Tag: Jemar Tisby

Platform to feature prominent black pastors like Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

(Nashville, Tenn.) February 1, 2022—Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI) and HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) today announced the launch of UrbanFaithStudy.com a subscription-based digital platform offering churches and individuals a regularly expanding library of more than 100 video sermons and study curricula from well-known African American Christian voices. UrbanFaithStudy.com is a co-launched consumer-direct product created by UMI and HCCP, a result of the partnership the organizations announced in November 2020. UrbanFaithStudy.com will be an extension of UrbanFaith, a contemporary and socially engaged community and brand, targeting African American young adults committed to growing in their knowledge of biblical truth.

UrbanFaithStudy.com will offer culturally relevant, topical sermons delivered by pastors such as Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III; Dr. Dominique Robinson; and husband and wife team Pastor Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes and Pastor Andrew Wilkes. Bishop Walker is the International Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship and pastor of the historic 30,000-member Mount Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. Dr. Robinson is a religious scholar, theological educator, preacher, writer, activist, and advocate, who serves as an assistant professor of preaching at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. Her sermon “iHomiletic™: Preaching that Clicks,” has been used to assist faith leaders across the U.S. with developing impactful ministry methodologies that employ technology and social media linguistics.[1] HBCU and Ivy League–educated pastors Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes and Andrew Wilkes co-founded the Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn, NY, which is a growing congregation of believers committed to the liberating, love-powered ministry of Jesus.

“I am pleased to see this robust and unique platform featuring strong voices and transformative messages by African American pastors and authors,” remarked Jeff Wright, CEO of UMI. “I know it will be a blessing to many people.”

UrbanFaithStudy.com will also launch with book study curricula for readers who are looking for deeper engagement and group study content that engage the church with culturally relevant topics. These curricula are by well-known African American voices including New York Times bestselling author Jemar Tisby; beloved author and speaker Crystal Evans Hurst; Grammy Award-winning artist, Lecrae; and Bible teacher, pastor, and author, Jada Anae Edwards.

“When teaming up with UMI more than a year ago, we knew creating a video platform to host engaging, life-changing biblical content would showcase both organizations’ ability to reach new audiences,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “The church is evolving; becoming more dependent on technology to deliver sermons, Bible studies, and other curricula.  When designing UrbanFaithStudy.com we used our strengths to achieve more than we could if we had each approached the project separately.”

UrbanFaithStudy.com will serve a range of consumers including church congregations, divinity students, young preachers, and individuals seeking to understand how faith informs cultural engagement. The monthly subscription is $5.95 for individuals and $19.95 for churches. To subscribe, visit UrbanFaithStudy.com.

UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.) is the largest independent religious media and publishing company serving the African American market. Founded in 1970 in Chicago, IL., by Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr., UMI creates positive, transformative analog and digital content based on a biblical worldview that is especially empowering to the African American community. UMI offices are in suburban Chicago. UMI exists to disseminate culture changing, biblically sound content and has tremendous credibility in producing high quality material reaching millions of people throughout the globe.

About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. comprises the Thomas Nelson, Zondervan and HarperChristian Resources publishing groups and imprint, BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com, StudyGateway.com and ChurchSource.com. The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum audio and digital content for the Christian market space. Bible Gateway is the world’s largest Christian website with more than 20 million unique visitors each month. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico. For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.​

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[1] https://ssw.edu/about-southwest/faculty/dominique-robinson/

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 1, 2021—Today, HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced Ryan Pazdur’s promotion to v-p and publisher for Zondervan Reflective and Study Resources. In this role, Pazdur will lead and manage the publishing programs for both product groups, including the acquisition, editorial development, and overall title strategy.

Pazdur joined Zondervan 13 years ago and has spent the past 10 years serving as associate publisher and executive editor. Pazdur began his tenure at the company acquiring and editing church, ministry, and academic books, and in 2019 helped lead the launch of the Zondervan Reflective imprint. Prior to this he spent 11 years as a pastor, while also working as a freelance editor. As associate publisher, Pazdur worked on New York Times bestseller The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby, as well as with award-winning authors Timothy Keller and Pete Scazzero. He has also developed and shepherded publishing partnerships with the Exponential Network, The Gospel Coalition, Saddleback, North Point Ministries, and Seedbed Publishing. Pazdur earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and Bachelor of Science in engineering from Hope College, a Master of Divinity from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology in systematic theology from Calvin Theological Seminary.

“Ryan’s education, pastoral experience, and editorial expertise have prepared him well to take on the publishing leadership of Zondervan Reflective and Study Resources,” commented Stan Gundry, senior v-p, Group Publisher, and Zondervan editor-in-chief. “Ryan has not only acquired and edited bestsellers but has been the driving force in launching and guiding the Zondervan Reflective imprint. I have full confidence in his ability to lead this capable team.”

Pazdur remarked, “I’m grateful every day for the work I do—partnering with our authors and our amazing team to bring timely and significant content to our readers. I’m excited to step into this new role and continue serving our authors and readers by publishing books that encourage, challenge, and stretch their thinking while helping them better engage God’s Word in everyday life.”

To learn more about Zondervan Reflective, visit zondervan.com/zondervanreflective.

Grand, Rapids, Mich. (Sept. 14, 2020)— Zondervan Reflective, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, today announced The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby has sold more than 100,000 copies in print, audio and digital formats.

“We are so pleased that The Color of Compromise has reached this milestone. We are proud to be Jemar’s publisher and thankful that his message is resonating with readers at this crucial moment in American history,” said Stan Gundry, senior vice president and publisher of Zondervan Academic and Reflective. “It is our hope that Jemar’s words will change the hearts and minds of everyone they touch.”

