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This article was originally published in the September/October 1993 issue of The Christian Reader (which later became Today's Christian magazine). We post it now in memory of Dr. Ken Taylor, who passed away on June 10 at age 88.

Thirty-one years ago, Ken Taylor published Living Letters—a fresh, exciting paraphrase of the letters of Paul. Those became the first chapters of his Living Bible, the bestselling version that has sold multiple millions of copies worldwide.

But there was another publishing dream Taylor realized a year later. In October 1963, he launched a digest magazine, The Christian Reader. In a recent conversation, we talked about his goals of producing Christian literature for all people.

Why did you start The Christian Reader?

Taylor: The idea wasn't original: Reader's Digest was there to imitate. I began thinking of how to implement the idea, especially financially. I knew most Christians didn't read many Christian books and magazines. But if the material were presented to them from a variety of sources in a shortened form, it would make it easier for them.

Where did you find the money to launch a magazine?

Successive printings of Living Letters, released in 1962, gave us enough working capital to print our first issue of The Christian Reader We displayed it at the 1963 Christian Booksellers Convention (CBA) in Washington, D.C.

Did you do all the editing yourself?

Ted Miller, who was an editor at Scripture Press, and I were acquainted from church. The summer of 1962, our families were picnicking at the same park, and Ted and I began talking. In casual conversation we discovered, to our surprise, that we had been dreaming the same dream: to start a Christian digest magazine. Ted agreed to be the editor.

What difficulties did you have to overcome?

Receiving our second-class mailing permit from the United States Post Office was the first obstacle. A couple of men from Washington finally responded to our queries about the permit's delay. Referring to Reader's Digest, our secular magazine model, I asked the postal officials why that magazine could mail second class and we couldn't.

"Because they revise material," they said.

"We do, too," I assured them. The permit came soon after the conversation.

In 1965, the circulation seemed locked at 20,000 subscribers. Your dream was for it to reach many more people. What did you do?

It was a cold Sunday afternoon in January, and I felt deeply burdened about the magazine. So I put on a heavy coat and went out to the detached garage and shipping room where I could be alone and pray aloud. I spent an hour in front of the heater, giving God all the reasons—in detail—why I thought he should give us 100,000 subscribers within one year. He had done many miracles in behalf of Living Letters, so I was encouraged to expect the same for The Christian Reader.

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