Baptist Standard launches magazine, moves to digital news delivery
DALLAS—Baptist Standard Publishing will launch a feature-oriented monthly print magazine, CommonCall, in January. Simultaneously, it will convert its news journal, the Baptist Standard, to a digital publication delivered exclusively to electronic devices.
The organization's board of directors approved the magazine's name at its Sept. 10-11 meeting. It adopted a 2013 budget based on the electronic news-delivery system.
The board also elected Diane Payne of Spring as chair–the first woman to hold the post. Other new officers are Meredith Pinson-Creasey of Houston, vice chair, and Robert Morales of Beeville, secretary.
Content for CommonCall magazine is being crafted in direct response to extensive conversations with Texas Baptists supplemented by surveys of pastors, Editor Marv Knox said.
The magazine will highlight human-interest feature stories about changed lives, Christians who put faith in action, missions, evangelism and family life, he said. It also will present thought-provoking leadership-oriented articles and stories about effective church ministries.
"We asked pastors what kind of articles they would want their members to read—what kind of material would make them better-equipped for service to Christ in their churches and in their day-to-day lives," he explained. "We'll follow their guidance as we select content month by month."
The magazine's name represents the solidarity and shared purpose that binds Texas Baptists, Knox added.
"CommonCall, reflects our desire for this magazine to unify churches and our convention," he said. "It also champions our shared commitment to help every Christian fulfill his or her calling."
Prior to the first regularly scheduled issue of the magazine in January, a preview edition will be distributed at the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Corpus Christi, Oct. 29-31.
Each issue of the magazine will focus on a theme, and articles will present real-life illustrations of that theme. The preview issue will feature articles on hope, designed to complement the BGCT annual meeting theme, "Living out Hope."
At the same time the magazine begins publication, the Baptist Standard will complete its transition from a print-based newspaper to an electronic publication. The digital Baptist Standard will contain the ongoing Texas, national and world news that readers have been accustomed to reading in the paper. And like the newspaper, it will be distributed every-other week.
The digital Baptist Standard will work across multiple platforms–personal computers, tablets and other mobile devices, Knox said. It will be designed to make the experience as simple as possible for readers.
"We want to take full advantage of the newest technology to provide the news to our readers in an attractive, easy-to-use format," he said. "This simply represents the latest development in our ongoing 124-year commitment to reporting news."
For the most part, content in CommonCall will not be duplicated in the electronic Baptist Standard with a few exceptions–obituaries, ordinations and the "On the Move" column reporting church staff changes. CommonCall will concentrate on human-interest feature articles, but it will include a one-page news-at-a-glance summary.
Readers with paid Baptist Standard subscriptions for 2013 automatically will receive CommonCall magazine and also will be entitled to two free subscriptions to the electronic Standard.