CHARLOTTE, NC—The Good Book Company is excited to announce that Joni Eareckson Tada, founder of the international ministry Joni and Friends and author of several notable books, has signed a Childrens’ book deal with TGBC.

Tada’s childrens’ book will be a new addition to the hugely popular Tales that Tell the Truth series. Combining stunning illustration from the award-winning Catalina Echeverri with faithful, Bible-centered story-telling, the series includes God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell and The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross by Carl Laferton. Joni’s book will share the glory of heaven with kids and help them to get excited about their resurrected future with Jesus in a way that encourages them to navigate trials and difficulties in this life.

Reflecting on writing this book about heaven for 3 to 6 year olds, Tada, who is represented by Andrew Wolgemuth of Wolgemuth & Associates Literary Agency, says, “When it comes to gripping hearts for heaven, I always jump at the chance to help young readers grasp a picture of their eternal destiny. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to capture the hearts of boys and girls for their glorious future with the Lord Jesus, and to be part of the family of authors who are writing for Tales that Tell the Truth, this exceptional series which highlights powerful Bible-based stories illustrated with whimsical illustrations.”

Carl Laferton, Executive Vice President of Publishing at TGBC, says, “When we first dreamed of producing a book for kids about resurrection life, the first and obvious choice as author was Joni. The impact for God’s kingdom of her personal witness and wonderful ministry is incalculable, and so we are both delighted and honored that she has chosen to publish this book with The Good Book Company.”

The book is due to launch in the fall of 2022. Other forthcoming titles in the series include “The God Contest,” launching in February 2021, and a book helping kids to pray, authored by Laura Wifler, that releases in fall 2021.

About the Author
Joni Eareckson Tada is an author, artist, speaker, and the founder of the international ministry Joni and Friends, which has been advancing disability ministry for more than 40 years.

About the Illustrator
Catalina Echeverri is a Colombian freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books. She is based in London, UK, and illustrated the bestselling The Garden, The Curtain and the Cross.

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

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

WESTMONT, IL—InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce a second season of The Disrupters, a podcast series hosted by Fr. Esau McCaulley. The season will kick off on September 24 as McCaulley interviews special guest, Lecrae.

“Season two of The Disrupters comes at a time of crisis and uncertainty,” said Richard Clark, producer of The Disrupters and director of media innovation at Useful Group. “A global pandemic and racial protests have exposed our deep need for massive shifts in our approach to our neighbor and our world. That’s why I was so excited to reconnect with Esau to pursue conversations with some of the most urgent voices in the church today. This season is all about what to do when the disruption is well underway. What do you do next?”

The Disrupters focuses on a specific disruption—a break, interruption, or disturbance—in the church. McCaulley and his guests explore how that issue will reshape the church’s culture and its witness. In addition to Lecrae, confirmed guests for this season include:

• Beth Moore, prolific author and Bible teacher, founder of Living Proof Ministries, a Bible-based organization for women, based in Houston
• Justin Giboney, cofounder of the AND Campaign, an attorney, and a political strategist in Atlanta, coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction
• Taylor Schumann, a freelance writer and author of When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough: A Shooting Survivor’s Journey into the Realities of Gun Violence (IVP, June 2021)
• Robert Chao Romero, associate professor in the Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles and author of Brown Church
• David Swanson, pastor of New Community Covenant Church, a multicultural congregation in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood and author of Rediscipling the White Church

Clark said, “The conversations Esau has with the guests on The Disrupters are eye-opening and unvarnished. I’ve produced a number of interview podcasts, but I’ve never heard conversations as candid and bracing as these.”

McCaulley, who received his PhD from the University of St. Andrews, currently serves as assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He is also a priest in the Anglican Church in North America and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. His publications include Reading While Black (2020), Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance, and numerous articles in outlets such as Christianity Today, The Witness, and The Washington Post.

The Disrupters will be available via iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, and Spotify. For a sneak peek, check out the trailer for the second season of The Disrupters here.

Contact: Krista Clayton, 630.734.4013,  kclayton@ivpress.com

WESTMONT, IL— InterVarsity Press has signed a contract with the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) for the release of The Road to Flourishing written by Al Lopus.

