Kirk Musician's Song Chosen for WCC Assembly

A young Church of Scotland musician has been named one of the winners of a songwriting competition to mark the World Council of Church’s 11th Assembly.

Peace Be With You by Lynsey Martin Kimmitt will be included in the worship book for the Assembly, which opens on August 31 in Karlsruhe, Germany, after being delayed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lynsey, a former Moderator of the Church’s National Youth Assembly, entered the song after hearing about the competition through Facebook. “When I saw the post, I had been in a rhythm of writing some of my own words for songs and hadn’t pushed myself to write tunes as regularly so it felt like a good and timely challenge,” she said.

The competition invited songs on the assembly theme of ‘Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity. Lynsey said: “My reflections of peace have been influenced by the opportunity to represent the Church of Scotland when visiting Christians in Taiwan. During these visits, I witnessed a little, through listening, engaging, and learning from others of what it is like to live in the constant shadow of potential conflict, and how the knowledge that there are people who stand with you, praying for you can be so unifying, comforting, and powerful.”

Lynsey, a solicitor, is an organist and member of the music team at Aberlour Parish Church, Speyside, where her husband Andrew is the minister. She also plays in local orchestras. “It’s all just for fun, but I think it’s the enjoyment that I get from it that inspires me to write my own things now and again,” she said.

Lynsey was invited to the WCC Assembly, but was unable to attend because of work commitments. She prepared the above video of the song instead.

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