The United Methodist Publishing House

What The United Methodist Publishing House does

The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) is a 1789-founded, Nashville-headquartered nonprofit that serves as the official publishing and distribution agency of The United Methodist Church, operating as a fully self-supporting entity that receives no general church funds. The organization distributes official denominational resources such as the Book of Discipline, Book of Worship, and the Hymnal alongside a broader catalog of Bibles, Sunday school curriculum, Vacation Bible School programs, small group studies, and academic/professional titles through its Abingdon Press publishing imprint. Retail and direct-to-congregation distribution is conducted through the Cokesbury channel, which offers more than 200,000 products via cokesbury.com and a telephone contact center to an audience of more than 11 million United Methodists worldwide and an additional ecumenical customer base.

Revenue is generated through one-time sales of print and digital content (Bibles, hymnals, curriculum, books), licensing and royalties on published titles, and a growing subscription-based streaming video platform, Amplify Media, with additional digital ministry resources distributed through Ministry Matters and the Common English Bible translation. Distribution was structurally rationalized in 2016 via a partnership with LSC Communications for print and digital fulfillment, and in 2021 UMPH divested its campus, transferred $84M of pension obligations to Wespath, and reduced headcount by roughly 35% across two COVID-driven reductions-in-force. Recent strategic emphasis is on externally funded digital products — including the Everyday Faith Project and Worship with All God's Children (both backed by Lilly Endowment grants in 2024) — and on multilingual expansion of official denominational materials, indicating a pivot toward a leaner, grant-supported, digitally-augmented operating model within a denomination undergoing structural membership decline.

Name

The United Methodist Publishing House

Legal name

The United Methodist Publishing House

Website

https://umph.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1789

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The United Methodist Publishing House is a 1789-founded nonprofit publisher serving The United Methodist Church through its Abingdon Press imprint, Cokesbury retail channel, and Amplify Media streaming platform, producing Bibles, hymnals, worship resources, and curriculum for 11 million+ United Methodists worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA), Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Religious publishing
• Church supplies
• Bible publishing
• Worship resources
• Christian education

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bibles and Hymnals Sales: Sales of Bibles, hymnals, and official church resources through Cokesbury retail channel
2. Sunday School Curriculum: Sunday school curriculum and VBS programs for congregations
3. Worship Resources: Worship resources, small group studies, and Christian study materials sold through Cokesbury and Abingdon Press
4. Publishing Royalties: Publishing revenue from Abingdon Press imprint including books, Bible studies, and devotionals
5. Digital Content Platform: Amplify Media streaming video platform for Christian content distribution

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) publishes and distributes Christian resources for United Methodist congregations and the broader ecumenical community. Through its Abingdon Press imprint and Cokesbury retail/distribution arm, the company produces and sells Bibles, hymnals, Sunday school curriculum, Vacation Bible School programs, books, Bible studies, worship materials, and church supplies. It also operates digital platforms including Amplify Media (streaming video) and Ministry Matters, and publishes the Common English Bible translation.

Product overview

The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) is a publisher and distributor of Christian resources for congregations, clergy, and lay leaders, founded in 1789 as the Methodist Book Concern. The organization operates as a fully self-supporting general agency of The United Methodist Church. Its primary publishing imprint is Abingdon Press, which produces books across categories including Bibles, Bible studies, small group studies, Christian living, fiction, devotional, academic, professional, and reference titles. The retail and distribution operations are conducted through Cokesbury, which offers more than 200,000 products via Cokesbury.com and the Cokesbury Contact Center, and also manages the acquired brand Bibles by the Case. UMPH operates additional digital platforms including Amplify Media (streaming video), Ministry Matters (digital ministry resources), and distributes the Common English Bible translation. The company publishes official worship resources including The United Methodist Hymnal and The United Methodist Book of Worship, as well as curriculum programs like Love In A Big World (K-8 character education) and Discovery on Adventure Island (Vacation Bible School). Recent initiatives include The Everyday Faith Project for family ministry. UMPH is headquartered at 810 12th Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abingdon Press: Primary publishing imprint of UMPH publishing books, Bibles, Bible studies, and Christian living materials
• Cokesbury
• Amplify
• Ministry Matters
• Common English Bible

