In 1 Kings 17, a widow’s jar of meal and jug of oil are enough to save the lives of the widow, her son, and the prophet Elijah. Little things can make a big difference.
Here at Barclay Press, I’ve been reflecting on some of the little things that got us to where we are today. Back in 1943, Adelaide Barker had a concern for “publishing sound, spiritual and evangelistic Friends Bible School literature.” That concern led to the cooperation of three yearly meetings in producing a Christian education manual and the adoption of the Aldersgate lesson. Barclay Press continues that work in the production of Illuminate Friends Bible study series and in the distribution of WordAction’s Wesleyan-Holiness curriculum (formerly Aldersgate).
In 1948, Ray Carter and Ralph Fletcher each put up an investment of $3,000 for offset printing equipment that they used to print Northwest Friends magazine (later replaced by Evangelical Friend). When Carter died in 1959, Oregon Yearly Meeting (now Northwest Yearly Meeting) purchased the equipment and renamed the operation Barclay Press, committing to the work that Ray and Ralph had started. Barclay Press published A Garden of the Lord in 1968 and nearly one hundred titles since then, including our next book, set for release in December, A Long Road: How Quakers Made Sense of God and the Bible by T. Vail Palmer, Jr.
Fruit of the Vine, a daily devotional in continuous production since 1961, is the only daily devotional by Friends for Friends. We’ve been gathering and sharing these personal reflections on Scripture for nearly six decades. Personal stories from real people, every single day. I’m convinced that this little quarterly is the best way to welcome folks into the larger family of Friends. This year for Advent, we’ve prepared Do Not Be Afraid: An Advent Reader. Each of the readings comes from past editions of Fruit of the Vine.
Barclay Press’s proud past doesn’t guarantee a bright future. We’re still in the middle of a massive shift in the publishing industry – the result of Information Age changes to the ways in which people access and consume information. This is an exciting time in Christian publishing. Financial pressures are forcing us to think more creatively, to act more strategically, and to live more faithfully.
Since January 2016, for instance, Barclay Press has slowly but steadily chipped away at its long-term debt, cleaned out excess inventory, cut production costs, and increased cash reserves. Two years ago, Barclay Press had enough resources to survive for roughly two weeks in a worst-case scenario. Today Barclay Press has the resources to make it for almost five weeks in a similar worst-case scenario.
This year, our goal is to raise $25,000. That amount will allow us to continue cutting into our long-term debt and build out another four weeks of cash reserves while increasing the number and diversity of titles we publish. Here are two of the ways you can help:
- Click on Share Stories Change Lives in the right margin of this letter to donate through Paypal. Any amount helps, and if you click the “Make this a monthly donation” box, you can spread out the effect of your gift and increase our financial stability.
- Mail a check to Barclay Press, 211 N. Meridian St. #101, Newberg, OR 97132; or call us at (800) 962-4014 to make a donation by phone.
Barclay Press is in a better position than it was two years ago, and we’re going to keep on working to share Friends resources, Friends theology, Friends polity, and Friends experience with the larger world. But we can’t do it alone. In 1 Kings 17, “the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord.” I have faith that God can and will do the same for us.
Eric Muhr