Many of my friends from college and seminary days now have children in college and beyond. Since my two boys are only 10 and 6, I have a hard time relating to issues of empty nests and kids moving out. (By the way, as a service to my favorite readers, I am including a picture of these two handsome boys. What self-respecting dad could miss such an opportunity?)
I do, however, have one child that has reached 21 years of age. Preaching magazine was launched from my basement in July 1985, and over the years has grown to become one of the leading publications for preaching ministers. (At least that’s what you tell us!) And over the years, Preaching has moved beyond a single print publication to become a family of resources, including Preaching.com (where you’ll find Preaching On-Line), PreachingNow (a weekly email newsletter that now goes to more than 15,000 pastors and church leaders), the National Conference on Preaching and the International Congress on Preaching (slated for April 17-19 next year in Cambridge, England).
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While almost all of the major magazines for ministers are part of larger groups of publications, for most of those 21 years, Preaching has functioned as a free-standing operation. As costs have risen and the realties of publishing have changed, that has increasingly become a greater and greater challenge. And now, at age 21, Preaching is ready to become part of a larger family.
Effective June 1 (assuming the ink on the contracts dries properly), Preaching magazine and its related resources will become part of the Salem Publications family. Salem Communications is best-known for its 95 radio stations across the nation, most with a Christian talk or Christian music format. But Salem also has a non-broadcasting division that includes web resources (like Crosswalk.com, OnePlace.com and Christianity.com) and a publishing division, including publications like CCM and Youthworker Journal. Preaching is becoming part of the ministry publications family of Salem, and the current staff that produces Preaching will become part of the Salem Publications staff.
I’m convinced this is a great fit that will provide the financial stability we need to grow Preaching, and will also ensure its future as an ongoing resource for those who preach. The Salem team consists of committed evangelical leaders who have a commitment to providing resources and services that will advance Kingdom causes. They approached us because they believe in what Preaching is doing, they like the publication, and they want to help it grow and reach even more pastors and church leaders.
I look forward to being part of the Salem team and having the opportunity to participate in a growing organization with a Kingdom outlook. And I think this move will be a good one for our readers as well, though you probably won’t see any great difference in the publication itself. (You will send your mail to us at a different address, though still in the Nashville area. We just couldn’t convince all the Salem folks to move into our comfy little offices in Franklin.)
The most important part of the Preaching family continues to be you. Thanks for allowing us to be part of your ministry. And here’s to another 21 years of Kingdom service together.
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Michael Duduit is Editor of Preaching magazine and President of American Ministry Resources. You can write to him at michael@preaching.com, or visit his website at www.michaelduduit.com.