PPC09004
July 20, 2009

PPC launches The Presbyterian Leader at Big Tent

Announces new partnerships at board meeting

Contact:
Vince Patton, (888) 728-7228, x8043

In June the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) launched The Presbyterian Leader, its new online resource center for PC(USA) leaders, at the Big Tent gathering in Atlanta. The new site offers materials for pastors, educators, musicians, elders, deacons and all other Presbyterian leaders. Many of the 1,400 Presbyterians who attended the event visited the PPC booth in the exhibit hall to browse the Web site and purchase subscriptions. By month’s end, PPC had exceeded its projected sales of subscriptions for June.

Developed in the mold of The Thoughtful Christian — PPC’s popular ecumenical resource center for Christian education — The Presbyterian Leader features an online version of the Presbyterian Worship Planner plus sections devoted to doctrine and beliefs, leadership and worship and preaching. Each section contains studies on a range of topics related to these areas. In addition to the topical studies, individuals who subscribe to the site will receive several exclusive benefits: twice-monthly “Leader Reader” bulletins that address various tasks of leadership; the complete Presbyterian Worship Planner; and downloadable certificates. The price of an annual subscription is $99.00 and renewals are $75.00. Churches and individuals also have the option of ordering materials from the site for a per-item fee.

PPC President and Publisher Marc Lewis said, “We are thrilled to have had such an opportunity to introduce The Presbyterian Leader. We are pleased that early responses from PC(USA) leaders have been incredibly positive. The Presbyterian Leader is undoubtedly an important resource, and PPC looks forward to adding more material to the site, making it a vital tool for all leaders of PC(USA) congregations.” 

David Maxwell, Executive Editor of The Presbyterian Leader and The Thoughtful Christian, adds, “PPC began this project by planning the upgrade of its popular Presbyterian Worship Planner, Version 2.0 CD-ROM. That upgrade eventually evolved into this comprehensive online resource that will help meet the needs of all PC(USA) leaders.”

PPC involved staff from the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Mission Council in discussions about The Presbyterian Leader and will continue to involve them as additional material is developed. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the Office of the General Assembly, and Linda Bryant Valentine, Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council, wrote, “Developed by Presbyterians for Presbyterians, this new site offers a broad range of content designed to support congregational leaders and to help build new leaders.”

Two days prior to the start of Big Tent and the launch of The Presbyterian Leader, the PPC Board of Directors held its meeting in Atlanta. PPC management reported better-than-expected sales for the first four months of the year and projected strong sales of several titles.
Ken Godshall, Chair of the PPC Board of Directors, said, “The Board of Directors is pleased that financial results remain steady in spite of a difficult economic environment and the challenges of investing for the future.” The board applauded the work of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song, the continued growth of The Thoughtful Christian, the launch of The Presbyterian Leader, and an especially strong list of new books that will be published in 2009.

PPC President and Publisher Marc Lewis informed the board of an expanded partnership with Congregational Ministries Publishing (CMP) and the Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS) of the General Assembly Mission Council. This expanded arrangement entails CMP promoting books and resources published by PPC as supplemental material. PC(USA) churches ordering denominational curriculum published by CMP will also be able to order a selection of PPC books and resources by calling PDS at (800) 524-2612.  Lewis remarked, “While Cokesbury continues to serve as PPC’s official distributor to Presbyterians, this expanded partnership will provide for a wider availability of our resources. This will aid Presbyterian pastors and educators in choosing and using PPC books and resources as supplements to the official denominational curriculum and it will help ensure that PPC books continue to be recognized as important resources for the biblical and theological education and spiritual nourishment of Presbyterians.” 

Jennifer Cox, PPC’s Executive Director of Marketing and Production, unveiled a plan to present the PC(USA) with the Calvin Reading Challenge. PPC will send one free copy of John Calvin, Reformer for the 21st Century by William Stacy Johnson to 3,000 congregations along with a letter encouraging the pastor and the congregation to read the new book, written for lay readers and perfect for group discussion, by year’s end. All churches are invited to participate in the challenge and those who are interested can order copies of the book at a special discount by calling PDS at (800) 524-2612. The Reading Challenge is one way that PPC is participating in the church-wide emphasis to celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of John Calvin’s birth. More information, along with a complete list of PPC’s titles on John Calvin, is available online.

Cox adds, “Calvin is more than just a figure from history. His life and work — both infused with his passion for the reform of the church — had a continuing impact through the centuries, not only on the church but on society in general. We believe this book is an invaluable resource for those who seek an accessible way into a deeper understanding of Calvin’s role in the development of today’s Christian faith.”

PPC management also presented plans for PPC to begin operating the bookstore at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and to continue its partnership with Columbia Theological Seminary to develop works related to Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, the best-selling commentary series edited by David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor.

PPC announced to the board that Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, had agreed to become a consulting editor for PPC. Gaventa is a Presbyterian elder and author of Our Mother St. Paul and First and Second Thessalonians, a volume in the acclaimed Interpretation series. In addition, Dr. Gaventa is coeditor of the three Texts for Preaching volumes; Blessed One; and The Ending of Mark and the Ends of God. She joins PPC consulting editors Thomas G. Long, Patrick D. Miller and W. Eugene March.

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is the official denominational publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is a completely self-sustaining agency of the General Assembly. With a publishing heritage that dates back more than 170 years, PPC publishes under four imprints: Westminster John Knox Press, Geneva Press, The Thoughtful Christian and The Presbyterian Leader. It publishes approximately 80 books each year, produces four issues each of These Days and Theology Today, and maintains a backlist of more than 1,700 titles that are sold throughout the world. These works seek to glorify God by contributing to the spiritual and intellectual vitality of Christ’s church. To that end, PPC publishes resources that advance religious scholarship, stimulate conversation about moral values and inspire faithful living.