Lopus is the president and cofounder of the BCWI, which provides research-based measurement tools and strategic advisory services with a single vision: to help Christian organizations set the standard as the best, most effective workplaces in the world. At BCWI, Lopus pioneered the broadest-ever employee engagement survey of Christian workers. To date, the survey has involved more than one thousand Christian organizations and with employees completing over three hundred thousand survey questionnaires.

Prior to cofounding BCWI, Lopus served for over twenty years in leadership roles with the global human resource consulting firm Watson Wyatt (now known as Willis Towers Watson), where he built a reputation for his vision and implementation of human capital programs for clients such as the Boeing Company, Alaska Airlines, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Christian Leadership Alliance, where Lopus currently serves on the association’s advisory council. He also served on the board of trustees for Virginia Mason Medical Center, a five thousand­­–employee, award-winning healthcare organization.

The Road to Flourishing, releasing in Winter 2022, is about building a workplace culture that drives success and well-being. Lopus helps professionals discover the proven, systematic approach hundreds of Christian-led businesses, ministries, and churches have used to create a flourishing workplace culture that drives an organization’s success.

Palm Bay, FL: The American Christian Fiction Writers first virtual conference included a virtual gala, during which their 2020 honors were awarded. Among them were the winners of the 2020 Carol Awards, honoring Christian fiction published in the previous calendar year. Congratulations to these Carol Award winning authors and their publishing houses and editors.

Contemporary

The Death of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren H. Brandenburg; Lion Fiction (Monarch Publishing); Editor – Jessica Gladwell

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Historical

Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson; Tyndale House; Editors – Stephanie Broene and Kathryn Olson

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Historical Romance

The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin; Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group; Editors: Vicki Crumpton and Kristin Kornoelje

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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal; Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group; Editor – Andrea Doering

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Novella

The Groom She’d Thought She Left Behind (from The Runaway Brides Collection) by Darlene Panzera; Barbour Publishing; Editors: Rebecca Germany and Ellen Tarver

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Romance

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon; Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group; Editors: Kristin Kornoelje and Jennifer Leep

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Romantic Suspense

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey; Bethany House (Baker) Publishing; Editor: Dave Long

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Short Novel

A Rancher to Trust by Laurel Blount; Love Inspired (Harlequin); Editor: Connolly Bottum

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Speculative

Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig; Enclave Publishing; Editor: Reagen Reed

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Young Adult

Romanov by Nadine Brandes; HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson and Zondervan); Editor: Becky Monds

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Debut Author

Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens; Shiloh Run Press – An Imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc.; Editor: Annie Tipton

 

Congratulations also go to the winners of the 2020 Genesis Contest for to-date unpublished Christian fiction, as follows:

Contemporary

Sara Brunsvold – The Indelible Deaths of Mrs. Kip

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Historical

Jessica Sly – Puppet Master

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Historical Romance

Rhonda Ortiz – The Life We Greet

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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Andy Brodrick – Sober

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Novella

Joey Rudder – Especially Now

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Romance

Kerry Johnson – Mary and Bright

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Romantic Suspense

Hope Welborn – Out of Sight

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Short Novel

Sami Abrams – Deadly Cold Case Reunion

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Speculative

Paige Reed – Rending

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Young Adult

Jill K. Willis – The Demons Among Us

 

Also announced during the virtual gala were the following:

• Editor of the Year—Jocelyn Bailey, HarperCollins Christian Publishing
• Agent of the Year—Cynthia Ruchti, Books & Such Literary Management
• Mentor of the Year—Chautona Havig

Special thanks to the contest coordinators: Genesis Contest Coordinator—Teresa Haugh, Carol Award Coordinator—Nick Kording, ACFW Contests Administrator—Robert Turner, and to the judges, assistants, and ACFW staff.

ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is a professional organization devoted to the craft of Christian Fiction. Its mission is to “help you tell your stories by inspiring you to partner with God in the creative process, learn the craft, and find your audience.”

For more information about ACFW: https://www.acfw.com/

You can find a link to this press release at https://www.acfw.com/about/press_room/

CAROL STREAM, Ill.—September 10, 2020—Tyndale House Ministries (@tyndalehouse) has announced that Mark Taylor, Chairman and CEO, will retire at the end of the current fiscal year (March 2021) after serving 47 years at the company.  Mark will retain his position as Chairman of the Board. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors of Tyndale House Ministries (THM), Vice Chairman Doug McConnell said, “Mark Taylor has been an exceptional leader not only for Tyndale House but for the greater Christian publishing industry. His influence has also touched ministries throughout the world through Tyndale House Foundation. As the Board searches for the next CEO, we are confident in the leadership team to carry forward the mission of THM.”

