William B. Eerdmans Jr., who led the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for more than fifty years, died on Friday, November 13. He was 97.

Eerdmans was born in 1923 and started work at the company when he was thirteen. He became president of the Eerdmans Publishing Co. in 1963, taking over from his father, Bill Eerdmans Sr., who founded the company in 1911. Bill is remembered both as a friend to all and as a trailblazing publisher who broadened the company’s list beyond its Reformed Protestant roots to comprise books on ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and on race, gender, and other social issues while continuing to publish the scholarly titles for which the company has long been well-known.

“Not for Bill the idea that publishing should cater to the latest trends. The point was to lead, not follow,” said longtime Eerdmans editor-in-chief Jon Pott. “Bill’s command of his field was impressive and his singular publishing achievements were many and great. . . . But it was Bill the deeply committed but high-spirited publishing personality who somehow counted for most, in the books and authors he directly pursued and in the heady oxygen he provided for the rest of us. He knew his work, but he also thoroughly relished it, from restaurant idea to finished book, from dizzying first authorial encounter to plunk of the final product on his overburdened desk.”

Eerdmans’s wife, Anita, who took over as president and publisher of the company in 2014, said: “Bill loved joking around, and sometimes you could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to come up with the perfect clever phrase for the moment. Yet he also took his work very seriously. Until the last few years, most evenings would find him with an Eerdmans book or a potential Eerdmans book in his lap, even on vacations! He was responsible for some very important books and series that we published over the years, and our longtime interest in religious perspectives on important political and cultural issues grew out of his own personal concern about those issues.”

There was be a private family graveside service last week with a public memorial service to be planned when large gatherings are safe.

WESTMONT, IL—InterVarsity Press has signed a contract with Nancy Beach and her daughter, Samantha Beach Kiley, for the spring 2022 release of their coauthored book tentatively titled Next Sunday: A Mother/Daughter Dialogue on the Future of the Church.

Ethan McCarthy, associate editor for IVP said, “Nancy and Samantha’s book promises to be a fascinating look at American evangelicalism from a multigenerational perspective. At IVP, we’re committed not only to the continual reassessment of where the church has come from, but also to looking together in hope to where it’s going. Next Sunday promises to do both.” 

Next Sunday will provide a window into the perspectives of a Baby Boomer mother and her Millennial daughter as they examine what elements will be required for churches to thrive going forward. Nancy, a Boomer, was a key player in the megachurch movement that revolutionized global ministry during the eighties and nineties, while Samantha, a Millennial, is willing to abandon those massive buildings and celebrity cultures to see if the foundation holds. The goal of Next Sunday is to spark further dialogue and offer hope to men and women who care deeply about the church but are anxious about its future.

Nancy Beach has long been a champion for artists and leaders in the local church. As a part of launching the youth group of Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago, Nancy served as the programming director, building a community of artists who sought to create transformational moments in Sunday morning services. She was also a pioneer, serving as the first woman leader on the church’s management team and as the first female teaching pastor. With a front row seat and as a contributing voice for designing church with the “unchurched” in mind, Nancy became a global influencer, speaker, and author as other church leaders sought to learn from Willow Creek’s experience.

Nancy currently serves as a leadership coach with the Slingshot Group, helping church leaders and teams flourish in life and ministry. She also continues to teach at conferences and workshops for both artists and women in leadership and serves on the teaching team at Soul City Church in downtown Chicago. She is the author of An Hour on Sunday: Creating Moments of Transformation and Wonder (Zondervan, 2004) and Gifted to Lead: The Art of Leading as a Woman in the Church (Zondervan, 2008).

“Although I’ve known of Nancy Beach’s pastoral and literary work for many years, it was in the fall of 2019, when I heard her speak at a publishing conference on the future of the church, that I took notice in a new, earnest way,” Jeff Crosby, IVP’s publisher, said. “I came away from hearing that message not with a sense of despair but, rather, with a renewed hope and a vision for the questions not only those in church leadership but all of us who care about the church need to ask ourselves, reflect on, and respond to. Adding Samantha Beach Kiley’s voice through the mother/daughter, multigenerational dialogue was icing on the cake. Two wise and winsome people coming together to craft an important message for our day. I’m genuinely delighted and honored to be publishing this important work in the days ahead.”

