harpa cristã cantada

complete sung Christian harp

Since the publication of the first Assemblies of God hymnal in 1922, Christian Harp has enjoyed adding new hymns, adapting to attract more followers. The success of this set of compositions is so broad that it attracts even those who don't attend church.

The Christian Harp is the official hymnal of the Assembly of God, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world, with around 22.5 million believers in Brazil. Created to provide praise to God in various church activities, such as services, baptisms and weddings, it is divided into themes that direct praise to different subjects, from Gospel messages to testimonies of faith.

The origin of the Christian Harp dates back to the hymnal Psalms and Hymns, initially used by the Assembly of God, which later created the Pentecostal Singer in 1921, a precursor of the Christian Harp. The following year, in 1922, under the editorial guidance of Pastor Adriano Nobre, Harpa Cristã was launched in Recife, with an initial circulation of a thousand copies, progressively expanding to include more hymns.

Missionaries such as Samuel Nyström and Paulo Leivas Macalão played key roles in translating and adapting lyrics for the hymnal, despite language barriers. The first version of the Christian Harp with music was published by the General Convention of the Assemblies of God in 1932, with the collaboration of members such as Emílio Conde, Samuel Nyström and Paulo Neivas Macalão.

The Christian Harp has undergone revisions and updates over the years in order to simplify the performance of hymns during services. An updated version was released in 1992, after a committee of pastors reviewed music and lyrics. Additionally, the denomination also expanded the hymnal to include an additional 116 hymns in 1999, for a total of 640 hymns in the expanded version.

Several evangelical churches, including neo-Pentecostals, adopted the Christian Harp due to its inspired lyrics and melodies. Regardless of the doctrine followed, the Christian Harp plays a fundamental role in sharing the Gospel of Christ through music.