Why do we need a new Christian Publisher? Four reasons for starting Fisherman's Press

 

Many Good Publishers

There are, no doubt, many good Christian Publishing companies in the world, so why start a new one? Well, for many years now, I have had a growing burden for books and materials that fit the following four descriptions:

ONE - Accessible

According to the New Testament, the church is taken, says the apostle Paul, from the ranks of the "not many... wise by human standards; not many... influential; not many... of noble birth." (1 Corinthians 1:26) Therefore, the majority of Christians in the world, both now and those who have yet been called, come from the ranks of the ordinary.

But turn to the back of almost any Christian book and you will find this: The author defines himself or herself by their non-ordinary secular qualifications/ achievements/ positions/ etc. And then when you read the commendations you get exactly the same thing. 

Ordinary readers feel either intimidated or alienated or both.

I have never yet seen a contemporary Christian book which says something like this, "Written by John Owen, a pastor from South London" or from the person commending the book, "Read this exciting book.... Clara Simmonds, bank clerk, Lloyds.

We need a publisher whose material will be accessible to the majority of the church and so written by and commended by ordinary Christians for ordinary Christians. 

TWO - Affordable

In the age of digital printing, you would be amazed at how cheap it is to produce books. But that price is rarely reflected in what most Christians publishers charge. There is a place for a Christian press which can produce affordable materials for churches which are not middle class and wealthy.

THREE - Practical

One of the greatest needs of our age is to train the next generation of deacons and elders with materials that have been practically road-tested in church life. This is a real lack in the Christian Publishing world, as far as I can see. 

FOUR - Translatable

Finally, since most of the world is non-western, and since the non-western part of the world is where the Gospel is most flourishing, we need materials which can be translated without a long tangle and trial of legal mumbo-jumbo to impede the progress and triple the price. All the material we produce will be easily translatable into any language, without any fees or red tape.

We pray that the Lord would use these humble efforts for his glorious Kingdom in the years to come.

Fisherman's Press