Adapted from 101 Hymn Stories – Kenneth W. Osbeck
Author and Composer – George Bennard, 1873-1958
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
This gospel hymn, a sentimental favourite of Christians and non-believers alike, was written by George Bennard in 1913. It is generally thought to be the most popular of all twentieth-century hymns. Following the death of his father when he was still a teenager, George entered the ranks of the Salvation Army and served for a time as an officer in that organization. Later, he was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal Church, where he served as a devoted minister for some time, conducting revival services in several states, especially in Michigan and New York. Over time, he became convinced that the cross was more than just a religious symbol but rather the very heart of the gospel. He gives this account of the writing of The Old Rugged Cross:
The inspiration came to me one day in 1913, when I was staying in Albion, Michigan. I began to write The Old Rugged Cross. I composed the melody first. The words that I first wrote were imperfect. The words of the finished hymn were put into my heart in answer to my own need. Shortly thereafter it was introduced at special meetings in Pokagon, Michigan, on June 7, 1913, (and later introduced before a large convention at the Chicago Evangelical Institute).
The Old Rugged Cross was highly acclaimed by Charles Gabriel, one of the leading gospel hymn writers of that era, and became one of the most widely published songs, either sacred or secular, in America.