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About Us

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation creates resources that advance faith and study, foster vision and imagination, and inspire action and justice. We value contemporary interpretations of the Bible and practices of Christian belief, even as we build on the wisdom of our tradition. We believe in the transformative power of conversations from differing perspectives, pressing us toward God’s purpose for all creation.

Mission Statement

Introducing the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Who We Are

For nearly 200 years the purpose of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has been to enlighten, educate, and challenge our readers. Through our main imprint, Westminster John Knox Press, we publish books for three main audiences: academics, clergy, and general readers. Our several lines of curriculum in Growing Faith Resources provide sustenance for those in church study groups. And our newest imprint, Flyaway Books, helps children understand the Bible and the world around them.

 

We operate as a nonprofit organization. We do this so we can publish works that will make a difference in the world, not just capitalize on what is popular at the moment. We believe our resources make a positive difference not just in the church, not just among Christians, but in the wider society as well.

 

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) is the official denominational publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We are a 501(3)c nonprofit, and one of the seven agencies and entities of the General Assembly. (The others are the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Office of the General Assembly, the Board of Pensions, the Presbyterian Foundation, the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation. PPC was created by the General Assembly to be financially self-sustaining, meaning it exists solely on the sale of its books and resources, and has editorial autonomy in what we publish.

 

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is an independent organization whose Board of Directors is elected by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  Our imprints and product lines currently include Westminster John Knox Press, Flyaway Books, Growing Faith Resources, These Days daily devotional, and PCUSAStore.com.

 

With worldwide distribution of more than 2,500 titles, PPC continues to build one of the most successful and respected publishing programs in the fields of church, academic, and general religious publishing, a program recognized around the world for challenging works by leading authors.

 

 

What We Do

  • We publish some of the best academic religious books in the country, especially in the areas of biblical studies and theology

  • We publish preaching resources and commentaries, including venerated series like Interpretation and Feasting on the Word

  • We publish progressive books for general readers on topics of race, LGBTQ+, immigration, and other social justice issues

  • We publish more than ten lines of curriculum for the church, in English, Spanish, and Korean

  • We publish the hymnal for the denomination, Glory to God

 

Our Financial Model

We are a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation. We are self-funding, with no claim on PC(USA) mission funding. We subsist on our annual sales of books and curriculum, with a small investment portfolio. In 2021, we began a fundraising campaign to assist us as sales of curriculum and hymnals to churches began to decline. If you are interested in learning more about making a donation, click here.   

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Our History

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation traces its beginnings to 1833, with the founding of the Presbyterian Tract Society in Philadelphia. When the Presbyterian Church split over slavery and other issues, two distinct imprints were formed: Westminster Press in the north, and John Knox Press in the south. With the reunion of the denomination in 1988, Westminster John Knox Press was born. In 1994, we were spun off from the church’s mission agency to become our own nonprofit corporation, with no claim on mission funding.

 

Our books were some of the first to explore feminist theology, liberation theology, and Christianity in popular culture. In addition, we are known for biblical studies resources, preaching commentaries, and books for general readers on social justice issues.

 

We publish approximately 50 new books per year and maintain a backlist of 2,500 titles. In addition, we publish more than ten lines of curriculum in Spanish, Korean, and English for children, youth, and adults. Some of the noteworthy titles we have published include:

 

1958—The Daily Study Bible series, by William Barclay

1962—Race and the Renewal of the Church, by Will Campbell

1966—The Gospel according to Peanuts, by Robert Short

1974—Human Liberation in a Feminist Perspective, by Letty Russell

1977—The Bible Makes Sense, by Walter Brueggemann

1981—Publication of the first volume in the Interpretation commentary series

1982—Prophesy Deliverance!, by Cornel West

1992—Women’s Bible Commentary, edited by Carol Newsom and Sharon Ringe

2008—Publication of the first volumes in the Feasting on the Word commentary series

2107—Publication of the first books in the new children’s book imprint, Flyaway Books

2018—Publication of the first volumes in the Connections commentary series

2021—Publication of the first units in the new curriculum series, Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living

2022—If God Is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk, by John Pavlovitz

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Our Statement of Confession, Repentance,
and Repair for the Sins of Racism

Our Confession and Repentance

In the Confession of 1967 of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we understand and believe, “The reconciling act of God in Jesus Christ exposes the evil in people as sin in the sight of God. In sin, people claim mastery of their own lives, turn against God and each other, and become exploiters and despoilers of the world. They lose their humanity in futile striving and are left in rebellion, despair, and isolation” (The Book of Confessions, 9.12). In our missional identity as part of the church of Jesus Christ, we, the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, an agency of the PC(USA), repent for our participation and complicity in the sin of racism, particularly but not exclusively of anti-black animus.

 

We recognize that “Racism is the non-scientific, non-factual belief that certain racial groups are superior to others and therefore have an inherent right to control, dominate, subordinate, enslave, or even annihilate ‘inferior’ individuals or groups.” With our foundational roots beginning in 1883, we confess that our history includes perpetuating and contributing to ideologies of racism that promote whiteness as supreme in the theological, ethical, biblical, congregational, and other resources we have published. Our decisions regarding who and what we publish have reflected in the past an anti-black animus and the supremacy of whiteness. They expose the corporate sin in our policies and practices throughout our organization, in our company culture, and among our relationships in the publishing industry. We understand that God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ precedes our repentance but is not complete without it.

 

At PPC, we are committed to a full and complete posture of repentance and reparations in thought, word, and deed by living into the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This means actively resisting all forms of oppression—including those that ensnare us in our own delusional narratives about the superiority of whiteness and those that are inflicted upon others to diminish, deprive, degrade, dehumanize, and destroy. In submission to the Holy Spirit, we will continue to confess, pray, and amend our lives. While taking responsibility for our past, we make and will continue to make restitution and repentance in concrete ways that impact every aspect of our business.

 

We will continue to lead our beloved denomination with our full energy in shaping a more just future. We understand this as part of our ongoing, eternal work.

 

Our Work of Repair

Therefore, we commit to do the work of repair in the following two areas:

 

Commitments to Society

We affirm our identity explicitly and publicly as a publishing company operating toward and with racial justice in every facet of our work with the following three actions:

  • Reallocate all our resources, including budgets, to better serve marginalized and underrepresented readers, writers, and learners.

  • Reevaluate our marketing strategies to expand readership in nondominant cultural spaces annually.

  • Model being an equitable and inclusive religious publisher by using our influence to share power and create spaces where disinherited voices are incorporated in all areas of the larger industry.

 

Commitments to Our Staff

At least once a year, PPC will audit and change policies to hold ourselves accountable to our commitments in the following three actions:

  • Commit to creating a racially equitable culture in recruitment, hiring, and retention of employees.

  • Commit to recognizing and acknowledging the hard truths regarding the experiences of PPC staff who have been oppressed, disrespected, and ignored. This work will include acknowledging the impact of our actions, being accountable for our biases, and making amends for their impact.

  • Provide training that is appropriate for where people are on issues of bias, race, racism, and white privilege as part of what we do and in accordance with our work as publishers.
     

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  1. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), “The Confession of 1967: Inclusive Language Text,” https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/confess67.pdf.

  2. The World Health Coalition, “The WMHC Urges Consideration of Racism as a Cultural Disorder,” https://worldmhc.org/racism-as-a-cultural-disorder/, accessed 4/25/2022, accessed 4/25/2022.

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