(Nashville, TN) – The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) celebrated the dedication of its new campus in Nashville’s MetroCenter with a special ceremony on July 28th. Keeping its long established roots in vibrant Nashville, Tennessee, the company, previously located in the heart of downtown on 8th Avenue South directly across from the Music City Center, has relocated to its modern and technology rich 2222 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard address.
Known to some area residents as the old Fountain Square Mall complex, the publisher honored the environment and the local community by repurposing the pre-existing structure into the newly renovated John Dickins House main building. Named after historic people and places within the Methodist movement, the office building resides on the New House Commons campus along the banks of Lake Wesley and features the Georgia Harkness Library. The interior design utilizes historic artifacts such as old hand presses and early manuscripts of theological texts in a state-of-the-art facility that demonstrates the publisher’s forward-thinking mindset which serves as a continual catalyst to meeting the needs of the ever-changing Christian community which it serves.
Nashville’s Mayor Karl Dean spoke at the dedication ceremony and noted that “Nashville’s history as a magnet for publishing – whether religious publishers, music publishers or print publishers – has given us an edge as a creative, entrepreneurial city. The United Methodist Publishing House is an important asset for Nashville, and I appreciate all that they do to represent our city across the country. And I appreciate the investment they’re making right here in Nashville.”
Other special guests in attendance included UMPH board members, former board chairs, and William McAlilly, the Nashville Area UMC bishop.
“As we celebrate the dedication of the New House Commons Campus and The John Dickins House, we also rededicate ourselves to the on-going mission and ministry of the United Methodist Publishing House. We find ourselves in a new place, with new technologies, telling an ‘old, old story’ that still has relevance for today. It is an exciting time to be a part of this ministry of God's church,” shared Rev. R. Carl Frazier, Jr. who serves as chair of the Board of Directors for UMPH and lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Cary, North Carolina.
“It is an honor to dedicate our beautiful new facility to the mission of reaching more people in more places with the good news of Jesus Christ,” added President and Publisher Neil M. Alexander.
About UMPH
Located in Nashville, the United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) is a publisher and distributor to Christian clergy and laity, with primary responsibilities for the publishing and distribution for The United Methodist Church. The Publishing House is a fully self-supporting agency and receives no general church funds. UMPH develops, produces, and distributes materials ranging from academic monographs to Bibles, biblical reference works, Christian formation curriculum, several genres of books, and a wide variety of other print, digital and multimedia resources, and church supplies. UMPH currently generates approximately $65 million in annual revenue from its primary channels: Cokesbury, the retail division, consisting of an Internet store, a telephone contact center, and approximately fifty field sales staff in various regions of the U.S., and Abingdon Press, the main publishing imprint, which offers print and digital books, study materials, Bibles and Bible study aids, clergy resources. They also publish the Common English Bible. Visit them online at UMPH.org.
About Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press is the publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House and has a tradition of crossing denominational boundaries with thought-provoking and enjoyable books. It has a commitment to providing the best, most effective religious publications available which include a wide array of quality Christian living, fiction, devotional, academic, professional, and reference titles published each year to enrich church communities across the globe. Visit them online at AbingdonPress.com.
About Cokesbury
Founded in 1789, Cokesbury is the retail arm of The United Methodist Publishing House a publisher and distributor to the greater Christian community. Their mission is to provide quality and relevant resources and services, at the best possible price, that help people know God through Jesus Christ, love God, and choose to serve God and neighbor. Cokesbury consists of a Customer Contact Center, numerous catalogs, Cokesbury.com, a team of Community Resource Consultants, and an events group. Visit them online at Cokesbury.com.
# # #
No comments:
Post a Comment