Will Your Anchor Hold
"Will Your Anchor Hold" (sometimes titled "We Have an Anchor") is a Christian hymn, written in 1882 by Priscilla Jane Owens in the United States.
| "Will Your Anchor Hold" | |
|---|---|
| Hymn | |
 | |
| Text | by Priscilla Jane Owens |
| Melody | "Anchor" by William J. Kirkpatrick |
| Published | 1882 |
History
Priscilla Owens (1829–1907) was a Sunday school teacher at the Union Square Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. She wrote a number of hymns and songs for her pupils; this is the best known today.[1] The music was written by William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the same Christian denomination, Methodist Episcopal Church as Owens, and was a prolific writer of hymn tunes and compiler of hymn collections.[2] The hymn has always been closely associated with the Boys' Brigade founded by Sir William Alexander Smith, which has the motto, "Sure and Stedfast".[3] It is the official hymn of Dollar Academy, an independent day and boarding school in Scotland, where it is known as the "Dollar Anthem".[4]
Words
The words were inspired by the Epistle to the Hebrews, Chapter 6, Verse 19; "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast...", although other Biblical texts are also referenced in the verses of the hymn.[5]
First of five verses:
- Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
- When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
- When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
- Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
Refrain:
- We have an anchor that keeps the soul
- Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
- Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
- Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.