Stories. They are what connect us. They are what teach us about the world, about the faith we share, and about each other.

 

For nearly 200 years, the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) and its predecessors have told stories. These stories shaped the landscape of biblical studies, theology, preaching, and ethics; taught the ways of discipleship; and showed us better ways to be human together.

 

As we near our third century of ministry, it is time to prepare the organization for what stories and storytellers the future will require. Stories will need to be told in new formats, with multimedia and distance learning options for church school curriculum. Stories will need to help us understand how our faith fits in the changing world around us. They will need to be told by a wider array of voices, and show children the diversity of God’s Creation. They will need to continue the intellectual rigor that has been the hallmark of the Press. And they will need to further the Presbyterian commitment to justice for all God’s people.

 

PPC is the premier academic religion publisher in the United States. For nearly two centuries, through our Westminster John Knox Press and other imprints, we have educated generations of preachers, scholars, students, laypeople, and children with the best in biblical studies, theology, preaching, Christian education, and social justice resources.

 

Whether through a sermon that left a lasting impression, a favorite hymn, a Sunday school lesson that helped you see the Christian story anew, or a book that convinced you of God’s call for justice in our world, we have been there.

 

As we approach the beginning of our third century of service, we are seeking $3 million to strengthen our ability to publish the best in rigorous religious scholarship; prophetic calls for racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ justice; the best in preaching resources; and curriculum and books for children. Your support will allow us to expand our commitment to diversity and equity in how we operate and in who and what we publish, create internships to teach publishing as a ministry, to adapt our curriculum for new ways of learnings, expand our publishing of books to help the youngest among us learn God’s love for them, and expand the influence of our academic and preaching resources for the next generations of preachers, scholars, and students.

 

Help us equip the next generation of preachers, scholars, students, teachers, activists, laypeople, and children in the PC(USA), the mainline church, and beyond.

 

Help us tell these new stories.

 

 

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Publishing with a Purpose

The publishing mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has taken many forms since 1833, when the Presbyterian Tract Society was formed, most recently with the formal establishment on January 1, 1994, of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC). PPC has published thousands of books for preachers, seminary students, scholars, and lay people, along with the denomination’s Sunday School curriculum and the newest hymnal, Glory to God.

 

PPC is a non-profit, a registered 501(c)3 organization. Since our inception we have been self-funded, supporting ourselves with the sales of our resources without receiving mission funding. But as we look toward our next century of service we recognize the need for additional resources to achieve our goals. Now, for the first time, we are asking for your help to strengthen our mission through philanthropy as well as our publication revenue.

 

This is not unusual among quality independent publishers. Some of the most respected book publishers in the country are non-profits who depend on philanthropy in addition to sales, places like Graywolf Press, Coffee House Press, The Feminist Press, Milkweed Editions, The New Press, Poets & Writers, the Jewish Publication Society, Haymarket Books, and others. These respected publishers have won every prize imaginable, from National Book Awards to Pulitzers to the Nobel Prize. They are able to focus on quality, on developing new authors and discovering new trends, rather than just managing the bottom line. Most scholarly publishing from university presses is also underwritten by the university’s philanthropy, thus allowing the publishing of dissertations, monographs, and other important academic work without overriding concern for sales.

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One Page at a Time

PPC’s publications are intended to:

• Address the needs of the preachers, leaders, and members of the PC(USA).

• Make original contributions to academic religious scholarship.

• Clarify justice issues that confront the church and society.

• Educate the next generation of Presbyterians

 

 

PPC’s impact:

• Donated hymnals to churches that suffer damage from fires, floods, or hurricanes

• Donated free resources to newly ordained PC(USA) clergy

• Donated $20,000 worth of academic and preaching resources to students at Simmons College, Kentucky’s oldest HBCU (Historically Black College and University)

• Provided free resources and training to churches and educators as they adapted to distance learning during the pandemic

• Donated proceeds from sales of For Beautiful Black Boys who Believe in a Better World, by Michael Waters, to two justice organizations, The Botham Jean Foundation and Mothers of Black Boys

• Donated proceeds from sales of Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip, by Michael Waters, to Foot Soldiers Park in Selma, Alabama

• Offered free resources to congregations to help with discussions of racism and white supremacy

• Provided paid internships to seminary students of color to learn publishing as a possible career and ministry

