Nazarene Publishing House
Encyclopedia
Nazarene Publishing House (NPH), the publishing arm of the Church of the Nazarene
, is the largest publisher of Wesleyan
-Holiness literature in the world. and has been located at 2923 Troost Avenue
, Kansas City, Missouri
since its foundation in 1912. NPH prints more than 25 million pieces of literature each year, and processes more than 250,000 orders each year from more than 11,000 churches from many denominations.
in 1911 recommended that the infant denomination’s three publishing companies (then located in Rhode Island
, Texas
, and Los Angeles, California
) each founded by a different Nazarene parent body, consolidate into “one central publishing company” and merge their three papers into one strong paper. The newly created Pentecostal Nazarene Publishing House was sited at 2923 Troost Avenue
, Kansas City, Missouri
, in 1912, with Clarence J. Kinne, a Nazarene ordained minister, as its first manager.
The Herald of Holiness, the new weekly paper, edited by B. F. Haynes, appeared for the first time in April 1912. The Other Sheep (later World Mission) magazine began publication in 1913 under founding editor Charles Allen McConnell (born 19 June 1860 in Valparaiso, Indiana
; died c.1950), who was NPH manager from 1916 to 1918. Both magazines were published until 1999, when they were discontinued in favor of Holiness Today, a new publication. In the meantime, Spanish, Portuguese, and French editions of Herald of Holiness appeared over the years.
Lillenas Publishing, which was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana
in 1925 by Nazarene minister and composer Haldor Lillenas
(born 19 November 1885 at Stord Island, Norway
; died 18 August 1959 at Aspen, Colorado
). Lillenas was purchased by NPH in 1930.
of the Church of the Nazarene who has oversight of NPH.
publishers in the world, providing dozens of new musical arrangements each year. Lillenas owns more than 20,000 song copyright
s. Lillenas' primary focus is creating and providing "worship
resource for the medium and small church", and serves more than 50,000 churches around the world each year.
Lillenas is a not-for-profit organization. Lillenas profits go to support mission efforts around the world including: education, compassionate ministries, as well as other humanitarian efforts.
-based, Wesleyan
-Holiness
curriculum
resources for all ages. Its resources are designed through the cooperative efforts of The Salvation Army
, Church of the Nazarene
, Wesleyans
, Evangelical Friends
, Free Methodists
, and Evangelical
United Methodists. WordAction is a part of the Nazarene Publishing House and has become the world's leading provider of holiness Sunday School lessons and curriculum for children, youth, and adult Sunday School, as well as a leading provider of small group resources and devotional material for family or personal daily devotional times.
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
, is the largest publisher of Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
-Holiness literature in the world. and has been located at 2923 Troost Avenue
Troost Avenue
Troost Avenue or Troost is a major north/south main street that runs in Kansas City, Missouri. It starts at 4th Street & Troost Avenue at Garrison Square and ends at Bannister Road & Troost Avenue. Troost Avenue was named after one of the founders of Kansas City, Dr...
, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
since its foundation in 1912. NPH prints more than 25 million pieces of literature each year, and processes more than 250,000 orders each year from more than 11,000 churches from many denominations.
History
The Third General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene held in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1911 recommended that the infant denomination’s three publishing companies (then located in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) each founded by a different Nazarene parent body, consolidate into “one central publishing company” and merge their three papers into one strong paper. The newly created Pentecostal Nazarene Publishing House was sited at 2923 Troost Avenue
Troost Avenue
Troost Avenue or Troost is a major north/south main street that runs in Kansas City, Missouri. It starts at 4th Street & Troost Avenue at Garrison Square and ends at Bannister Road & Troost Avenue. Troost Avenue was named after one of the founders of Kansas City, Dr...
, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in 1912, with Clarence J. Kinne, a Nazarene ordained minister, as its first manager.
The Herald of Holiness, the new weekly paper, edited by B. F. Haynes, appeared for the first time in April 1912. The Other Sheep (later World Mission) magazine began publication in 1913 under founding editor Charles Allen McConnell (born 19 June 1860 in Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
; died c.1950), who was NPH manager from 1916 to 1918. Both magazines were published until 1999, when they were discontinued in favor of Holiness Today, a new publication. In the meantime, Spanish, Portuguese, and French editions of Herald of Holiness appeared over the years.
Lillenas Publishing, which was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 1925 by Nazarene minister and composer Haldor Lillenas
Haldor Lillenas
Haldor Lillenas was "one of the most important twentieth-century gospel hymn writers and publishers" and is regarded as "the most influential Wesleyan / Holiness songwriter and publisher in the 20th century"...
(born 19 November 1885 at Stord Island, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
; died 18 August 1959 at Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
). Lillenas was purchased by NPH in 1930.
Relationship with the Church of the Nazarene
NPH is a separate corporate entity from the Church of the Nazarene, although it is accountable to the church. NPH has a Board of Directors and is also accountable to one of the six General SuperintendentsGeneral Superintendent (Church of the Nazarene)
General Superintendent is the highest elected office within the Church of the Nazarene. General Superintendents are elected by the General Assembly of the denomination for a four year term to expire at the end of the next General Assembly....
of the Church of the Nazarene who has oversight of NPH.
Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City
The primary label under which books are published is Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.Lillenas
Lillenas Publishing Company is one of the largest church musicChurch music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
publishers in the world, providing dozens of new musical arrangements each year. Lillenas owns more than 20,000 song copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s. Lillenas' primary focus is creating and providing "worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
resource for the medium and small church", and serves more than 50,000 churches around the world each year.
Lillenas is a not-for-profit organization. Lillenas profits go to support mission efforts around the world including: education, compassionate ministries, as well as other humanitarian efforts.
Word Action
Sunday school curriculum is published under the label Word Action. The WordAction Publishing Company is a not-for-profit organization that provides BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
-based, Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
-Holiness
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
resources for all ages. Its resources are designed through the cooperative efforts of The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
, Wesleyans
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
, Evangelical Friends
Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends Church International is a branch of Quaker yearly meetings around the world that profess evangelical Christian beliefs.- History :...
, Free Methodists
Free Methodist Church
The Free Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement. It is evangelical in nature and has its roots in the Arminian-Wesleyan tradition....
, and Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
United Methodists. WordAction is a part of the Nazarene Publishing House and has become the world's leading provider of holiness Sunday School lessons and curriculum for children, youth, and adult Sunday School, as well as a leading provider of small group resources and devotional material for family or personal daily devotional times.