Samantha Beach Kiley is an Austin-based writer and performer working at the intersection of art and faith. Samantha’s acting experience includes theater, voice-over, spoken word performance, and television. As a teaching artist, Sam works to encourage creativity, promote collaboration, and instill confidence in young people. She has taught at Northwestern’s National High School Institute and Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, where she is the codirector of education. Currently, she works as a storytelling consultant for churches and nonprofits and is the creative arts pastor at Austin New Church.

Samantha’s plays have been produced in professional and educational settings and, most recently, in family rooms and children’s hospitals with the national tour of her miniature show, We the W(h)ee. Her YouTube video “Psalm 23 & Me” was shared widely and garnered tens of thousands of views on social media and youtube.com in early 2020. Samantha is writing a new musical and is a creative freelance writer serving a variety of churches. Her plays include The Snare, Thing 100, We the W(h)ee, and Mill Girls.

Thomas Nelson congratulates winner, Kristy Cambron, and three finalists

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 18, 2020 — Thomas Nelson today announced The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron is a Christy Award winner in the Historical Fiction category. The company also recognized three additional finalists. The Christy Awards, which honor fiction authors in nine categories, were presented by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) through a live webcast on November 12, 2020.

The three additional Thomas Nelson titles that were recognized as finalists in various categories are:

• The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts in Historical
• Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
• The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson in Young Adult

“The Christy Awards are a marker of excellence in Christian fiction, and I am thrilled to see our authors recognized for their work,” said Amanda Bostic, v-p and publisher for Thomas Nelson fiction. “We’ve had the honor of publishing Kristy Cambron since her debut novel released in 2014. It is a joy to see her talent and passion for storytelling honored with a Christy Award.”

To learn more about the Christy Awards, please visit www.christyawards.com.

About Thomas Nelson: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact: Chelsea Taff, Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications, 615.902.2137
Chelsea.Taff@HarperCollins.com

 

Nashville, Tenn. (November 19, 2020)—HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) and HarperCollins Focus (HCF) today announced Jerri Helm’s promotion to v-p of digital marketing and analytics.

Helms has led digital marketing efforts in various roles for HCCP for more than 12 years. In 2013 she was named the senior director of digital marketing for the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Bibles groups where she managed an email list of more than 2 million consumers, developed an engaged Facebook group of over 100,000, and implemented analytics, advertising, and metadata optimization strategies. In 2018 she was chosen to lead the newly formed Marketing Operations team, which acts as a centralized marketing consulting group for teams across HCCP and HCF. This team consults on best practices for email, search engine optimization (SEO), website development, analytics, and ad campaigns. Helms also sits on the SEO Global Counsel for HarperCollins’ parent company, NewsCorp.

As v-p of digital marketing and analytics, Helms will continue to lead the Marketing Operations team while also assuming responsibility for the Corporate Analytics team, which formulates data for publishing teams to help them sign, publish, and market the best possible products based on market research.

“Since Jerri joined the company in 2008, she has changed the landscape for how we market products,” said Doug Lockhart, senior v-p, marketing and new initiatives. “She is continually seeking data-driven solutions to drive our business forward, and I know she will do an excellent job in this new role.”

HarperCollins Christian Publishing

About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com and ChurchSource.com.  The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space.   Bible Gateway is the world’s largest Christian website with more than 20 million unique monthly visitors. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

HarperCollins Focus

HarperCollins Focus, LLC owns and operates a collection of publishing imprints, that enlighten and empower readers to transform their hearts and minds, connecting through story, advice, mentorship and community. The company is based in Nashville, TN. For more information visit www.HarperCollinsFocus.com.