Mark began working at Tyndale House when he was in sixth grade, sending out copies of Living Letters, a paraphrase of the New Testament epistles created by his father, Kenneth Taylor. Mark shared, “I started working in the company after school each day, packing and shipping books to bookstores.” Eventually, Mark’s father would paraphrase the entire Bible, which would become known as The Living Bible. Mark continued to be involved in the operations of the company, and as a senior in high school, he worked alongside his father, providing editorial support for products being published at the time.

While attending Duke University, Mark became involved with the work of Tyndale House Foundation, a charitable organization started in 1963 by Ken and Margaret Taylor using the royalties from the sales of Living Letters and The Living Bible. After graduation from college, Mark became Executive Director of Tyndale House Foundation, helping guide the distribution of grants that support Christian ministry and mission work around the world. In 1984, Mark became President and CEO of Tyndale House Publishers.

In addition to the many responsibilities of managing a successful publishing company, Mark led the development of the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), serving as chief stylist and chairman of the Translation Committee. Regarding his work at Tyndale House, Mark shared, “Although there have been many highlights, the single most rewarding project of my career was my participation with the Bible Translation Committee for the NLT. It was a long, multiyear project, and I had the joy of guiding the committee through every step of creating this wonderfully dynamic translation. More recently, I orchestrated the merger of Tyndale House Publishers and Tyndale House Foundation to form the not-for-profit Tyndale House Ministries.”

Throughout his tenure as CEO, Mark has maintained a steadfast commitment to Tyndale’s mission and fostered an environment of professional excellence and integrity. He championed the publication of many successful and life-changing works such as the McGee and Me video series, the Left Behind series, and the Life Application Study Bible. The success of these and other products resulted in Tyndale’s growth to become one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world.

The Taylor family’s legacy of generosity continues to guide the work of Tyndale House Publishers and Tyndale House Foundation. Revenue from the publishing enterprise helps support ministries involved with Bible translation, Christian publishing, leadership development, theological education, and humanitarian aid.

A celebration to express appreciation for Mark’s dedication to his work and the legacy of the Taylor family will take place in March 2021. The theme of the event will be, “Celebrate the Legacy, Embrace the Future.”

The executive search firm CarterBaldwin, which specializes in assisting Christian ministries, will work alongside the Search Committee of the THM Board to identify the next CEO of Tyndale House Ministries as they consider both internal and external candidates.

“As I look to the future,” Mark says, “I am excited about what lies ahead for Tyndale House. I believe the world needs Tyndale now more than ever, and Tyndale is ready to respond. We have a strong Board, an excellent executive team, and a wonderfully dedicated staff. Together we will continue to joyfully pursue our mission: ‘To minister to the spiritual needs of people, primarily through publication of literature consistent with biblical principles and through grants to other charitable entities.’”

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and also offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh, new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, contributing a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million dollars throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

Contact:  Katie Dodillet, Director of Public Relations, katiedodillet@tyndale.com

 

Expanded Hardcover Edition Arrives September 2020
New Edition of The Action Bible Includes 25 New Stories & 23 Expanded Stories
Illustrated by Marvel & DC Comics Artist Sergio Cariello

Colorado Springs, Colo. — Publisher David C Cook will celebrate ten years of The Action Bible with the release of an expanded hardcover edition. Arriving this September, The Action Bible will feature 25 new Bible stories and 23 expanded stories – all illustrated by Marvel and DC Comics artist Sergio Cariello.

The Action Bible family of products has more than 85 million units in print worldwide since it launched in 2010. The original The Action Bible has sold more than 2.3 million copies and has spent more than 515 weeks on the ECPA Top 50 bestseller list. It is available in 27 languages globally, with 10-15 additional language translations to be completed in 2020.

Sergio Cariello studied at the Word of Life Bible Institute (in Brazil and New York) as well as the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning (New York). He drew superheroes for Marvel and DC Comics and served as an instructor at the Kubert School. Sergio has spent more than a decade bringing the Bible to life for children and adults around the world.

