From John and Pat Halford, Europe
By John Halford
There was a time when the WCG published in several European languages. This aspect of our worldwide work became an early casualty of the cutbacks of the last few years.
One by one, as it became harder for the parent church to maintain the support staff and facilities, these international editions had to be canceled.
It might have seemed that the international publishing effort was over. But publishing the gospel, along with preaching it, seems to be part of our church's DNA. In the past few years, a network of locally produced magazines has sprung up. Today, the publishing aspect of our church is alive and well in Europe.
We thought you would like to see a quick review of the European produced magazines.
GermanyThe German Office in Bonn produces Nachfolge, which means, approximately, discipleship. The circulation is about 6,000, with readers in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. Nachfolge is designed as an interdenominational Christian magazine, emphasizing discipleship and sound biblical doctrine. The editor in chief is Santiago Lange, and the day to day managing is done by Sylvia Mair.
Nachfolge is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who request it, as means allow. Nachfolge has been well received among the evangelical community in Germany, and has attracted quality contributions from writers from other denominations. Nachfolge readers contribute a high percentage of the income of the German church at this time. The small staff hopes to expand circulation, while steadily improving the quality in the next year.
BulgariaAn offshoot of the German publishing effort is a magazine published in Bulgaria. Holy Truth is the result of a cooperative effort between the German Office and Bulgarian- based Nikolay Nikolayev. Nikolay's dream is to reach with the gospel his people who were deprived of Christianity by two generations of communism. His magazine now has a circulation of about 3,000.
The content is based on articles published in Nachfolge, and some of the other European magazines, along with material by Bulgarian writers. The German church provides the paper, and with the help of congregations in Holland, has raised the money to buy an updated press.
FranceLa Vie Chretienne (The Christian Life) is produced by our office in Paris. Donat Picard is the editor, assisted by copy editor Dominique Martin De La Cruz. Marie-Angelique Alcindor is responsible for public relations and design.
La Vie Chretienne is published quarterly, and has a circulation of about 7,000. Although finances are a struggle, the quality is steadily improving. Editorial content is a mix of material submitted by writers from France, and translated material previously published in the church's other publications. An Internet web site is also under development.
The United Kingdom's magazine has just completed its fifth year of publication. Circulation is well above 20,000 with a waiting list of several thousand. The editor is John Halford, assisted by Mary Hammond, public relations and production consultant; Michelle Powell, production assistant; and Bronwyn Silcox, proofreader.
The goal is to provide "food for the spiritually homeless." Millions of people have an appetite for spiritual things and try to sustain themselves with astrology, New Age and fringe spirituality. Most people in Britain have lost contact with the churches, and know hardly anything about the Bible. We want our readers to begin to see that Christianity is a relevant approach to life.
The 32-page magazine is published bi-monthly. About half the copy is supplied by WCG members. The rest is commissioned from outside our denomination. We have no trouble getting material from Britain's top Christian writers. Time and money are our main challenges. We could probably expand our circulation tenfold in a couple of months if we had the resources.
A few months ago we went on-line. We invite you to look at our web site, where you'll find the full text of our two latest editions. We have learned that many people around the world have become regular cyber-subscribers.
Rather than publish a magazine, the churches in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland work together to produce a series of booklets under the general title Livets Kilde Hefter (Source of Life). Circulation is about 1,500 copies. Editor Carl Frederick Aas explains, "Our intention is to serve Christians in whatever denomination they belong and to explain to the nonbeliever basic and important Christian questions."
The program is an inter-Scandinavian effort. The booklets are written by Mr. Aas, Scandinavian pastor, assisted by one or two other members. Roy Ostensen, previously editor of the Norwegian magazine, together with several other members, do the proofreading.
Our church in Stockholm, Sweden, makes the Bible test, which appears in each booklet. Eva and Alan Beal (in Malmo, Sweden) are responsible for the layout and production. The booklets are packed and sent out by the church in Copenhagen, Denmark. Everything is done on a voluntary basis.
Plans include inviting readers to discussion groups. The church is also producing the Bible on cassette and CDs, which are sent as a token of appreciation to those who support the efforts financially.
SpainThe church in Spain produces Verdad y Vida (Truth and Life), a bi-monthly magazine with a circulation of 1,300 (including 200 in Colombia). Although once a religious country, modern Spain has pretty much abandoned Christianity. Editor Pedro Rufian explains that Verdad y Vida reaches out to the unchurched and non-Christians with the gospel.
Editing, translation and production is a team effort among the Spanish members. Content is based on articles translated from the U.K. magazine, along with Spanish-language articles contributed by members in Spain and Latin America. Verdad y Vida shows a small profit. Although free, contributions from readers slightly exceed production costs.
Holland The Dutch church has for the last four years produced the bi-monthly magazine Lifeline. The editorial team recognizes that Holland has become a biblically illiterate society, with little understanding of Christianity. Lifeline's goal is to reach people in nonreligious terms, helping them to see that the truth of the Bible is indeed a lifeline in a world that has lost contact with God. Editor Jesse Korver wants to expand the circulation by advertising and distribution on public transport.
This island country in the Mediterranean was once part of the British Empire, and nearly everyone speaks English. The U.K. magazine has a circulation of several hundred. The church in Malta has begun producing a four-page insert carrying articles of interest to readers in Malta. At least one article is published in the Maltese language. Tony and Dora Stagno spearhead this effort.
We have learned that publishing in Italy is a complicated business, but Daniel Bosch is working through the complexities, and the Italian church hopes to be publishing something later this year.
We in Europe recognize that compared to the impressive media we had a decade ago, our efforts to publish the gospel are modest. Yet in many ways, we believe these magazines are having more effect.
The denominational magazine had to be general, and only one or two pages were available for local content. They were, without question, beautifully produced, but they were exotic foreign plants--and thus vulnerable. Their successors are written and produced in the countries of origin, and the focus can be tighter.
Because the publications are based, written and produced locally, they are also indigenous species. In every case, we'd like to improve. But, if need be, we can also keep going if things become harder. Nikolay from Bulgaria has shown us that where there is a will and a press, the gospel can be published. We are working hard over here to do our part.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2001