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Timothy Dalrymple to lead Christianity Today as Harold B. Smith retires

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” Smith said about turning over the role of president and CEO of the media ministry to Dalrymple.

Timothy Dalrymple became president and chief executive officer of the media ministry Christianity Today on May 1.

“The legacy of Chris­tianity Today is extraordinary—but the future is even more exciting,” he said in a statement. “Christianity Today possesses the legacy, the credibility, the resources, and the worldwide reach to tell the story of the global church in ways it has never been told before.”

He was a competitive gymnast until an injury ended his career, and he turned to campus ministry and mission work abroad. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with an MDiv and from Harvard University with a PhD in modern Western religious thought.

From 2008 to 2014 he worked for the religion-focused website Patheos as managing editor of its evangelical channel, director of content, and vice president of business development. Dal­rymple founded Polymath in 2013, a marketing and communications agency that aids clients such as the Museum of the Bible and the American Enterprise Institute, a nonpartisan research organization.

Dalrymple succeeded Harold B. Smith, who retired after 35 years with Christianity Today in administrative and editorial roles, the last 12 as president and CEO.

“I’ve been impressed with Tim’s considerable gifts, humility, and kingdom-first bearing for many years now,” Smith said in a statement. “Bottom line: I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Smith led Christianity Today through the recession of 2008–2009, reducing the publishing ministry’s print offering and increasing its digital presence. Among his other accomplishments were “implementing a decadelong pro­cess of diversifying staff” and contributors, as well as expanding engagement with the global church, the ministry wrote.

“An integral part of Billy Graham’s vision in the launch of CT was the international piece,” Smith said of the ministry’s founder. “We are today seeking to build off of Graham’s Spirit-led vision and dramatically expand the number of men and women who can not only report the news from their part of the world but offer biblically based commentary on what it means not only for them but for us in North America.” —Christian Century staff