“It’s been the privilege of my life to combine my faith and art in The Action Bible. I loved to study the Bible before I began drawing The Action Bible, so these illustrations are the result of a continuous walk with Christ,” explains Sergio Cariello. “Drawing Captain America or Batman is fantastic, but drawing Jesus is different because I know the Holy Spirit is touching readers’ hearts through my drawings.”

“At David C Cook, the global impact of The Action Bible reflects a key portion of our mission ‘to make and teach disciples,’” says Cris Doornbos, CEO of David C Cook Publishing. “Churches, parents and children around the world are using The Action Bible family of products to share the big God story and the love of Jesus Christ, for a more effective accomplishment of our mission.”

The Action Bible
www.TheActionBible.com
Available September 2020 from David C Cook
Price: U.S. $29.99  Format: Hardcover Pages: 832  ISBN: 978-0-8307-7744-0

Sergio Cariello is a Brazilian-born DC and Marvel Comics artist and the illustrator of The Action Bible product line, which has sold more than 2.3 units in North America. www.sergiocariello.com

David C Cook is a nonprofit organization dedicated to publishing and distributing leadership and discipleship resources to help Christians all over the world grow in their faith and pass it on to the next generation.

Gospel Technologies today announced the acquisition of Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc. from HarperCollins Christian Publishing for an undisclosed amount. President and owner of Gospel Technologies, Steven Cummings, is the previous vice president of operations for Olive Tree under HarperCollins Christian Publishing (“HCCP”).

Based in Spokane, Washington, Olive Tree is an industry leading online and mobile Christian Bible technology and e-commerce company that was acquired by HarperCollins Christian Publishing in 2014. Its software is accessible on desktop, tablets, and mobile devices across all major platforms. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Olive Tree expanded its catalog offerings to surpass 25,000 titles and developed best-in-class integration for audio Bibles and books. Cummings, who started at Olive Tree as an e-book formatter more than eleven years ago, approached leadership at HarperCollins Christian Publishing and expressed his interest in owning Olive Tree’s brand, technology, and future growth strategy.

“Acquiring Olive Tree and returning it to its tech-innovation roots has been a goal of mine for the past few years,” said Steven Cummings. “When I approached the leadership at HCCP with my proposal, they were extremely helpful and supportive. I am grateful to HCCP for supporting Olive Tree for the past six years, nurturing it into a healthy and sustainable business, and I look forward to building upon the successes we achieved. I have been a part of Olive Tree since its early days, when we were working out of the founder’s basement, and I am deeply passionate about its mission to use technology to help people read and study God’s Word. I think that God has gifted and prepared me to lead this company to delight its users and help bring them closer to God’s Word through the use of its apps.”

Cummings continued, “I expect the transition to be smooth for all involved with little to no disruption to Olive Tree’s business. We will continue to serve all of our licensors as we always have and deliver excellent customer service. I look forward to working with all of our partners on new and innovative ways to promote their published works.”

Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing said, “Steven has been Olive Tree’s absolute advocate throughout his tenure, and I am happy that he will be fulfilling one of his lifelong goals of owning and operating his own business. Steven knows the company and its full potential better than anyone and I look forward to our continued partnership as HCCP content and study resources will continue to be offered throughout Olive Tree’s platforms, just as they always were.”

Cummings has a background in IT, content formatting and operations with a Masters of Theology in New Testament Studies from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He founded Gospel Technologies, LLC in 2019 out of a desire to form a business that utilizes technology to glorify God by aiding people in the reading and study of Scripture – intended to be realized through the acquisition of Olive Tree. Olive Tree’s office will remain in Spokane, Washington.

Gospel Technologies strives to inspire people to connect with God and study the Bible through technology. Since 2019, Gospel Technologies has worked to produce industry-leading technology and service to a worldwide audience from its Spokane, Washington headquarters. For more information, contact PressRoom@OliveTree.com.

WESTMONT, IL—Tina Knowles Lawson, mother of Beyoncé, will feature an interview with longtime friend and IVP author Juanita Campbell Rasmus on Thursday, September 17, on her Instagram Live Talks with Mama Tina. This interview, with special guest Michelle Williams, will kick off the launch week for Juanita’s highly anticipated book Learning to Be: Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out. 

Tina Knowles Lawson and her family were some of the first members of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, which Juanita and husband, Rudy, started in 1992. St. John’s is also where Beyoncé grew up singing in the choir. Thousands have joined the St. John’s family over the past twenty-eight years, making it one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country. 

