BJU Press

• Name — BJU Press • Hq Location — Greenville, SC • Parent — BJUEG (BJU Education Group) • Founder — Bob Jones University • Founded — 1973

Although Bob Jones University published its first trade book, A History of Fundamentalism in America by George W. Dollar in 1973, BJU Press originated in the need for textbooks in the burgeoning Christian school movement. Walter Fremont, Dean of the School of Education, was an "enthusiastic supporter," and much of the early academic direction of the press was provided by the university's provost, Philip D. Smith. The press also published the university's magazine, Faith for the Family from 1973 until it was discontinued in 1986. The first textbook published by BJU Press was Physical Science for Christian Schools (1974), written by George Mulfinger and Emmet Williams. Initially the press had planned to publish only a few texts in areas where philosophical disagreement with secular texts was substantial, but shortly the press developed a full range of K-12 texts and materials. An early decision was that BJU Press would not simply repackage secular texts, as its competitors had done, but would create new books from a Christian viewpoint. As the homeschool movement began to grow in the 1980s, the press decided to begin selling its publications to homeschool families. This marketing strategy proved so successful that by 1988, BJU Press was the largest textbook supplier to homeschool families in the nation. It also provides testing, record-keeping and consulting services.

BJU Press is the largest book publisher in South Carolina, and more than a million pre-college students around the world use BJU textbooks. The press also publishes trade books under two imprints. JourneyForth publishes Christian living titles and Bible studies for adults as well as biographies and fiction for children and teens, including wholesome books with no specific Christian references. JourneyForth Academic (formerly Bob Jones University Press) puts out ministry-related books and scholarly works. In 2006 the press had approximately 2,500 titles in print. BJU Press "controls every aspect of publication with in-house authors, editors, compositors, computer and board artists, photo editors, page designers and its own presses," and many of its employees have worked for BJU Press for more than twenty years. In 2009, the chief publication officer, William Apelian, said, "The cornerstone of our philosophy is a Christian worldview, call it Bible integration. That's why we have control of the entire process."