Christian publishing houses announce layoffs
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on Christian publishing companies. The publishing arms of the nation’s two largest Protestant denominations—the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church—both announced staff cuts at the end of April as a result of the virus.
The United Methodist Publishing House will lay off about 70 of its 296 employees in June. The Southern Baptist Convention’s LifeWay Christian Resources started reducing staff on May 1, in addition to implementing hiring and salary freezes and cutbacks.
Both publishing companies cited significant sales declines since March, when states started imposing lockdown measures to restrict large gatherings and nonessential social contact in an effort to reduce further spread of the coronavirus.
