Evening Light Songs from the Church of God Hymnals

If you’ve ever stepped into a Church of God (Evening Light) service, chances are you’ve seen a well-worn copy of Evening Light Songs sitting in a pew or clutched in someone’s hands. It’s not just a hymnal, for this community, it’s part of their identity, a way of keeping their history and faith alive through music.

This book was created specifically for the Church of God (Evening Light), a branch of the holiness movement based in Guthrie, Oklahoma. If you’re outside that circle, you probably won’t find it in your average church bookshelf. It’s pretty much “their” hymnal, and they’ve been singing from it for decades.

The term “Evening Light Reformation” can sound mysterious if you’ve never heard it before. It traces back to the 1880s, when leaders like D.S. Warner started preaching about restoring the purity and unity of the early church. Their message was simple but bold: step away from denominational labels and worldly trends, and live in holiness, both inside and out. This describes the Church of God so well.

Over time, some believers felt that the original group was softening those strict standards. That’s how the Guthrie congregation, sometimes called the Church of God (Guthrie, OK), branched off. Today, they’re still known for their conservative values, Wesleyan-Arminian theology, and a focus on personal holiness.

Evening Light Songs first appeared in 1949, thanks to Ruth Byers and Lawrence D. Pruitt, who compiled and arranged the collection. It was printed and published by Faith Publishing House in Guthrie, Oklahoma, which has long been the publishing arm of this group.

That little town, by the way, isn’t just a backdrop, it’s the heartbeat of the movement. From Guthrie, they’ve printed hymnals, periodicals, and other materials that have reached congregations far beyond Oklahoma.

If you flip through a copy, you’ll notice something special: it’s written in shape notes. This old-school music notation makes it easier for congregations, even those who can’t read traditional music, to sing together in harmony. It’s one of the reasons the hymnal is still beloved today; it makes group worship accessible and full of energy. To the people who use it, this hymnal is more than paper and ink. It’s familiar comfort during worship, a link to their history, and a reminder of the values that define their faith.

What struck me most about Evening Light Songs is the language itself. The English feels like it’s straight out of the early 1900s, beautifully structured, rich, and formal. You see words like “thee,” “doth,” and “ov'r,” words that younger generations today might never hear outside of a history book or Shakespeare. It’s a reminder of how these churches, especially in places like the Bay Islands, weren’t just houses of worship; they were also educators and protectors of the English language. Through hymns and scripture, they taught generations not just faith, but also the rhythms and vocabulary of a language that connected their community to its history.

Understanding this hymnal means understanding the community behind it. The Church of God (Evening Light) may be small compared to other movements, but it has a deep sense of purpose.