Erin Bode highlights new Themba Choirs album during convention performance

Erin Bode and Derren Raser perform on Monday evening, July 20, during the 69th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Phoenix. Raser’s vocals can be heard alongside Bode’s on several tracks from her new album “Sounds of Mercy.” (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By Stacey Eising

PHOENIX — On the evening of the second full day of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) convention in Phoenix, Lutheran jazz singer Erin Bode graced attendees with a live performance at the Sheraton hotel.

In addition to hymns and other music, the performance included several songs that appear on the newly released album Sounds of Mercy, created by Bode in partnership with the LCMS and available on all major streaming platforms. This album features tracks recorded nearly two decades ago with the Themba School Choirs of South Africa.

Readers may remember the 2007 release of The Themba Girls with the Erin Bode Group, an album recorded at the behest of LCMS World Relief and Human Care and its then-leader Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, featuring Bode and young women at a high school in South Africa operated by the Christian nonprofit The Themba Trust. Proceeds from the album, and from some subsequent performances in the U.S. by Bode and members of the Themba Girls choir, went to fund scholarships for students to attend the school.

Two years after the Themba Girls album was released, Bode returned to South Africa to record more tracks with a choir of boys from a connected school; however, this project was put on the back burner, and the tracks were never released — until now.

At the request of LCMS leadership, Bode recently returned to the project, completing an album of eight never released songs and partnering with singer-songwriter Derren Raser to compose and record several new portions of songs to augment those original recordings.

Erin Bode speaks to the audience at her concert held on Monday evening, July 20, during the 69th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Phoenix. Also pictured is bassist Jordan Davis. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

“A lot of these songs were based on my favorite Bible verses,” said Bode while introducing the song “Romans” from Sounds of Mercy during her Monday performance. “Probably my favorite chapter in the Bible is Romans 8, and this song is based on that.”

“For no angels, no demons, no present, no future, can take me away from You, O Lord,” sang Bode, along with Raser (who joined her for the performance in Phoenix). “Who will take His love from me, though every day I fall? In all these things we are conquerors, through Him who loved us all.”

The album is also interspersed with seven spoken word tracks, all pulled from an Issues, Etc., interview with LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison and reflecting on mercy work.

“Being united in common faith in the same Christ means being united as brothers and sisters and caring for one another,” says Harrison on the track “Christ Became Flesh for Us.” “[Mercy is] an activity — Jesus sees somebody hurting, and He has compassion on them. … The compassion of Christ never simply says, ‘I’ll pray for you, buddy,’ and walks away. It sees need, and it acts. Luther says faith is a living, mighty and active thing.”

“[The] church is involved with helping and caring for millions,” says Harrison on the later track “We Proclaim Christ’s Love by Showing Mercy.” “And we always do it clearly proclaiming Christ. We do it for people in the church, outside the church, Christians, non-Christians, and we always say we’re doing it because of Jesus and His merciful love for us on the cross: ‘Here, it’s yours.’”

This new album and Bode’s concert at the convention serve as a celebration of the mercy work of the church around the world and the impact it has on millions — both on those giving and receiving the acts of mercy.

While introducing the song “The Story” from the original 2007 Themba Girls album during her concert, Bode spoke of the impact on her of recording with both Themba choirs:

“I just have such fond memories of this time. … Pastor Harrison … had just been to South Africa, and he was so moved when he visited the Themba School, and he heard these girls singing. … They had no music teacher. They had organized themselves into 22 different choirs, and this was what they spent all their time doing. … When he asked me to help more people to know about the Themba School and to go there and record with them, I knew that my life would never be the same — that it would really entirely change my perspective on music and what’s important, and it really did.”

Bode concluded her Phoenix concert by leading the room in singing “one of our most beautiful hymns” in Lutheran Service Book (LSB): “Go, My Children, with My Blessing” (LSB 922).

“Go, My children, with My blessing, Never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you; You are My own. In My love’s baptismal river I have made you Mine forever. Go, My children, with My blessing — You are My own,” sang the room together, before heading out for a night’s rest before another full day of convention business.

Video

Sounds of Mercy is available on all major streaming platforms now:
• Spotify

• Apple Music

• Amazon

• YouTube Music

2026 LCMS Convention

Under the theme “Christ Is Risen Indeed,” the 69th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod met July 18–23, 2026, at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix.

There are several ways to get convention news, including:

Web

• lcms.org/convention/national

Video

• lcms.org/convention/national/livestream

Audio

• kfuo.org

Social media

• facebook.com/lcmsconvention

Email

• lcms.org/reporter-signup

Posted July 21, 2026