[gospel songs]

I would like to restore the redacted pieces in your agenda.  First, we recall Crosby's work in missions, which were responsible for many of her hymns (which we refer to as gospel songs in your program).  William Bradbury, composer of "Forest Trees" that you heard earlier, is responsible for her career in gospel songs.  He was her collaborator and publisher from the time of their meeting until his death four years later.  She would often write six or seven hymns a day, more than Bradbury could write tunes for.  

The music for "Is it Nothing to You" was written by John R. Sweney, whom Crosby had met at the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting in 1877.  

Once, at a mission, Crosby asked for any young man who had wandered away from his mother's teaching to come forward.  A boy of about 18 came forward and said that he had promised his mother to meet her in heaven, but wouldn't be able to because of the way he had been living.  That night, he rededicated his life, and Crosby went home that same night and wrote "Rescue the Perishing," from an idea that W.H. Doane, with whom she began a collaboration in 1867, had given her some days before (Lowry, 21).  Incidentally, she was speaking at the YMCA decades later, at which time she recounted the story of that boy.  That same boy happened to be there, now in middle age, and reported that he had been living a healthy life since that first encounter with Crosby (Memories of Eighty Years, 145-56).

Once Crosby needed five dollars and was praying for it.  Not long after, someone in her company gifted her with exactly that amount, leading her to write, "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me."  (Fanny Crosby's Life Story, Chapter 24)  The tune was written by Robert Lowry, whom she met in 1866.  He was probably best known for "Shall We Gather at the River."  Lowry said of Crosby: "Multitudes of persons have been aroused to a better life, and multitudes more have been comforted in their time of sorrow, through the instrumentality of her hymns." (Lowry, 20)

Next we have the plaintive "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour," often used as an invitational hymn.

We shall end today's hearing with perhaps Fanny Crosby's greatest hit, and most enduring collaboration with Phoebe Knapp, "Blessed Assurance."  As was often the case, she was supplied with the tune first for this gospel song.  When the time comes, we ask you to stand, turn to hymn #369, and sing the hymn along with the performers.

To be clear, I am neutral on Fanny Crosby, as I do not come from an Evangelical background.  However, I believe in treating her in the fairest way possible.  So what about the minstrel songs?  When talking about "cancel-culture," President Barack Obama once said, "People who do really good stuff have flaws."  Aiesha Harris, on the podcast talks about when she, after writing a negative piece on "Dolly's Dixie Stampede," a kind of Medieval Times dinner theatre with a Civil War theme, unwittingly caused Parton's company to completely revamp that establishment, banish the word "Dixie" from the title, along with the plantation glorification from its proceedings.  Harris did not vilify Parton.  She simply said, "Even amazing people have blindspots." (Harris)

To the right of your agenda are the instructions on how to vote.  However, we have made your participation even easier.  Please write your name and email address on the back of your small delegate card and place it in the basket as you exit.  A link for voting and feedback will be emailed to you.  If you want to go directly to the Sacred Nine Project Facebook page or the Sacred Nine Project's Facebook group, the poll will be the latest upload there.  Finally, due to the weight of this afternoons proceedings, the Ministry would like to incite you...rather...invite you...to the fellowship hall behind me for cake and swing dancing.  An informal dance lesson will be provided.  

The Ministry Watches.

[people: May it find virtue.

I am not telling you how to vote.  I just wanted you to have a balanced view of Fanny Crosby as I saw it.  Now, that marks the end of my comments, and probably the end of my career, as well.  Enjoy the remainder of the hearing.

"Is It Nothing to You"

"All the Way My Saviour Leads Me"

"Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour."

"Blessed Assurance"

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