About “He Will Hold Me Fast”
Ada Habershon wrote the hymn text in 1906 during the Torrey-Alexander evangelistic campaigns, after musician Robert Harkness met a young convert in Toronto who feared he would not be able to hold out in the faith and asked her for songs of assurance. In 2013 Matt Merker gave the text a new melody and refrain while serving at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, condensing Habershon's stanzas and adding a new one about Christ's resurrection and return. Shane & Shane recorded this version on Hymns, Vol. 1, released in September 2018.
Written by Ada Ruth Habershon and Matt Merker · Released 2018 on Hymns, Vol. 1 · CCLI #7016161
- Keith & Kristyn Getty's 2016 recording brought Merker's version to a wide audience
Scripture John 10:28-29
Churches that sing it
Real churches in our map with this in their worship playlist — 15 you can watch on YouTube.
Where in the world
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Frequently asked
Who wrote “He Will Hold Me Fast”?
Ada Ruth Habershon and Matt Merker. It was first released in 2018 on Hymns, Vol. 1.
What is “He Will Hold Me Fast” about?
Ada Habershon wrote the hymn text in 1906 during the Torrey-Alexander evangelistic campaigns, after musician Robert Harkness met a young convert in Toronto who feared he would not be able to hold out in the faith and asked her for songs of assurance. In 2013 Matt Merker gave the text a new melody and refrain while serving at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, condensing Habershon's stanzas and adding a new one about Christ's resurrection and return. Shane & Shane recorded this version on Hymns, Vol. 1, released in September 2018.
How many churches sing “He Will Hold Me Fast”?
33 churches in the playlist.church map have it in their worship playlists, most often for Comfort, Faithfulness — one of the most-adopted worship songs today.
What Bible verses inspired “He Will Hold Me Fast”?
It draws on John 10:28-29.