Christ Alone” met with rejection by Presbyterian liturgists, has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II.
Getty, 42, now a resident of Nashville, was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire during the Queen’s birthday honors. Hymn-writers rarely achieve such honors. Getty writes many of his songs with his wife, Kristyn, and Stuart Townend, a veteran British songwriter and worship leader.
When a committee considered “In Christ Alone” for a new hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) in 2014, it asked Getty and Townend to revise its lyrics from “Till on that cross as Jesus died / the wrath of God was satisfied” to “Till on that cross as Jesus died / the love of God was magnified.” The songwriters declined, and the committee rejected the hymn on a 6-9 vote.
Sixty of their hymns are among the most popular in the United Kingdom and the United States.
John Martin
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