Tina penned the foreword for Learning to Be and wrote, “I’ve experienced this light in my faith walk and with powerful, resilient people like Juanita Campbell Rasmus, a woman I met in 1986 when I opened my first salon, and she became a faithful client. She set an example for the power of prayer and worship, and I later became one of the first members of St. John’s Church. Over the years, I’ve witnessed Juanita navigate the highs and lows of marriage, motherhood, ministry, and womanhood. I’ve seen her journey from the self-professed ‘good girl’ to a leader who wholeheartedly seeks God with a level of authenticity, transparency, and grace that is unmatched. And in this book, she inspires us to do the same.”

After the official launching of Learning to Be on Tuesday, September 15, Juanita will be featured on Black Authors Matter TV that evening at 8:30 p.m. CDT. Juanita also has a TED Talk on the topic of her book titled Learning to Be: Why Is It So Difficult?

In Learning to Be Juanita describes what she called “the crash” and what her counselor labeled “a major depressive episode.” This experience landed Juanita, a busy pastor, mother, and community leader, in bed. In addition to exhaustion and depression, she experienced a spiritual dark night of the soul. When everything in her life finally came to a stop, she found that she had to learn to be—with herself and with God—all over again.

Juanita wrote, “I chose to share my story because all too often in Western culture, and especially in the church, we are reticent to discuss mental health along with the related spiritual implications. It is my hope that telling my story will shed light on the resources available to someone in the aftermath of a mental health diagnosis . . . and provide courage to wait in the darkness, because often that’s where the real treasures are stored.”

In addition to copastoring St. John’s, Juanita cofounded Bread of Life Inc., a nonprofit corporation, with Rudy in 1992. They began serving meals to the homeless in the sanctuary at St. John’s. Juanita most recently teamed up with Tina and Beyoncé to help forty thousand flood victims recover in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. In addition to addressing issues of health and disaster relief, Juanita launched the Temenos Community Development Corporation in 2006, which recently completed over thirty million dollars in housing development projects for the previously homeless in downtown Houston. She also founded The Art Project, Houston to empower the city’s homeless to become hope-filled painters and artisans who craft their own livelihood and create lives filled with new possibilities.

For more about Juanita visit JuanitaRasmus.com. Also tune into her Instagram Live interview with Tina Knowles Lawson, which will be posted on Tina’s Instagram profile page on Thursday, September 17, at noon eastern standard time.

Grand, Rapids, Mich. (Sept. 14, 2020)— Zondervan Reflective, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, today announced The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby has sold more than 100,000 copies in print, audio and digital formats.

“We are so pleased that The Color of Compromise has reached this milestone. We are proud to be Jemar’s publisher and thankful that his message is resonating with readers at this crucial moment in American history,” said Stan Gundry, senior vice president and publisher of Zondervan Academic and Reflective. “It is our hope that Jemar’s words will change the hearts and minds of everyone they touch.”

In The Color of Compromise, Tisby surveys America’s racial past, from early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War, Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights era, to the Black Lives Matter movement, uncovering the roots of sustained injustice. He exposes the concrete and chilling ways people of faith have actively worked against racial justice, and the deafening silence or overt opposition of the white evangelical majority. Tisby also charts a path forward with intriguing ideas that challenge readers to reverse these patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, and immediate action.

“I’m feeling a mix of emotions,” said Tisby, who is co-founder and  president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and a Ph.D candidate in history at the University of Mississippi. “Hitting this milestone is great news. But at the same time, knowing what it took to get here and what sparked this renewed interest in the topic of racial justice is sobering.”

Nearly 18 months after its release, The Color of Compromise landed on the New York Times Best Seller list in June 2020, in the Paperback Nonfiction category where it remained for three weeks. It also appeared on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists and is a Library Journal’s Best Books and The Englewood Review Book of the Year 2019 winner.

In his next book, How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, Tisby enables readers to become proactive initiators of racial justice by offering an array of actionable items to confront racism in everyday life. Far more than a simple list of items to do, it also provides a simple framework to help readers consistently interrogate their own actions and maintain a posture of anti-racist action. How to Fight Racism releases in January 2021.

About the Author:  Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, where he writes about race, religion, politics, and culture and cohosts the Pass The Mic podcast. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and CNN. His latest piece for The Atlantic is “The Familial Language of Black Grief.” Tisby is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi with a focus on race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.

