April 2025 — Langham Publishing has reached a significant milestone: the publication of its 500th title. At the turn of this 500th publication we reflect on something deeper — a long and purposeful journey to serve the global church with biblically faithful, contextually relevant books representing our church around the world.
Langham Publishing began with a vision — carried forward by John Stott and nurtured through decades of prayer and partnership — to equip leaders in the Majority World with the resources needed to teach, preach, and understand the Bible in their own contexts.
“Langham Publishing was born without any fanfare,” says Pieter Kwant, former Director of Langham Literature. “Working on the Africa Bible Commentary had convinced me that the future for Langham Literature lay in amplifying the voices of Majority World leaders, rather than just distributing western written materials. I also realised that this was going to be a generational change, as we all needed reeducation.
“With the start of Langham Publishing brought a challenge to the paradigm of the West to the Rest, and instead presented locally contextual writing that touched the hearts and answered the questions asked within the great variety of cultures.
God answered our prayers and it is remarkable to me how Langham Publishing has grown in number of Majority World authored titles and in distribution coverage, with an emerging paradigm of the Rest to the Rest. Soli Deo Gloria.
Over time, a few monographs grew into a publishing house with four key imprints: Langham Academic, Langham Global Library, HippoBooks/LivresHippo, and Langham Preaching Resources. With books published in English and French (and more translated through local partnerships), Langham Publishing is active in theological communities across Africa and Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. There, seminaries are growing, preachers are thirsting for solid resources and church leaders are navigating fast-changing social and cultural landscapes.
“Langham Publishing has had a visible impact on African theological education and scholarship,” says Elizabeth Mburu, the Literature Coordinator for Anglophone Africa at Langham. “For too long, African institutions did not have access to resources published by African scholars. Most of the resources were from the Global North and this meant that students and faculty were limited in their ability to theologize contextually in the classroom.
“The increasing resources from authors from the Global South, and from Africa in particular, means that both students and faculty can empower the church positively and address the specific needs that impact the continent of Africa, as well as Africans in diaspora. Langham Publishing is also empowering scholars to conceptualize and write from within their contexts without compromising biblical truth.
As one of my roles as a commissioning editor, and a Langham author myself, I see first-hand how Langham-produced resources are changing the face of theological education. There is now the sense that the church is both local and global and that unity in diversity is indeed possible.”
Luke Lewis, Director of Publishing, addresses the ongoing challenges and goals: “These first fifteen years have been an amazing journey. I am so grateful to our faithful supporters and readers, all of the staff past and present, as well as all of the amazing relationships developed with our authors, editors and translators. There are still major hurdles for scholars in the Majority World when it comes to publishing both locally and globally, especially in countries or regions where academic publishing is limited. There are also still major challenges for readers in the Majority World when it comes to access. As we move forward with our next 500 publications we will continue to partner and work for the local church, local institutions and local publishing initiatives to break down these barriers.”
Langham Publishing’s hope is to continue to support the needs of the global church offering a platform for local voices while also contributing to broader theological conversations. Hani Hanna, Director of Langham Literature, expresses hopes and vision for the future: “Reaching 500 published books is a remarkable milestone for Langham Publishing. Its unique contribution to the global church lies in its commitment to serving theological education and church leaders and to amplifying important theological voices that are often marginalized. This dedication to contextualized theology enriches our understanding of Scripture and fosters global conversations.
“We praise the Lord for enabling us to come thus far. A heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated Publishing team who are genuinely caught up in Langham’s vision. Many thanks are due to our invaluable partners who have contributed to this incredible journey.
As we celebrate this achievement, our hope is that Langham Publishing continues to press on, fulfilling its calling to equip the global church with resources that deepen understanding and promote unity. May the next chapter bring even greater impact to increasingly polarized communities and a wider reach in increasingly digitally-driven societies, ensuring a rich tapestry of global Christian voices.”
ABOUT LANGHAM PUBLISHING
Langham Publishing is a ministry of Langham Partnership whose vision is to strengthen the global church. Through Langham Publishing, we publish books for Christian leaders, preachers, and scholars that represent a diverse church around the world, furthering our understanding of scripture, our mission as God’s people, and our love in Christ.
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Press contact: Sophia Soloviy sophia.soloviy@langham.org
