Photograph by Aaron Burden via Unsplash

As the senior editor of Judson Press, I attend many church conferences to work at the bookstores. I have traveled across the United States, visiting with people from diverse denominations, traditions, cultures, and theological perspectives. At each of these meetings, I witness a near-universal excitement from ministry professionals as they enter the bookstore. “Oh, Judson Press! I remember Judson Press curriculum from when I was a kid.” “I save up my continuing ed money to get my books for the year when I come to [this conference]!” “Oh, I just love books. I have so many on my bookshelf at home that I really need to read, but I’m definitely picking these up!” “My [wife/husband/partner] is going to kill me if I pick up any more books, but I just can’t help myself.” I have lost count of how many times a year I hear some version of these phrases. Church professionals are reading professionals, with a love of learning and an excitement for ideas. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the conference bookstore.

However, as much as we value being a learned people who love the printed word, Christian publishing is challenged by the same pressures facing traditional denominational churches. Our once thriving Sunday Schools have dwindled, leaving an ever-shrinking demand for curriculum. As a result, curriculum development has been consolidated into fewer and fewer publishing houses, shrinking the pool of theological perspectives from which churches can draw. For example, Wood Lake Books, which published the Whole People of God curriculum, closed in 2023. While secular book publishers who have bought out some Christian publishers appear to thrive,[1] Protestant denominationally owned publishing houses struggle.

Many of us remember the closure of the Cokesbury physical bookstores in 2012. Then, the United Methodist Publishing House sold its campus in 2021. In 2024, UMC Discipleship Ministries eliminated much of its upper leadership, after having laid off nearly 24% of their publishing house staff in 2020, to keep the ministry self-sustaining. LifeWay Christian Resources, a Southern Baptist Convention publisher, closed its bookstores in 2019 and started laying off staff in 2020, indicating that this issue is not limited to the mainline churches. Neither of these ministries receives denominational funding, despite their strong association with a denomination. They are expected to be self-sustaining ministries. Additionally, the buildings that housed Wycliffe, Christianity Today, and LifeWay were either listed for sale or sold in recent years. While the reason the publishers gave for this change was a shift to remote work, remote work is a cost-saving measure. The loss of bookstores, physical buildings, and downsizing are emblematic of a more human story, however. Many people who had dedicated their gifts and skills to producing works in the service of God lost both their livelihood and the opportunity to work within their calling.

Judson Press is no stranger to the economic challenges of Christian publishing. Two centuries ago, the American Baptist General Tract Society formed, eventually renaming itself the American Baptist Publication Society. That entity, which started out publishing tracts and pamphlets about Baptist beliefs, grew to publish Sunday School curricula and books by the middle of the 19th century.[2] They were pioneers of the early Sunday School movement, with a mission to take the word of God to the West. They owned beautiful buildings in Philadelphia that housed many writers, editors, and production professionals. After the Judson Press trademark was adopted in 1922, we had bookstores or offices not only in Philadelphia but also in Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Toronto.[3] After being integrated into American Baptist Churches USA as part of Educational Ministries for many years, Judson Press was assigned to ABHMS in 2003. Today, we are a staff of five full-time employees working as a ministry of ABHMS alongside our colleagues who support us with sales, marketing, and finance. We also employ some dedicated, long-term contractors for specific projects. God willing, we are already right-sized to meet the demands of today’s publishing needs, but we are far from the booming publishing house that sent colporteurs and train cars to the American West.

Despite the warm, delighted greetings we receive as we travel with our bookstores — despite the fondness for education, reading, and books we see from ministry professionals — small to midsize Christian publishing houses have been facing downsizing, consolidation, or both. So, we must ask ourselves: do we value Christian publishing? Do we want to see a diversity of Christian perspectives available on the bookshelves of major retailers? If ministries that are expected to be self-sustaining through sales of curriculum and books are no longer sustainable, what does that say about our buying habits? As Matthew 6:21 reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Perhaps our hearts have moved on to other sources for media, if part of our treasure is not with the small Christian publishers.

In contrast to the major publishing houses, small to midsize Christian publishers produce far fewer books and much smaller print runs. This means they are less likely to benefit from economies of scale, the cost advantages that large enterprises gain due to the volume they purchase. A typical denominational press pays more for printing and warehousing books than the industry giants. Similarly, independent Christian bookstores cannot leverage the contracts for cheaper books with publishing houses that giant retailers can. We cannot hold small enterprises to the same cost expectations that we do the large ones, especially if we value their long-term existence.

If we value the mission of denominationally aligned Christian publishing houses, we need to be willing to support them, not only at conference bookstores but throughout the year. The simplest way of supporting these entities is by purchasing and using their products. If your church has moved away from a formal Sunday School curriculum, why not have a second look at an old favorite (if it still exists) or seek new favorites? What about your favorite daily devotional? These are typically low-cost subscriptions that bring daily inspiration. Finally, consider buying directly from the publishers you love. We can think of this like supporting a small, independent bookseller. Buying directly is the best way to ensure a publishing ministry can continue to bring you new authors while publishing old favorites. The actions we take today will impact what resources our children and grandchildren will have available in the future.