Abilene, TX — After the fire came a sound of sheer silence. When the civil rights movement shook the United States, Churches of Christ largely remained silent. Only a few brave voices dared to speak out. Historian Wes Crawford, drawing inspiration from the prophet Elijah’s discovery of God’s presence in the “sheer silence,” invites readers to explore this era and the largely overlooked stories of a handful of ministers who risked everything to challenge racism within the church.
Crawford’s groundbreaking work begins with twentieth-century church leaders who openly supported White supremacy or turned a blind eye. Under their watchful guidance, they carefully managed the cultural engagement of Churches of Christ through colleges, journals, and lectureship gatherings. He then highlights the lesser-known heroes, like Carl Spain, John Allen Chalk, Walter Burch, Dwain Evans, and Bud Stumbaugh, who spoke out against the establishment at high personal and professional costs. Their sacrifices and bravery offer lessons that resonate with this day.
“Courage in the Sheer Silence” is a tour de force, an eye-opening journey into the powers that maintain racial inequality and injustice and the deep costs paid by those who choose to resist. This book reveals in stunning detail how the evil principality of racial injustice is no respecter of race. White leaders who speak against it will be silenced, shunned, pushed out, and defrocked. Wes Crawford gives voice to those forgotten for doing what is right, and in so doing, he gives us direction and courage to do what is right today.”—Dr. Michael O. Emerson, Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, and coauthor of Divided by Faith and The Religion of Whiteness
Wes Crawford serves as Associate Professor of Church History at Abilene Christian University, where he also leads the Center for Restoration Studies and holds the position of Vice Provost. Before transitioning to academia, Wes spent two decades in ministry, preaching at the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock and the Glenwood Church of Christ in Tyler, Texas. His academic work focuses on American religious history, particularly the intersection of race and religion, a topic he explores in depth in his book Shattering the Illusion. Wes and his wife, Kim, have been married for over twenty years and are the proud parents of four children.
Courage in the Sheer Silence
By Wes Crawford
May 2025, Softcover
208 Pages, $22.99
ISBN: 9781684260133
Media Contact: Kaylin Graves, publicity@leafwoodpublishers.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 14, 2025 — Co-founders of the global community She Reads Truth, Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, will release a new devotional this fall, “
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 2025 – Andrew Klavan’s newest release from Zondervan, The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness, is officially a New York Times bestseller. The book landed in the No. 13 spot on the Non-Fiction list in the first week following its May 6, 2025, release.
MAY 16, 2025 — Sarita Lyons, JD, PhD, bestselling author of Church Girl, bible teacher, and psychotherapist, continues her publishing partnership with Waterbrook, signing a new two-book deal.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 19, 2025) — Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift, imprints of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, are pleased to announce the addition of two marketing professionals to their growing team: Chasity Edwards as Publicity Director and Ashley Thuernau as Marketing Manager. These strategic hires reflect the group’s continued commitment to reaching readers through innovative marketing and compelling author engagement.
Ashley Thuernau joins the team from Edelweiss, where she supported publishers in optimizing metadata, digital marketing, and discoverability. She brings deep expertise in email marketing, website design, and digital engagement strategy. In her new role as Marketing Manager reporting to Mandy Wilson, director of marketing, Ashley will lead the development and execution of consumer-facing marketing campaigns for the Gift Books portfolio. She will focus on enhancing discoverability, driving online engagement, and leveraging data insights to create targeted campaigns that connect with readers across channels.
SPCK will become the primary agent for sales and distribution for US Christian publisher New Growth Press in the UK and EU. New Growth Press titles will be available via Wiley Distribution Services from 18th August 2025.
Editorial Vida and Grupo Nelson, the Spanish publishing divisions of HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP), as well as CLIE, the Academic and Reference imprint distributed by Editorial Vida, were recognized and honored with a record-setting 17 awards, including Bible of the Year, at the 2025 Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association (SEPA) ceremony on May 1, 2025.
Abilene, TX — Surrendering Certainty challenges a common misconception about hearing God’s voice, urging believers to embrace his guidance without the need for constant reassurance or knowledge of the future. Since the fall in the garden of Eden, humanity has carried the same deception that misled Eve. We think more information will give us more freedom. But if we look at Jesus’s teachings, we know that his direction was never intended to give us a roadmap. Rather than relying on God’s voice to provide a roadmap for tomorrow, the book emphasizes that his words offer peace for today.
Nashville, Tenn. (May 8, 2025) – HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) today announced two promotions to its Executive Leadership Team. Melinda Bouma has been promoted to Vice President, Associate Group Publisher, Zondervan Bibles, Academic, and Reflective, while Philip Nation has been promoted to Vice President, Associate Group Publisher, Thomas Nelson Bibles and Spanish Publishing. Both will report to Mark Schoenwald, President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