Contact: Chelsea Taff, Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications, 615.902.2137,  
Chelsea.Taff@HarperCollins.com

Nashville, Tenn. (November 20, 2020)—Thomas Nelson recently announced Clark Christian as the marketing director for the Thomas Nelson Bible group.

Christian brings over 16 years of publishing and marketing experience, most recently working in product marketing for healthcare education company, PESI. In this role he managed the launch of over 20 educational products, which included tailored marketing campaigns for both print and digital. He has also served in full-time and freelance capacities as a writer and editor for R.H. Boyd. Christian holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication and media studies from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Arts in theology from Lipscomb University.

As the marketing director for the Bible group, Christian will manage the marketing for the King James Version (KJV) Study Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) Study Bible, as well as text and reference Bibles in Thomas Nelson’s three primary translations: NKJV, KJV, and New English Translation (NET).

“We are so pleased to welcome Clark to our team,” said Nikki Getman, senior marketing director for Thomas Nelson Bible group. “The work we do requires a rare mix of business acumen, publishing knowledge, and theological understanding. Clark has all of the above, and we are excited for him to use his expertise to market our flagship Bibles.”

About Thomas Nelson: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact: Chelsea Taff, Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications, 615.902.2137
Chelsea.Taff@HarperCollins.com

 

CHARLOTTE, NC– It’s not uncommon to have trouble getting into the “Christmas spirit,” and that may especially be the case in 2020. John Piper understands. In a recent video on Desiring God, Piper offers encouragement and the recommendation that The Christmas We Didn’t Expect by David Mathis is a wonderful resource for renewing awe and wonder during Advent (The Good Book Company, October 2020).

Along with Piper’s recommendation, several other videos connected to this Advent devotional are inspiring Christians to adore Jesus—the One who came to save us and make our futures certain.

Watch now:

John Piper’s Advent devotional recommendation– Learn why this book is meaningful to John Piper.

David Mathis and Desiring God’s invitation to readers– An invitation to walk the path from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and from Galilee to Jerusalem, in all its unexpected twists and turns.

The story behind the devotional– Discover the heart of this book and its structure.

A reading of the poem “In The Bleak Midwinter”– Listen as David Mathis reads a Christmas poem inspiring awe of Christ.

For media inquiries and access to promotional assets, contact publicity@thegoodbook.com.

About the author: David Mathis serves as a senior teacher and executive editor at Desiring God, and is a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul. Mathis currently resides in Minneapolis with his wife and four children.

About The Good Book Company: Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company (TGBC) is an international Christian publisher. Their Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses, and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at TGBC is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church, and His gospel of grace. They create and publish biblical, relevant, and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing their faith.

THE POWER OF A PRAYING^® SERIES AUTHOR STORMIE OMARTIAN ACCEPTS AWARD ON NOVEMBER 18

EUGENE, Ore. (Nov. 18, 2020) – Stormie Omartian is only the third recipient to receive the prestigious Pinnacle Award presented by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association. This high honor recognizes the impact of Omartian’s The Power of a Praying^® (Harvest House Publishers) series on the Christian publishing industry and society as a whole. Omartian’s series, which features 20 books and more than 30 million copies sold, focuses readers’ attention on talking to God regularly.

On May 5, the ECPA first announced that Omartian would receive the award at their annual Leadership Summit gathering. Stormie then delivered a special prayer thanking God for the opportunity each ECPA author and publisher has to serve God by sharing the truth of Jesus through their work. Omartian asked God to enable each author to continue writing books that awaken people to His miraculous and life-saving power.

“Stormie’s books on prayer have had an enormous impact on the way Christians relate to God and to each other,” said ECPA president Stan Jantz. “I’m not exaggerating when I say her books have spawned a global movement of prayer.”

Stormie’s emphasis on the importance of prayer has encouraged millions of people throughout the years at conferences, over the airwaves, and in their homes.

