Christianity Today announces staff cutbacks and end to four publications

Christianity Today International announced last Friday that it is to close four of its publications and lay off 30 employees.

Publications coming to the end of their run in the next few months are Today's Christian Woman magazine, the Campus Life College Guide, the Christian history bulletin inserts Glimpses, and the bimonthly newsletter Church Office Today.

CTI President and Publisher Harold B Smith said the decision to close the publications had been precipitated by difficulties in the publishing industry.

"We find ourselves – as does our industry – in the midst of a perfect publishing storm," he said.

Mr Smith said that the organisation, founded in 1956 by evangelist Billy Graham, was "profoundly saddened" by the impact the move would have on its employees as well as the wider church, but added that it had been deemed "necessary".

He expressed his gratitude to God for the continuing strength of the media group's flagship publications - Christianity Today magazine and the Leadership journal.

“These iconic brands, along with the myriad web properties tied to them, will once again point the way for this ministry in the days, months, and years to come," the CTI head stated.

Christianity Today has risen over the last few decades to become one of the most distinguished sources of Christian news and information in the world, with nine print magazines and newsletter and an award-winning website that reaches more than 2.5 million people each month.

The group recently scooped a number of awards at the annual convention of the Evangelical Press Association, including an Award of Excellence for the Leadership journal, an Award of Excellence for Ignite Your Faith magazine, four Awards of Merit, and fourteen “Higher Goals” awards – two of which were first place awards.