Products and services

• The United Methodist Hymnal The official hymnal of The United Methodist Church, containing hymns, tunes, and liturgical resources for worship services.
• The United Methodist Book of Worship The official worship book of The United Methodist Church, containing liturgical texts, ritual resources, and worship guidance for congregations.
• United Methodist Worship Resources Collection A compilation of widely used UMC hymnody and liturgies including Songs of Zion, The United Methodist Hymnal, The United Methodist Book of Worship, and various supplemental collections for worship use.
• Love In A Big World A K-8 character education curriculum designed to help children develop 24 important character traits through active learning. Available in faith edition (for churches) and community edition (for schools and youth organizations).
• Discovery on Adventure Island VBS A Vacation Bible School program offered by Cokesbury as part of new Lenten study resources and VBS offerings for congregations.
• The Everyday Faith Project Digital resources for children and their parents/caregivers to discover together answers to questions about faith and discipleship, supporting congregational leaders in helping caregivers nurture children in personal and social holiness.
• Amplify Media
• Ministry Matters A digital platform providing ministry resources for church leaders, offering content for worship, small groups, and Christian formation.
• Common English Bible A contemporary Bible translation published and distributed through UMPH's Cokesbury channel, available at commonenglishbible.com.
• Abingdon Press The primary publishing imprint of UMPH, producing thought-provoking and inspirational books including Bibles, Bible studies, small group studies, Christian living, fiction, devotional, academic, professional, and reference titles for church communities globally.
• Cokesbury The retail and customer services arm of UMPH serving more than 11 million United Methodists worldwide plus ecumenical audiences with books, Bibles, curriculum, worship resources, and church supplies. Offers more than 200,000 products through Cokesbury.com and the Cokesbury Contact Center.
• The Book of Discipline (2020/2024 editions) The Book of Discipline is the official book of doctrine and polity of The United Methodist Church, with 2020/2024 editions published in English, Korean, and Spanish through collaboration with GCORR and GCFA.
• Worship with All God's Children A national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales of $27.1M in FY21 despite COVID-19 impact, with continued operations as a self-funding agency
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2025Collaborated with GCORR and GCFA to support Korean and Spanish translations of The Book of Discipline. GCFA Board authorized a $125,000 grant to facilitate publication of the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline and Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation in Korean and Spanish.
• General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2025GCFA Board authorized a one-time $125,000 grant to supplement additional resources dedicated by UMPH for Korean and Spanish translations of the Book of Discipline.
• Wespath Benefits and InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2021UMPH transferred approximately $84 million in pension plan assets to Wespath to secure liabilities of $81 million. Wespath now administers the closed plan including monthly retirement payments to 500 plan participants.
• United Methodist CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021UMPH shares a building with United Methodist Communications (UMCom), another general agency of The United Methodist Church, at the minimal office footprint location.
• Warner PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Warner Press acquired WordAlive! worship bulletins and Abingdon Press stock bulletin lines from UMPH.
• Bibles by the CaseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2019Cokesbury acquired Bibles by the Case, an online Christian retailer. The company continues to operate as an independent sales channel with same employees, systems, and vendor partners. Russ and Becky Casenhiser serve Cokesbury in consulting capacity.
• Project TransformationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Love in a Big World partnered with Project Transformation, a program providing leadership development and ministry exploration to college-aged young adults for after-school and summer day camp opportunities for children from low-income neighborhoods.
• United Methodist City SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2016Cokesbury launched Christmas campaign to help refugee crisis, donating portion of December sales. A portion of proceeds from the book 'Strong For a Moment Like This' go to the United Methodist City Society in New York.
• LSC CommunicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2016Partnership with LSC Communications for print and digital product distribution. UMPH closed their distribution center at Great Circle Road in Nashville as part of this transition. LSC debuted as a standalone public company following spin-off from R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.
• Discipleship MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2016Partnership with Discipleship Ministries (General Board of Discipleship) for hymnal revision and new United Methodist Worship Resources Collection. Both organizations' boards endorsed legislation for developing a new official hymnal and ongoing revision process.
• Second Harvest Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide provisions for victims of flooding in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, including use of UMPH facility as a staging center.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Zondervan / Thomas Nelson): Zondervan and Thomas Nelson are the two largest evangelical Christian book publishers (now under HarperCollins Christian), producing Bibles, Bible studies, and Christian living titles that directly compete with Abingdon Press for shelf space, awards, and retail distribution.
• LifeWay Christian Resources: LifeWay is the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing and distribution arm, structurally similar to UMPH as a denominational publishing agency producing curriculum, Bibles, and church resources through both B&H Publishing Group and direct retail channels.
• Concordia Publishing House: Concordia is the official publishing house of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, operating as a denominational publisher with similar scope (hymnals, curriculum, church supplies) and direct-to-consumer retail serving Lutheran congregations comparable to Cokesbury's UMC base.
• Tyndale House Publishers: Tyndale publishes the New Living Translation and a wide range of evangelical Bibles, fiction, and Christian living books, competing head-to-head with Abingdon Press in trade Christian publishing and sharing the same bookstore and CBA retail channels.
• Crossway: Crossway publishes the English Standard Version Bible and a roster of evangelical books and Bible studies, including the ESV Study Bible; competes directly with Abingdon Press and the Common English Bible for academic/serious Bible study market share.
• Baker Books / Baker Publishing Group: Baker Publishing Group is a major evangelical publisher producing academic, fiction, and Bible study titles across imprints (Bethany House, Revell, Baker Academic, Brazos Press), competing with Abingdon Press in the same bookstore and academic channels.
• Church Publishing Incorporated: CPI is the official publisher for the Episcopal Church, producing the Book of Common Prayer, hymnals (Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing), and church resources that parallel UMPH's denominational publishing role for The United Methodist Church.

Emerging players

• BroadStreet Publishing Group: BroadStreet is a niche publisher focused on devotionals, gift books, and inspirational titles sold through CBA and Christian retail channels, partially overlapping with Abingdon's devotional and gift product lines.

Regional players

• Wesleyan Publishing House / Kingswood Press: An alternative Methodist-aligned publisher focused on Wesleyan-Arminian resources and curriculum, serving disaffiliated Methodist communities (Global Methodist Church, etc.) that may emerge from the UMC schism - a direct competitive alternative for denominational curriculum.
• Gospel Publishing House (Assemblies of God): GPH is the publishing arm of the Assemblies of God denomination, producing curriculum, periodicals, and church resources that mirror UMPH's denominational publishing model but serve Pentecostal congregations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UMPHjobs
• Facebookfacebook.com/UMPublishing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The United Methodist Publishing House