“Stormie is so deserving of this high praise and honor,” said Harvest House Publishers president Bob Hawkins. “Her prayerfully-crafted messages of biblical hope are both timely and timeless. Stormie’s passion for leading readers to know Jesus as the true source of real hope is inspiring to all. We are incredibly grateful to have worked with her now for over 35 years!”

Stan Jantz presented the Pinnacle Award to Stormie on November 18, 2020, at the conclusion of C-Suite Connect via Zoom. Omartian’s presentation was followed by a tribute video featuring messages from her husband and publisher, including LaRae Weikert, who worked alongside Stormie for over three decades.

About Stormie Omartian: Stormie Omartian is an award-winning, bestselling author and speaker whose books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. The Power of a Praying^® series includes The Power of a Praying^® Wife, The Power of a Praying^® Husband, The Power of a Praying^® Woman, The Power of a Praying^® Parent, The Power of Praying^® for Your Adult Children, and The Power of a Praying^® Grandparent. She is also the author of Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On; Lead Me, Holy

Spirit; Prayer Warrior; and Out of Darkness, which is her personal journey out of the devastating darkness of the first 28 years of her life until she found Everlasting Light in her Lord and Savior, Jesus. Her new release is The Power of Prayer^TM to Enrich Your Marriage (February 2, 2021). Stormie personally connects with readers and listeners by sharing her experiences and lessons from the Bible, illustrating how God transforms lives when we learn to pray and trust in Him. Stormie and her husband, Michael, have been married more than 47 years and have two married children and two granddaughters.

About Harvest House Publishers: Harvest House Publishers, a Christian publishing company based in Eugene, Oregon, publishes more than100 books per year and carries a strong backlist offering nearly 1,700 titles. Over 145 million Harvest House books have been sold worldwide through diverse distribution channels, and additional tens of millions have sold in over 75 different languages. For more information, visit www.HarvestHousePublishers.com.

About the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA): The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association is an international nonprofit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content.

Media Contact: Jana Burson, jana@epic.inc  615-429-3900

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 17, 2020—HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) and Urban Ministries Incorporated (UMI) today announced a partnership for two of the most well-known organizations in the Christian publishing industry. The two companies have entered a co-publication and co-distribution partnership that will collectively expand resources into new and existing markets. Through this partnership, UMI will help HCCP identify, publish and promote prominent and emerging voices; and distribute more resources, relevant to UMI’s loyal customer-base of African American, and African churches, denominations, and consumers.  Together, the companies will form new connections with ministry organizations, churches, and Christian readers who engage with the Bible and study God’s Word.

UMI is one of the nation’s oldest and most well-known Christian resource providers to the African American church, serving more than 40,000 churches over its fifty-year history with books, curriculum, small group study resources and Vacation Bible School products. HCCP is the world’s largest Christian book and Bible publisher, comprising the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups. With nearly 300 years of publishing multiple book genres, Bible translations, curriculum-based resources, and online communities selling content in a variety of formats, HCCP has the largest global distribution network for faith-based materials.

“We are very excited to begin our work with the UMI team,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “We have been working together for more than a year on what would be the best way for the two companies to utilize our respective strengths to impact our companies’ missions. UMI has established trusted relationships with church denominations that HCCP has historically underserved. Under this partnership, we know that our books, Bibles, and curriculum will further resonate with the African American community and it is a privilege to partner with UMI to place our God-honoring, bestselling content into the hands of thousands of church congregants across the U.S. Together, we will surpass any milestone that either organization could accomplish separately. We are excited to learn from one another and build something that will have an eternal impact.”

“HarperCollins Christian Publishing is going to be a great partner for UMI, and we are excited to get to work,” said Jeff Wright, CEO of UMI. “Last month, UMI was fortunate to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, and this agreement signals our dedication to the future.  UMI has a desire to collaborate with companies that share our commitment to the African and African American audience and we want to be a conduit for God’s Word in our community. The resources in HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s catalog provide opportunities for personal growth, biblical study for churches and small-groups, values-based children’s books and Bibles, and so much more that our church and ministry partners will value and utilize. We are encouraged that we are starting our next fifty years in such a monumental way.”

