History

The first GRN branch outside the USA was opened in Australia in the early 1950s, but the UK branch began in 1955. Eric Hogg, a Christian businessman who had helped his friend Arthur Gook make a recording in Icelandic for GR, visited Gospel Recordings in the USA while on a business trip. He invited Joy to visit England and promised to arrange meetings for her in London. At the last of these meetings, the formation of the British branch was announced. The Rev. George Scott, Home Director of the CIM (later OMF), became the first chair, and Gilbert Vinden along with Eric and Muriel Hogg were appointed to the Council. Most of the work in the early years was done by Muriel Hogg and Gilbert Vinden, but in 1958 an office and record store were set up in a church basement in London. The first member of staff, Miss Ahier, was appointed, and in 1961 she was joined by the first Executive Secretary, Mr. Merold Stern from South Africa.

Finding the right tech…

One of the UK’s great contributions to GRN worldwide was in technical expertise. Eric Hogg, an electrical engineer, was appointed International Technical Advisor. The UK was also instrumental in the writing of Faith by Hearing, a book about Joy and the work of GRN, authored by Phyllis Thompson of OMF.

David Chapman, who joined as Executive Secretary in 1966, was also a skilled electrical engineer. He moved the work to Ashbury, Wiltshire, setting up a workshop in outbuildings adjoining his home. In the late 1960s, the UK was offered a high-speed press producing flexible discs, developed in Australia. Once operational, the press produced 200,000 records in its first year. Needing more space, the work moved to Gloucester. However, the flexidiscs were suitable mainly for western countries and not for the remote minority languages that were, and remain, GRN’s greatest priority. In 1980, it was decided to move flexidisc production into a separate organisation so that GRN could focus on its most important task: making the good news known to small language groups with no missionaries or churches. A new tool, the cassette tape, was by then available to replace records. Cassettes were a great improvement, as they could be made to the needed length and were easier to copy and send out.

After David Chapman resigned, Dick Greenfield, who had been chair of the UK Council, became acting Executive Secretary, serving in that role for seven years. In 1987, the Gospel Recordings World Fellowship decided to change its name to Language Recordings, as the original name caused problems for staff working in Muslim countries. The UK Council adopted the new name, which also ended frequent calls from people who assumed GRN would record their Gospel music. Dick retired in 1987, when John and Pat Burman, staff from Canada, were seconded to the UK. After two years they returned to Canada, and Geoffrey Garrick became Director. He persuaded the Board to move from Gloucester to the High Wycombe area, where LRI rented space on the Wycliffe Campus at Stokenchurch. This remained their base until Wycliffe relocated. By then, as cassettes gave way to CDs and DVDs, and later to MP3 players, much of GRN’s work moved online, and large premises were no longer needed.

Global Recordings Network is born…

In 1991, a new international organisation uniting all the centres worldwide was formed and named Global Recordings Network. After Geoffrey Garrick moved on in the 1990s, the work was sustained by the Board and volunteers until 1995, when Ed and Judy Young from the USA, who had previously volunteered in the UK from 1969 to 1971, returned and Ed took over as Director.

In 1998, Jim McKechnie, who had been representing GRN in Northern Ireland, became Director in England, and Ed and Judy returned to the USA shortly afterwards. Jim and his wife Irene built on Ed’s work in the UK, and Jim also became Regional Coordinator for Europe. He served on the International Executive Committee, which dealt with issues between meetings of the International Council. After Jim’s heart attack, this international role was taken on by Sally Hogg, Chair of the UK Board, who served until a European Regional Director was appointed in 2019.

In 2007, Jim and Irene retired, and Kenny McKee, who had been working as a recordist with his wife Joan, became Director. Kenny combined the role of Director with that of European recordist, recording a total of 280 languages during his 26 years with GRN. Kenny and Joan’s warmth and enthusiasm made them valued members of GRN worldwide. Kenny was also invited to be part of the team training recordists, where his down-to-earth manner built a bridge between the technical expertise of other trainers and less technically experienced students. Kenny and Joan retired at the end of 2024.

In 2025, the Board welcomed Sanjay Sanil as Centre Leader and looks forward to seeing how the work of GRN UK will develop in the coming years.