In 1980, the Episcopal Church found itself on the precipice of an exciting but risky era in its worship life. A new hymnal had been mandated.

Such a monumental task gave rise to perplexing questions: How could any hymnal, no matter how excellent, succeed that venerable book The Hymnal 1940? Could any one book address the diversity of the church, diversity of a magnitude that did not exist among Episcopalians in 1940? Could the church tolerate the ire of a constituency frightened of things new, especially in light of the recent appearance of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer? A renaissance of hymn writing had occurred in the previous 15 years or so, yielding a mother lode of new texts and tunes. Could Episcopalians accommodate the best of this marvelous new repertoire, while preserving the gems of our tradition? Was there any person equipped to lead the church through such complex and complicated questions?

Within its ranks, the Standing Commission on Church Music found exactly the person for such a formidable task. Raymond F. Glover soon left his position at St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Va., and moved to New York to join the staff of the Church Hymnal Corp. (now Church Publishing, Inc.). He would become general editor of The Hymnal 1982, the Episcopal Church's first truly American hymnal.

A treasure trove of experience prepared Mr. Glover for his task. From his earliest days as a boy chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, he was exposed to the finest in Anglican church music. This continued with his study under Healey Willan at the University of Toronto. After that he earned a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary's esteemed School of Sacred Music. Having completed his formal education, he returned to St. Paul's, Buffalo, as organist and choirmaster.

During his next post, at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, Conn., Mr. Glover was to take steps that would enrich his entire profession for years to come. He and others began the American Cathedral Organists and Choirmasters Association in 1966. The group was later re-named the Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM). Today AAM is the major professional organization for Anglican church musicians in this country.

Co-founder Gerre Hancock said of Ray Glover: "He is one of our renaissance musicians, a churchman gifted with a tremendous range of creativity in the service of our Lord, our church, and the church's worship in liturgy and song. His leadership and inspired influence as liturgist, writer and musician are widely felt throughout our Anglican Communion. We owe him a great debt of gratitude."

Current president of AAM, the Rev. John L. Hooker, said, "In the commonplace book of my mind, Ray Glover is a shining example of the gracious working of the Holy Spirit in the church and the world. To the Herculean task of editing The Hymnal 1982 and its world-class Companion, he brought exactly the right balance of prophetic vision and pastoral sensitivity, of catholic scope and denominational particularity."

No sooner had the revised hymnal appeared than Mr. Glover began an even more ambitious project: The Hymnal 1982 Companion. A four-volume work of immense scope and scholarship, the Companion has taken its place as a valuable resource.

For many scholars, producing two such noteworthy tomes might have led to a season of rest. For Raymond Glover, however, it was time to begin a new career. In August 1991 he assumed his current post as professor of music and chapel organist at Virginia Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Joyce MacDonald Glover, exert a strong influence upon the spiritual formation of future leaders in the church.

Prof. Glover's influence continues to resonate through the church. In addition to his many publications, he was a founder of and curriculum writer for the Leadership Program for Musicians Serving Small Congregations (LPM), and he wrote the hymnological material for LPM.

Beyond his unparalleled contributions to the church, he is a man of Christian character, of deep spirit and profound integrity. o

William Bradley Roberts is director of music at St. Philip's in the Hills Church, Tucson, Ariz.