UMI and HCCP are working on multiple integrated projects to kickstart the two-year agreement. In July 2020, the companies created and distributed a contextualized “mag-alog,” to more than 10,000 African American churches and church leaders to showcase books and Bibles published by HCCP that appeal to a more culturally-diverse audience, including an excerpt from Grammy-award winning Christian hip-hop artist and author Lecrae’s most recent book, I Am Restored (Zondervan, October 2020). Customers are able to order any of these resources directly from UMI. As the partnership continues to unfold, the two companies will release new resources into the market.

UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.) is the largest independent religious media and publishing company serving the African American market. Founded in 1970 in Chicago, IL., by Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr., UMI creates positive, transformative analog and digital content based on a biblical worldview that is especially empowering to the African American community. UMI offices are in suburban Chicago. UMI exists to disseminate culture changing, biblically sound content and has tremendous credibility in producing high quality material reaching millions of people throughout the globe.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups.  The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space.  Also, home to BibleGateway.com, the world’s largest Christian website, FaithGateway.com, StudyGateway.com and ChurchSource.com, online communities dedicated to helping people grow in their faith. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

Contact: Casey Harrell, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, 615.902.1109
casey.harrell@harpercollins.com

WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway, April 2020) has won the 2020 WORLD Magazine Accessible Theology Book of the Year. Megan Hill’s A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church (Crossway, May 2020) was awarded honorable mention in the same category.

“It’s a great honor for Crossway books to show up in WORLD Magazine’s Accessible Theology Books of the Year list—a category near and dear to the heart of our publishing program,” commends Justin Taylor, Crossway’s executive vice president of book publishing and book publisher. “Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly is a beautiful book about our beautiful Savior, and we are grateful to see the ways in which God is using it to encourage his weary people with the heart of Christ. WORLD rightly describes Megan Hill’s honorable mention book, A Place to Belong, as ‘a love letter to the Church.’ Has there ever been a better time for an extended meditation on how to love the beautiful place where reconciled sinners can most deeply belong? We give thanks to God for these authors, these works, and the ways in which he is using them in the lives of his people.”

WORLD Magazine’s national editor, Jamie Dean, writes of Gentle and Lowly, “Perhaps a boiled-down way to think about what Ortlund expresses: If we are in Christ, God doesn’t just tolerate us. He welcomes us. He doesn’t only love us. He likes us. That’s what it means to be His friend. Ortlund makes it clear this is only possible because Jesus suffered God’s wrath for sin on the cross. In that way, the book is an uncommon volume that could speak deeply to two very different groups of readers: mature Christians already familiar with God’s grace and non-Christians wondering about a God of both wrath and love.”

In Gentle and Lowly, Ortlund takes readers into the depths of Christ’s very heart for sinners, diving into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is and encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. His longing heart for sinners comforts and sustains readers in their up-and-down lives.

With rich theology and practical direction, Hill’s A Place to Belong invites readers to experience the local church in light of the Bible’s testimony. Considering nine biblical terms for the church—such as beloved, brothers and sisters, saints, and gospel partners—Hill equips Christians to love and serve one another. New Christians and mature believers alike can find learning to love the local church as one of their greatest privileges and highest joys.

Dean writes, “Megan Hill has written a love letter to the church in A Place To Belong. With many Christians separated from public gatherings for weeks or months this year, this book might cause a craving for casserole-laden tables in fellowship halls—not for the pasta salad, but for the feast of fellowship in Christ. Hill reminds readers that in a complex world, God carries out His mission and purpose in simple ways: Ordinary worship by ordinary people gathered in ordinary places.”

WORLD Magazine’s 2020 Books of the Year awards 25 books in five categories that editor in chief Marvin Olasky say “contribute to understanding big controversies and great divides, including creation-evolution battles in science, racial and religious splits in American society, and times of war and revolution in our past.”

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org  crossway.org