Robert (Bob) Gillman (b. 1946), raised in the East London Borough of West Ham, calls himself “an East Ender.” He notes, however, that he was “not close enough to hear the sound of Bow Bells of Bow Church, which would have made him officially a ‘Cockney’!” (Email, 2020, n.p.). He received his education in the borough, including the local Catholic junior school followed by South West Ham Technical School, finishing his education at Abbs Cross Technical School in Hornchurch. His career has been as a performer, composer, and manager of a printing company.
Bob Gillman was encouraged by his parents to attend nearby Central Baptist Church in West Ham, where he made a profession of faith at age thirteen. He has had a sustained interest in music, including guitar and banjo playing as well as composition. He has authored stories for children, ages 4-7, “Tales of Upchurch Station,” reflecting his interest in steam trains, that encourage children “to be kind and helpful to each other.” His congregational song compositions, including “Bind Us Together” and “Jesus, You’re Terrific,” are in a folk style.
“Bind Us Together” was the result of a revelation in the early 1970s. Bob describes the larger context for the song: 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 sweeping the land. This became known as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (with reference to the Pentecostal experience of the early disciples) and was evidenced by the presence of the gifts of the Spirit, as listed in the New Testament. Believers were experiencing such gifts as prophesy, healing powers and speaking in tongues, to name but a few. Most Christian denominations were affected, although, interestingly, one of the earliest churches affected was the Church of England at All Souls, Langham Place, and it inspired its minister, Michael Harper, to write a couple of booklets about the experiences he and other people were having, and the biblical basis for it (Email, 2020, n.p.).
Bob Gillman describes the story behind the song:
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. Afterward, 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 multichurch 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. (Email, 2020, n.p.).
Ephesians 4:1-6, which might be seen as a sermon on the John 17 passage, describes in more detail the nature of this unity and the qualities of the ones who share this spirit of oneness:
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in al. (NRSV).
