Stuart K. Hine

Stuart K. Hine (1899–1989) was a British missionary, evangelist, hymn writer, musical adapter, and publisher. His career joined Christian preaching and singing with the circulation of religious literature. Together with his wife, Mercy, he worked among communities in Eastern Europe, including the region now within western Ukraine and the Carpathian Mountains.

Hine's missionary work involved travel, Bible distribution, and contact with believers whose worship was conducted in languages other than English. He and Mercy sang together, and Russian evangelical hymnody became an important resource for his writing. After returning to Britain, he continued evangelistic and publishing work. His activities connected local Christian communities with readers and singers across national borders.

His best-known achievement, How Great Thou Art, combines an English adaptation inspired by a Russian hymn with his adaptation and arrangement of a traditional Swedish melody. His broader song catalogue includes Can There Be One, Faith Is the Bridge, and What Can Cleanse My Heart? He also published hymn collections and missionary literature, continuing this work after retirement from active ministry.

Hine used much of his musical income to support Christian mission. In 1985 he established the Stuart Hine Trust with his daughter Sonia and solicitor Oliver Dobbs as fellow trustees. The charity supported causes including Bible translation and Christian outreach in Eastern Europe. This institutional legacy continued after his death in 1989, preserving the connection between his publishing work and the missionary purposes that had shaped his life.