In The Color of Compromise, Tisby surveys America’s racial past, from early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War, Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights era, to the Black Lives Matter movement, uncovering the roots of sustained injustice. He exposes the concrete and chilling ways people of faith have actively worked against racial justice, and the deafening silence or overt opposition of the white evangelical majority. Tisby also charts a path forward with intriguing ideas that challenge readers to reverse these patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, and immediate action.

“I’m feeling a mix of emotions,” said Tisby, who is co-founder and  president of  The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and a Ph.D candidate in history at the University of Mississippi. “Hitting this milestone is great news. But at the same time, knowing what it took to get here and what sparked this renewed interest in the topic of racial justice is sobering.”

Nearly 18 months after its release, The Color of Compromise landed on the New York Times Best Seller list in June 2020, in the Paperback Nonfiction category where it remained for three weeks. It also appeared on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists and is a Library Journal’s Best Books and The Englewood Review Book of the Year 2019 winner.

In his next book, How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, Tisby enables readers to become proactive initiators of racial justice by offering an array of actionable items to confront racism in everyday life. Far more than a simple list of items to do, it also provides a simple framework to help readers consistently interrogate their own actions and maintain a posture of anti-racist action. How to Fight Racism releases in January 2021.

About the Author:

Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, where he writes about race, religion, politics, and culture and cohosts the Pass The Mic podcast. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and CNN. His latest piece for The Atlantic is “The Familial Language of Black Grief.” Tisby is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi with a focus on race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.  

About Zondervan:

Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich.  For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Contact:  Amy Bigler

                 Senior Manager of Publicity

                 [email protected]

Grand, Rapids, Mich. (June 23, 2020) —The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby has landed on the New York Times Best Sellers list for June 28, 2020, at #13 in the Paperback Nonfiction category.

“Naturally we are pleased with the renewed interest in The Color of Compromise. But it’s not just the number of units sold. More importantly, we are proud to be Jemar’s publisher and thankful that his message is resonating with readers at this pivotal moment in American history. It is our hope that his words will change the hearts and minds of everyone they touch,” said Stan Gundry, senior vice president and publisher of Zondervan Academic and Reflective.

“I’m feeling a mix of emotions right now,” says Tisby, who is co-founder and president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi. “It’s great news that my book has made the New York Times Best Sellers list. But at the same time, knowing what it took to get there and what sparked this renewed interest in the topic of racial justice—the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and on and on—is sobering.”

In the aftermath of those tragedies, people also seem to be turning to books: The Color of Compromise is one of 13 out of 15 books on the list that address racial justice.

In The Color of Compromise, Tisby surveys America’s racial past, from early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War, Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights era, to the Black Lives Matter movement, uncovering the roots of sustained injustice. He exposes the concrete and chilling ways people of faith have actively worked against racial justice, and the deafening silence or overt opposition of the white evangelical majority. Historically, the majority of the American church has failed to speak out against this evil.

“Paradoxically, although this is a book about the past,” Tisby writes, “it is really about the future of the American church.” He charts a path forward with intriguing ideas that challenge us to reverse these patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, and immediate action.

Tisby’s next book, How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, will be released on January 21, 2021.

The paperback edition of The Color of Compromise was released on January 7, 2020 from Zondervan Reflective, an imprint of HarperCollins; the hardcover debuted on January 22, 2019. The publisher has made The Color of Compromise video study available for free streaming on Amazon Prime Video; it has over 500,000 minutes streamed since May 28.

About the Author:

Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, where he writes about race, religion, politics, and culture and cohosts the Pass The Mic podcast. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and CNN. His latest piece for The Atlantic is “The Familial Language of Black Grief.” Tisby is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi with a focus on race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.

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The Color of Compromise:

The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism

by Jemar Tisby

Zondervan Reflective

The Color of Compromise is available in softcover, ebook, and audiobook editions. The Color of Compromise Video Study: DVD, Streaming The publisher has recently activated these on Amazon Prime Videos so people with Prime memberships can stream them for free. The Color of Compromise – Study Guide (Coming 12/20)

Contact: Amy Bigler, 616-698-3514

[email protected]

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism to release January 2019

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 14, 2018 — Jemar Tisby, president and co-founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, has signed on to publish his first book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, with Zondervan in January 2019.

Tisby will reveal the chilling connection between the church and racism throughout American history. He will survey the many ways Christians have reinforced theories of racial superiority and inferiority, and he will provide motivation for readers to take a series of bold actions—which must be performed to forge a future of equity and justice.

Tisby has written about race, religion, and culture for The Washington Post, CNN, Vox, Christianity Today and The New York Times. He is the co-host of the Pass The Mic podcast, which is frequently rated as one of the top 100 religion and faith podcasts on iTunes.

Tisby is a PhD student in history at the University of Mississippi, studying race and religion in the 20th century, and he has spoken to thousands at colleges, conferences, and churches across the country on such topics as “Understanding the Heart Cry of Black Lives Matter,” “The Historical Politics of Race in America,” and “The Image of God and the Minority Experience.” In 2017, the Religion News Association recognized him for excellence in student religion reporting for his articles on the police-related killings of unarmed black citizens.

“I could not be more pleased to have Jemar publishing with Zondervan,” says Stanley N. Gundry, SVP and publisher, Zondervan. “For the last 35 years I have been committed to giving a publishing platform to African-American Christian leaders. Jemar’s voice and expertise is a welcome addition to this publishing program, and the message of this, his debut book, is urgently needed at this moment in our nation.”

The Color of Compromise was acquired for publication by Zondervan’s team responsible for Reflective books. Tisby is represented by Erik S. Wolgemuth of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc. The Color of Compromise will be supported by national advertising and publicity campaigns.

About Zondervan:

Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.