From Clanton With Praise: Historic hymn inspired by conversation in local hotel

By Billy Singleton | Community Columnist

“Take up thy cross and follow me,” I heard my master say; “I gave my life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today.” These inspirational words of invitation are taken from the first verse of “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go,” a hymn of dedication and praise that has been part of denominational worship services for almost 100 years. Remarkably, the words and music of this beautiful and enduring hymn were inspired by a conversation in the restaurant of a Clanton hotel.

In January 1936, more than 300 people traveled to Clanton to attend the Alabama Baptist Sunday School Convention. Held at the First Baptist Church, the assembly was one of two scheduled that year. Because of widespread interest, Baptists in the northern portion of the state gathered in Florence while those from South Alabama attended the three-day event in Clanton. The theme of the annual convention was “Come-Learn-Go-Teach,” words that reflected the mission of the Baptist Sunday School organization.

Convention attendees filled every available room of the Wilson and Exchange Hotels as well as those of the three motor courts along Highway 31 in Clanton. To accommodate the overflow of visitors unable to obtain lodgings, an article in The Union Banner newspaper appealed to Baptist congregations in Verbena and Thorsby to open their homes to their visiting brethren.

Thirty speakers were included in the convention schedule. The featured orator was R. S. Jones, a Baptist missionary serving in Brazil who had recently returned to the United States. Baylus Benjamin (B.B.) McKinney, a close friend of Jones, was selected to lead the musical portion of the event.

While having dinner at their hotel one evening, Jones related to McKinney that he would be unable to continue his service in the mission field because of recurring health problems. Expressing his sympathy and concern, McKinney inquired about the future plans of his friend. Fighting back tears, Jones replied with conviction, “I don’t know, but wherever he leads I’ll go.”

The moment so affected McKinney that before leaving for the convention session that evening, he returned to his hotel room and wrote the words and music to a new hymn. After Jones completed his testimony at the First Baptist Church that night, McKinney rose to speak, telling the audience about his dinner conversation and the words of his friend that inspired him. After passing a copy of the music to the pianist, McKinney sang “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” for those gathered in the sanctuary of the Clanton First Baptist Church, the first time the hymn was performed in public.

“Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” was copyrighted in May 1936 and published in “Songs of Victory,” a collection of hymns assembled by McKinney for the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday School Board. The song and story of its origin was featured in the 1966 edition of “Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories” compiled by renowned evangelist Billy Graham. In 2013, country music superstar Alan Jackson included his rendition of the hymn in Volume Two of his “Precious Memories” album.

In 1952, B. B. McKinney would lose his life in a tragic automobile accident. During his lifetime, he wrote the words and music to 150 songs. He is also credited with composing the music for an additional 115 hymns of praise.

Four score and eight years have passed since songwriter and composer B.B. McKinney was inspired to create a heartfelt hymn of praise, invitation and devotion in a hotel room in Clanton. Through the passage of time, his words remind us that Jesus was born into a sinful world, lived a life of service and witness, overcame the temptations and scorn of doubters, and died on the cross so that we may have a path to salvation. Although the physical presence of B. B. McKinney has passed from this earth, and the hotel where an emotional declaration was transformed into a hymn of praise has been lost to history, “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” is an enduring reminder of the invitation, and our obligation to the promise of salvation.

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