This favorite gospel song text by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915; see Biographies) first appeared with William J. Kirkpatrick’s tune (see SDAH 337) in Songs of Redeeming Love, 1882, edited by John R. Sweney, C. C. McCabe, T. C. O’Kane, and Kirkpatrick. By placing these two stings of the song on facing pages, it is possible to sing any combination of the five stanzas with either tune.

    ADA was composed by Aubrey Lee (“Pete”) Butler (1933- ; see SDAH 193), a Baptist minister of music at ADA, Oklahoma (hence the tune name). It was introduced by the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma at the Southern Baptist Convention held in 1966 at Detroit, Michigan. William J. Reynolds, musical editor of Baptist Hymnal, 1975, heard this performance and called the composer at once to make arrangements for its publication. As a mixed voice anthem it was published in The Church Musician, and used by Cliff Barrows, director of the huge choirs in the Billy Graham crusades. A delightfully singable hymn tune, it has been included in Crusade Hymns, Nashville, 1968; Hymns for the Living Church, Hope Publishing Company, 1982; Baptist Hymnal, Nashville, 1975.