The head of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada has referred to it as "one of the most respected competitions" in hymnwriting.
It is funded by an endowment from A.A. "Al" Heckman, a Minnesota foundation executive who died in 1994.
[1] The purpose of the contest was to generate new hymn texts that "can motivate the church to be more actively involved in social reform.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "the social justice hymn contest has acquired an 'American Idol' or Sundance Film Festival or Oprah's Book Club sort of clout, capable of elevating a previously unknown artist to national prominence.
Describing itself as a "a liberal and inclusive church with a history of active involvement in contemporary social issues," MPUC advises entrants to avoid the use of archaic language such as "thee" and "thou" and to use inclusive language (for example, "siblings" instead of "brothers").