Concordia

What Concordia does

Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is a private Christian publishing house founded in 1869 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Operating as the official publisher for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), CPH produces and distributes Lutheran-specific Bibles, books, devotionals, hymnals, education curricula, and church supplies to LCMS congregations, Lutheran schools, individual Christians, and church administrators. Its catalog spans over 1,250 book titles and includes flagship products such as The Lutheran Study Bible, Portals of Prayer, Arch Books, and the Lutheran Service Book hymnal, supported by an e-commerce platform (cph.org) with company accounts for institutional buyers.

The company's product portfolio is organized across several categories: physical and digital books, Bibles and Bible studies, devotional materials, religion curriculum (including the Enduring Faith K-8 curriculum and Vacation Bible School programs), worship and music resources, and church supplies. CPH has expanded into adjacent technology offerings including the Church360 software suite (Members, Unite, Ledger) for church administration, Lutheran Service Builder for worship planning, the Shepherd's Staff, and mobile applications such as The Lutheran Study Bible App and InPrayer. The company also operates the Concordia Gospel Outreach charitable initiative, a wholly-owned subsidiary that distributes Bible-based literature and Arch Books to food banks and global mission partners.

CPH's business model combines one-time product sales (books, Bibles, curriculum kits), recurring subscription revenue (periodical devotions such as Portals of Prayer, Today's Light, and Strength for the Day, plus church management SaaS), donations to its Gospel Outreach arm, and bulk-discount programs for churches and organizations. Distribution occurs primarily through its cph.org e-commerce platform, direct company accounts for institutional buyers, and partner organizations within the LCMS ecosystem. The company maintains strategic alignment with LCMS church workers, who receive automatic discounts, and reaches a broader audience through the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, KFUO Radio, Lutherans For Life, AbleLight, and other affiliated organizations. Leadership currently sits with Jonathan D. Schultz as Interim President and CEO.

Name

Concordia

Legal name

Concordia Publishing House

Website

https://cph.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Concordia Publishing House is a St. Louis-based Christian publishing house founded in 1869 and serving as the official publisher for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, producing Bibles, curriculum, devotionals, hymnals, and church-management software for Lutheran congregations, schools, and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of physical and digital religious publications including Bibles, books, commentaries, devotional materials, education curriculum, music scores, and church supplies through e-commerce platform
2. Periodical Subscriptions: Subscription-based periodical devotions including Portals of Prayer, Today's Light, Strength for the Day, My Devotions, and Happy Times available in print and digital formats
3. Donations: Concordia Gospel Outreach charitable donations supporting global Bible-based literature distribution and food bank Arch Book programs
4. Church Software Subscriptions: Software as a service for church management including Church360 Members, Church360 Unite, Church360 Ledger, and Shepherd's Staff

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Concordia Publishing House publishes, produces, and distributes Lutheran Christian literature including Bibles, commentaries, devotionals, hymnals, education curriculum, and church supplies through its cph.org e-commerce platform. It also develops and sells the Church360 suite of church management software, Lutheran Service Builder worship-planning software, and mobile applications. The company's offerings serve LCMS congregations, Lutheran schools, individual Christians, and church administrators.

