Back in the late 1960s and early 70s, great changes were taking place in Churches across Great Britain. Many Christians were experiencing the new spiritual awakening which was sweeping the land. Most Christian Denominations were affected, although, interestingly, one of the earliest Churches affected was the Church of England at All Souls, Langham Place, and inspired its Minister, Michael Harper, to write a couple of booklets about the experiences he and other people were having including the gifts of prophesy, healing, speaking in tongues and the Biblical basis for them.

Unfortunately, if a Vicar or Minister had not personally received this blessing themselves and was a traditionalist, he or she often found themselves unable to support those members of their flock who had been newly enlivened. They were seen as rather too revolutionary in wanting to change Church Services into a more free-flowing and spontaneous form, which they felt the Spirit was inspiring them to do.

In consequence, to find a way to express their new-found joy, folk started to meet during the week to sing and pray in one another’s houses. Soon these groups became known as the House Church Movement and, as the 1st Century Christians had met in one another’s houses, there wasn’t really a lot the traditionalists could disagree with although some tried to argue against this, seeing it as subversive and a threat to the traditional church order.

I have greatly simplified what happened during those years, but I have recounted it because it was an exciting time that I lived through, and it had a direct bearing on how “Bind Us Together” came to be written.

A small group of a dozen or so folk had started to meet on a Tuesday evening in the front room of a couple called Ken and Maureen. They lived in Seven Kings and, through inter-Church contacts (I was a member of a Baptist Church in Stratford at the time), I was invited to come along to one of these gatherings; I was hungry to learn more about what God was doing through this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I was immediately struck by the warmth and vibrancy of the people who came from various Churches in the area. The one thing we had in common, was that we all had had a profound experience of the Holy Spirit, and wanted to express our joyous feelings in worship.

I was in my 20s and had been writing songs since I became a Christian at the age of 13.

One evening in 1974 at Ken and Maureen’s house, I remember a group of us were all praying together; I had such an emotional feeling come over me, and I felt a real need to do something concerning the unity of God’s people. It was then that the words “Bind Us Together” dropped into my mind; they were immediately followed by “With cords that cannot be broken,” and “Bind us together with love.” Also, a tune popped straight into my head and I stood up and sang it out to share it with everybody. Afterwards, Ken said, “Bob, I think there’s more to come.” He was right, but it seemed the Lord wasn’t going to do everything for me, and it took a few weeks of meditation before the verses came to me as well.

Around this time, I was also involved in a multi-Church Christian Musical, which was on tour in the London area. After one performance, when the choir was sitting around relaxing, I sang “Bind Us Together;” to my surprise, they all joined in. It kind of took off after that, and thenceforth was passed from person to person and Church to Church.

During the following years, what has been both a shock as well as a blessing, is that so many Ministers have come up to me and said, “I’ve just come back from…. (say) Ghana, or the U.S.A., or other far-flung places, and they are singing your song there.”

I have always been very humbled by this, because I feel God has taken “Bind Us Together” and used it to send His message of love and unity all over the world, to places that I will probably never visit in my lifetime.

Although I’m listed as the Composer (published by Thank You Music), I don’t really see it as my song. I was just the mouthpiece God used, and for that I am truly grateful and blessed.

Lyrics of Bind Us Together

BIND US TOGETHER, Lord, Bind us together With cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Lord, Bind us together, Bind us together with love.

There is only one God, There is only one King; There is only one Body, That is why we sing:

Refrain Made for the glory of God, Purchased by His precious Son; Born with the right to be clean, For Jesus the victory has won.

Refrain You are the family of God, You are the promise divine; You are God’s chosen desire, You are the glorious new wine.