From Christianity’s earliest days, the written word was valued. The first believers transmitted and preserved the writings of the early church fathers carefully. Two millennia later, the Bible, and biblical resources, remain precious to believers.
Dr. Jeremiah Johnston welcomes Dwight Baker, a third-generation Christian publishing leader. The mission of his company, Baker Publishing Group, is to publish “high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.”
When secular publishing was in decline, Christian publishing was on the rise. Showing the relevance and diversity of faith-based views, the Baker Publishing Group includes several branches which tell the stories of Christian faith today, including Baker Academic.
While some believers don’t read as regularly as others, they can ultimately be served through the knowledge of their spiritual leaders, Baker says. “Our company serves nonreaders and does so eagerly through their pastors,” he says. “Church leaders have profound responsibility to direct their congregations to valuable literature and to engage nonreaders who speak spiritual guidance on a broad level. It’s hard to convert nonreaders into readers, but those who do read are serial readers.”
Yet, it is ideal when believers do choose to read, Johnston says, in order to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Johnston advises listeners to utilize resources to help them study the Bible including a Bible app, dictionary and commentaries.
Dwight Baker is president of Baker Publishing Group, following his father, Richard Baker, and grandfather, Herman Baker, who founded the company in 1939.
