This summer we welcome thousands of new readers to CHRISTIANITY TODAY. A magazine is like a living creature, with new cells being added to its life constantly—in C.T.’s case, recent seminary graduates, pastors, church leaders, and active Christians of all sorts. By the end of this year we will have 175,000 subscribers, continuing the steady growth from 100,000 circulation three years ago. A warm welcome to each of you now joining us.
I would like to particularly thank circulation director Keith Stonehocker for his thorough and creative work in making this growth possible. Since joining us three years ago, he has analyzed, developed, adjusted, planned, and blue penciled our way toward an ever-more-refined program, maximizing growth while minimizing waste and inefficiencies. We greatly appreciate the exceptional work of Keith and his staff.
The conversion to our new subscription services is progressing well. Thanks for your patience in bearing with us. We are slowly but surely ironing out the wrinkles from our previous computer house and are looking forward to a minimum of problems in the future. Subscribers can now call direct to our computer services (201-366-1175), or write to CHRISTIANITY TODAY, P.O. Box 354, Dover, New Jersey 07801.
C.T. is also making good economic progress. This week marks one year in our new offices in Carol Stream, Illinois. Our building contributes to a firm financial base. We occupy only 37 per cent of the space and rent out the rest. Through the generosity of subscribers, friends, and foundations, we own the building debt-free, and the rent pays all our expenses. We’ve found many economic and publishing advantages in the area, and most employees live just a few minutes from work. Overall, we believe we have an efficient and effective operation.
We’re pleased at the progress. But we face greatly escalating costs. We must carefully evaluate every expenditure.
A longstanding area of discussion has been frequency of publication. Should we be weekly? Monthly? Biweekly? When C.T. was founded twenty-two years ago, the first proposal was to publish weekly. Board member Maxey Jarman pointed out many disadvantages (correctly, I believe), and it was agreed to publish fortnightly. (Technically, that’s twenty-six issues per year, but C.T. was first twenty-five, later twenty-four issues per year.)
For years our publishing consultants have pointed out that publishing so frequently during the summer vacation period is a financial drain. “They’re dead issues,” they argue. “Subscribers let them pile up because they’re not home. Advertisers are disinterested. You should combine issues.” Of course, there were counter arguments, and legitimate ones. But combining two summer issues does make good publishing sense, and all things considered, our board has decided to have one July and one August issue (July 21 and August 18 this year). We will continue to publish twice each month all year except July and August, for a total of twenty-two issues per year.
Current subscribers will not lose any issues as a result of this change. If you now have a year’s subscription left (twenty-four issues), you will be extended for the equivalent of two issues. Subscribers with less than one year will be extended the equivalent of one or two issues, depending on their number of months left. And those of you who have several years will receive one “bonus” month for each year. You’ll notice the adjustment on your mailing label on the July 21 issue.
The long-term savings of this approach to C.T. (about $50,000 per year now, and more as we grow) will help us cope with sharply rising costs and reduce the need for subsidies. At the same time, we can still maintain the news immediacy and freshness of a twice-monthly publication throughout all but the slow summer months.
Yet this adjustment certainly doesn’t solve all our inflation problems. We have not raised our subscription price for the past three years, since August 1975. During the same period, the consumer price index has gone up 25 per cent. You are all painfully aware of the squeeze this has placed on your personal budgets.
However, you are probably not aware of the dramatic price increases for postage and paper, two of our major publishing costs. During the same three-year period, our paper costs have increased 140 per cent. Postage has gone up 120 per cent. But the worst is yet to come. We recently received confirmation of a phased postal rate increase. Nonprofit organizations, like CHRISTIANITY TODAY, will be hit the hardest. The end of the phasing period is 1987, but the greatest rate of increase is within the next three years. Our second-class postage for mailing the magazine will increase another 160 per cent. Third-class rates for promotional mailings will go up 190 per cent. Despite all this, we remain optimistic, though obviously we must keep our pencils sharpened, and—eventually—raise prices.
On the more cheerful side, a further word about Maxey Jarman. Usually we do not mention birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones of our board members. However, we’re making an exception this issue—we are delighted to announce that Maxey and his gracious wife Sarah are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Congratulations to both of them!
Maxey has been a key member of the board since the inception of the magazine. Even though he was extremely busy building Genesco into a billion dollar corporation, he invested a great deal of time into building CHRISTIANITY TODAY. Throughout the magazine’s history, he has been a responsible board member, always available for advice on any problem, from buying a building to evaluating personnel. As chairman of the executive committee, he’s been most helpful to me—always ready to accept a challenge. He is thoroughly dedicated to perpetuating the fundamentals of the Christian faith, and though retired from his corporation, still loves to work and leads in a fully active, open manner. I’ve learned much from his wise counsel and objective approach. We’re delighted that they are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary in such vigorous health.
President, Christianity Today, Inc.
