chief purpose in maintaining such a committee was for creating unanimity of thought throughout the Church in providing the Lesson Quarterlies for the Sunday schools from year to year.
The duty of this committee is to have the general oversight of and to direct the activities of the Sunday schools throughout the Church. In the matter of providing Sunday school literature, this committee co-operates with the Mennonite Publishing Committee of the Publication Board.
Mennonite Hymns and Music Committee
The Mennonite Church has the reputation of being (perhaps) one of the finest singing denominations in America. Having always discarded choir singing and the use of musical instruments in public worship, the selections of hymns used are invariably of the kind for bringing out a full volume of voices from a congregation. Its song leaders, even from the early days have been numerous, and their leadership seldom failed to inspire whole congregations to sing only sacred music that was of the highest standard.
Ever since its organization the General Conference has recognized a standing Music and Hymns Committee which has performed the service of choosing and classifying the best hymns in English literature, and adapting to them the highest grade of sacred music. From time to time they have compiled new standard works for the Church.
The first committee on Hymns and Tunes was composed of Noah Stauffer, M. S. Steiner, and J. P. Smucker, appointed at first General Conference held at Wakarusa, Indiana, in 1898. At the second Gener-
