In the quiet moments when the sermon has ended and the worshippers have risen to their feet, a voice resonates from the front pew. It pierces through the thick air of the small, rural church, bouncing off its walls and moving with the Spirit to every soul in the sanctuary.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,” the voice announces quickly and clearly.
The church’s congregants repeat the phrase in song but draw out the opening lyrics in their traditional, slower tempo way—“A-ah-ma-zee-ing grace … how-ow sweet the-uh sound.” The back and forth continues without instrumentation or assistance from a songbook. Only that leading voice and the song’s familiarity provide a path to the proceeding verses and melody.
It’s called hymn lining, but in Clover, we always called it lining out the tune.
It’s a tradition that dates to 17th century Europe and was brought to our continent by English and Scottish immigrants, many of whom could not read a songbook and certainly did not have access to a piano. For those same reasons, African American churches took up the practice of lining out the tune, and it became most closely associated with their gospel singing traditions. Now that most of our places of worship have at least a piano and hymnals—if not a five-piece band and a projected slideshow—hymn lining is a rarity.
It exhibits dynamics of collaboration that are fascinating. The preceptor—that person who calls out each stanza of the song before it is sung—literally sets the tone for the rest of the congregation. He or she must be of strong voice, knowledgeable of the song’s lyrics, and possess proper timing to lead the fellowship without getting too far ahead. Having listened intently, the congregation is equipped to sing each stanza in the key or register that is most comfortable for them.
Cooperatives innovate and evolve in a similar fashion. Although each electric cooperative across South Carolina is autonomous and governed by its locally elected board of trustees, they often find that “singing” in unison is the most practical way to enact change or launch new initiatives. Sometimes, one or two co-ops—whether by necessity or bold vision—lead from the front and provide the rest an opportunity to listen before joining in.
We’ve seen this with cooperatives like Mid-Carolina Electric and Newberry Electric, which were the first to provide fiber-optic broadband to their members. Thanks in part to their early adoption, other electric cooperatives in South Carolina are offering broadband services to members.
In 2016, Laurens Electric began building a 100-kilowatt solar farm at their Mauldin office, allowing members to subscribe to its energy production and reap benefits without the risk and hassle of rooftop installations. Now, every cooperative in South Carolina has a community solar array.
When COVID-19 suddenly disrupted the way cooperatives conducted their annual meetings, Blue Ridge Electric pivoted to drive-thru registration and a virtual business meeting. Notes were taken and best practices were shared with every other cooperative as their annual meeting dates approached that year. The exchange of information played an important role in those events being successful for co-ops and their members.
Perhaps the most well-known example of co-ops lining out the tune is that of Palmetto Electric and Operation Round Up. Launched in 1989, Operation Round Up allows members to round up their monthly bills so the collective extra change can fund community initiatives, support local charities and help neighbors in need. It’s been adopted by electric cooperatives and other industries across the nation.
Like the voices singing “Amazing Grace” in their own unique way, cooperatives collaborate but don’t carbon copy. They have the freedom and obligation to adopt, then adapt, the methods of others to fully benefit their members.
Whether co-ops are singing in different keys or even their own version of the lyrics, the cooperative song remains the same—to empower and serve their communities. It reminds me of a line from another favorite hymn, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds.” The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
Mike Couick is the president and CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., the statewide association of not-for-profit electric cooperatives.