• Have been award numerous prizes for our publishing, including the Goddard Riverside/Children's Book Council Social Justice Award, the Publisher of the Year from the Association of Theological Booksellers, Best Book of the Year from the ATM, and Reference Book of the Year from the Association of Parish Clergy

• Our books and authors have been recognized by the New York Times, Washington Post, Good Morning America, Christian Century, Christianity Today, Publishers Weekly, New York Post, Library Journal, and numerous other news, religion, and publishing media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PPC publishes books and resources under these imprints:

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Westminster John Knox Press  |  www.wjkbooks.com

Westminster John Knox Press is PPC’s main book imprint. It is noted for its academic works in biblical studies and theology, its preaching resources, its work for general readers in social justice and progressive religion, and for introducing new theological voices. From Calvin’s Institutes to Christian Doctrine to the Interpretation, Connections, and Feasting on the Word preaching series to Womanist Midrash, WJK is one of the most respected names in religious publishing.

 

Flyaway Books  |  www.flyawaybooks.com

This award-winning children's book imprint, begun in 2017, embraces diversity, inclusivity, compassion, care for each others, and care for our world.

 

Growing Faith Resources  |  ​​www.pcusastore.com/curriculum

Growing Faith Resources, publisher of the official curriculum of the PC(USA), strives to increase biblical understanding and inspire faithful living by providing curriculum and study materials for all ages, in English, Spanish, and Korean.

 

PC(USA) Store  |  www.pcusastore.com

PC(USA) Store, the official retailer of the PC(USA), carries a comprehensive selection of PC(USA) resources, including materials necessary to support new and existing congregations, leaders, study groups and individuals as they forge a deeper understanding of Presbyterian beliefs and doctrines.

 

Telling a New Story

As our third century approaches, PPC recognizes our need to change and grow in various ways: broaden and diversify our author base and offerings; adapt our curriculum from Growing Faith Resources for new technologies and methods of learning; provide children with high-quality books from Flyaway Books that show the beauty and diversity of God’s creation and our responsibility to care for it and each other; and strengthen and expand the influence of our academic, preaching, and general reader books from Westminster John Knox Press.

 

Your support will help us do this by:

• Continuing the influence of Westminster John Knox Press as the premier religious publisher of academic, preaching, and general reader books

• Maintaining the high standards of Christian education that have been a hallmark of the Presbyterian Church by supporting new curriculum development for all ages

• Providing regular, paid internships for people of color to explore publishing as a potential career or ministry

• Holding workshops and symposia to help nurture writers of color in the academic and church worlds

• Expanding the publication of books published in Spanish and Korean

• Retooling staff and technology to better provide multimedia, video, and distance-based curriculum options for churches

• Securing the influence of our Flyaway Books family of children’s books

• Continuing our existing benevolence programs that provide free resources for churches suffering catastrophic loss, send free books to newly ordained Presbyterian clergy, and help seminaries in the developing world gain access to quality theological and biblical resources.

 

We are seeking $3 million dollars in this campaign for our third century. We understand that asking for donations while we continue to sell products may seem unusual. But the fact is that, for more than a decade, the sales of resources has barely covered our operating expenses each year. In order to grow the Press in new and exciting directions to keep it a vital force for justice in the world, we need your help. Please consider a gift to help us grow into our next century.

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Campaign Leadership

Honorary Chairs

Rev. John Buchanan †

Chicago, IL

 

Rev. Deborah Block

Milwaukee, WI

 

Rev. Dr. Brian Blount

Richmond, VA

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Campaign Chairs

Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell

Louisville, KY

 

Lloyd Culbertson

Lake Forest, IL

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Campaign Leadership Committee

Liz Boehmler

New York, NY

 

Rev. Dr. Christine Chakoian

Los Angeles, CA

 

Samuel Evans

Chicago, IL

 

Rebecca Davis

Washington, D.C.

 

Rev. Michael Waschevski

Fort Worth, TX

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Presbyterian Publishing Corporation Executive Staff

David Dobson

President and Publisher

 

Monty Anderson

Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer

 

Rev. Dr. Bridgett Green

Vice President of Publishing and Editorial Director

 

Alicia Samuels

Vice President of eCommerce and Marketing 

 

Rev. David Maxwell

Vice President of Curriculum Resources