犹大·范德文特（Judson W. Van DeVenter）. Explore “All to Jesus I Surrender”: song information and official sources.
Confession and repentance · Surrender and dedication
Van DeVenter was an art teacher who struggled for years between teaching and ministry. He wrote this hymn after deciding to enter full-time service. Dedication here therefore concerns someone truly choosing a different path, beyond an emotional moment in a meeting. Every stanza begins with the same words, almost clumsily repetitive. Yet that resembles dedication: saying the same thing again and making it count again, rather than inventing a new expression. There is a danger in singing it: if the stress falls on my offering, it becomes a declaration of willpower. Its foundation lies in Romans 12:1: “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God”. Our offering is a response, rather than a transaction. Remind the congregation of that before singing.
Dedication services, mission Sundays, ordinations and short-term mission commissioning; teaching on Romans 12.