About Zondervan:  Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich.  For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Contact:  Amy Bigler, Senior Manager of Publicity, amy.bigler@harpercollins.com

Orlando, Fla. (September 8, 2020): Ligonier Ministries’ biennial State of Theology survey provides insights on how Americans view a wide range of Christian beliefs. This comprehensive report provides key findings on beliefs about God, truth, the Bible, worship, and ethical issues. Conducted with LifeWay Research, this survey polled a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The full results for the 2020 survey are now available online at TheStateofTheology.com.

Today, many U.S. adults assume that all truth is relative. Nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) to the State of Theology survey reject the literal truth of the Bible. Even more respondents (54 percent) say that religious belief is a matter of personal opinion, not objective reality. The latter response is slightly better than in 2018. Although we do not know why that is, it may be that our chaotic cultural moment has prompted more people to turn to religion for objective truth.

While evangelicals have historically affirmed the authority of the Bible and salvation by Jesus Christ, trends in the State of Theology survey reveal that many American evangelicals express erroneous views that mirror the broader U.S. population. Now, 30 percent of evangelicals deny the deity of Jesus Christ (compared to 52 percent of the general U.S. population), believing instead that He was merely a good teacher. In addition, 65 percent of evangelicals agree with the heretical statement, “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” The confusion illustrated in these results suggests a dire need for Christians to be taught Christology, the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The 2020 survey also shows a decline in the number of professing evangelicals who have an accurate understanding of salvation. Only 57 percent of American evangelicals hold to the Bible’s teaching that the Holy Spirit gives a spiritual new birth before a person has faith in Jesus Christ, compared with 63 percent in 2018. While the Bible teaches that God decided who would be saved before He created the world, only 38 percent of evangelicals agree with this doctrine (compared to 26 percent of U.S. adults).

With the rising acceptance of relative truth in every sphere of life in the United States, the ethical issues at the forefront of public debate continue to be clouded. In 2020, a large majority (73 percent) of U.S. evangelicals reject the arguments of “gender fluidity.” Yet it remains concerning that one in five evangelicals (22 percent) still appears to reject the Bible’s teaching that our gender as male and female is given by God our Creator.

Chris Larson, president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries, said:

“The 2020 State of Theology survey uncovers widespread confusion in the United States about the Bible’s teaching and the reality of who God is. Many have observed the drift among Americans toward relativism, and this survey helps to quantify how this nation is abandoning objective truth altogether. Sadly, just when the church needs to be clear and bold about our triune God, the Scriptures, sin, and salvation, many evangelicals are evidently being influenced more by this cultural drift than by the Word of God. Christians have an opportunity to bring light and comfort to our troubled times by pointing to Jesus Christ and the authority and sufficiency of the Bible. These survey results reveal that there is much work to do. Let us pray for an awakening to our holy God and to what He has revealed about Himself and how we are to live in this world.”

This year, anyone can take the survey for themselves at TheStateofTheology.com, and the website also features the new option to create private group surveys for use by churches, Bible studies, groups of friends, and more. All are encouraged to participate in these secure, anonymous surveys in order to help them facilitate discussion and better understand the beliefs of people in their communities.

LifeWay Research surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,002 adults in the United States, including 630 professing evangelicals. The survey was carried out from March 10 to 18, 2020. More information can be found at TheStateofTheology.com.

Evangelicals were defined by LifeWay Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

• The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
• It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
• Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
• Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.

About Ligonier Ministries:  Ligonier Ministries exists to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible. To that end, Ligonier’s outreach today is manifold and worldwide. Founded by Dr. R.C. Sproul in 1971, Ligonier’s teaching fellowship consists of theologians, pastors, and scholars. Ligonier publishes Renewing Your Mind broadcasts, the Reformation Study Bible, Tabletalk magazine, books through Reformation Trust, and hundreds of teaching series. The ministry also offers an undergraduate degree program through Reformation Bible College. In addition, Ligonier hosts national and regional conferences, provides an online learning community through Ligonier Connect, streams 24-hour Christian Internet radio through RefNet, answers biblical and theological questions with Ask Ligonier, pursues numerous translation efforts in other countries, and makes available thousands of unique educational resources online at Ligonier.org.

Contact: Deborah Finnamore | Publicity Manager | 407-333-4244 x1158 | definnamore@ligonier.org