Product overview

Concordia Publishing House operates as a comprehensive Lutheran Christian publishing house and e-commerce platform offering physical and digital religious resources. The portfolio spans books (children's Arch Books, adult theological works, commentaries), Bibles (including The Lutheran Study Bible), Bible studies (LifeLight, Guiding Word series), devotional materials (Portals of Prayer), education curricula (Enduring Faith religion curriculum, VBS programs), music and worship resources (Lutheran Service Book hymnals), and church management software (Church360 suite). The company also provides church supplies, offers digital products through mobile apps, and runs the Concordia Gospel Outreach charitable initiative. It serves Lutheran congregations, schools, and individual Christians through its cph.org e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Lutheran Study Bible Comprehensive English Standard Version Bible with extensive Lutheran notes, introductions, and study resources; serves LCMS Lutherans, Bible study participants, and individuals seeking a study Bible aligned with Lutheran doctrine.
• Arch Books Children's book series presenting Bible stories in accessible rhyming format for young readers; serves families, Sunday schools, and Lutheran schools for religious education of children.
• Concordia Commentary Series Scholarly biblical commentary series providing in-depth exegetical and theological analysis of Scripture books; serves pastors, seminarians, and theological students.
• Lutheran Service Book Primary hymnal and worship resource for Lutheran congregations including pew editions and accompaniment materials; serves Lutheran churches for weekly worship services.
• Portals of Prayer Daily devotional periodical available in print and digital formats for personal spiritual enrichment; serves individual Christians and families through subscription.
• Enduring Faith Religion Curriculum Comprehensive K-8 religious education curriculum for Lutheran schools and Sunday schools; serves Christian schools, Lutheran elementary schools, and Sunday school programs.
• Vacation Bible School Programs Seasonal Bible study programs for children including themes such as Safari Expedition, Tropical Trek, and Celebrate the Savior; serves churches running summer VBS programs.
• Church360 Members Church management software for member tracking, small groups, and event management; serves church administrators and office staff as a SaaS subscription.
• Church360 Ledger Church accounting and financial management software; serves church treasurers, financial secretaries, and administrators as a SaaS subscription.
• Lutheran Service Builder Worship planning software for Lutheran congregations to build worship services; serves pastors, worship leaders, and music directors.
• The Lutheran Study Bible App Mobile application for accessing The Lutheran Study Bible with digital reading features; available on iOS and Android; serves individual Lutherans for on-the-go Bible study.
• InPrayer App Digital devotional and prayer tracking application; serves individual Christians seeking structured prayer and devotional practice.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPH is the official publisher for LCMS, publishing official Synodical publications, convention materials, Lutheran Witness periodical, and other LCMS-exclusive content.
• Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLWML is a partner organization promoting CPH materials and resources through their missionary outreach network.
• Lutherans For LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for pro-life resources and materials, with CPH distributing their materials.
• KFUO RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLutheran radio station partner for spreading the Gospel and promoting CPH resources.
• Kloria PublishingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner publishing organization within the Lutheran community.
• LCMS Life MinistryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLCMS ministry focused on life issues, partnering with CPH for relevant resources.
• AbleLightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting people with disabilities, distributing faith-based resources.
• Lutheran Friends of the DeafminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization serving the deaf community with Lutheran resources.
• Concordia Gospel OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPH's charitable arm focused on sending Bible-based literature globally and supporting food bank Arch Book programs across the country.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Augsburg Fortress: Publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Augsburg Fortress is the closest peer to CPH: a Lutheran denomination-affiliated publisher producing hymnals, worship resources, curriculum, and Bible studies. They share business model, customer base (Lutheran congregations and members), and product categories, differing primarily in denominational affiliation.
• Crossway: Publisher of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible, Crossway produces study Bibles, Christian living books, and the Gospel Coalition-aligned content. CPH uses the ESV text in The Lutheran Study Bible, making Crossway a direct content partner and competitor in the Bible and study resource category.

Broad incumbents

• HarperCollins Christian Publishing: Parent of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, HarperCollins Christian Publishing is one of the largest Christian publishers in the U.S., producing Bibles, study resources, and trade books across evangelical and mainline audiences. It overlaps with CPH in Bibles, devotionals, and study materials but serves a much broader Christian market rather than a single denomination.
• Baker Publishing Group: Independent Christian publisher producing academic and trade titles under imprints including Baker Academic, Bethany House, Revell, and Brazos Press. It competes with CPH in theological commentaries, academic works, and Bible studies, with broader ecumenical reach.
• Tyndale House Publishers: Major evangelical publisher producing the New Living Translation, study Bibles, and the Left Behind fiction series. Tyndale is comparable to CPH in Bible publishing and book distribution to Christian consumers, with significantly broader ecumenical positioning.
• Broadman & Holman (B&H) / LifeWay Christian Resources: Publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources (Southern Baptist Convention), B&H produces curriculum, Bibles, and church resources for a major Protestant denomination. It is comparable to CPH as a denomination-affiliated publisher with curriculum and congregational resources, although at much larger scale and different doctrinal tradition.

Emerging players

• Moody Publishers: Publishing arm of Moody Bible Institute, producing Christian nonfiction, commentaries, and Bible study resources with a focus on evangelical and educational audiences. It competes with CPH in theological publishing and devotional study materials.
• Faithlife (Logos Bible Software): Developer of Logos Bible Software and the Faithlife platform, Faithlife produces digital Bible study tools and congregational resources that overlap with CPH's digital offerings, including The Lutheran Study Bible App and Bible study products. They are a peer in the digital Bible and study software category.

Others

• Pushpay: Leading church management and giving platform serving thousands of U.S. congregations with software for administration, donor engagement, and congregational communication. It is comparable to CPH's Church360 suite in targeting church administration use cases, though Pushpay operates at significantly greater scale and is denomination-agnostic.
• Planning Center: Church management software suite providing membership, check-in, services, groups, and giving tools to thousands of congregations. It competes directly with Church360 Members and Unite in church administration software, but serves a far broader ecumenical market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/concordiapub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ConcordiaPublishing/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConcordiaPublishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/concordiapub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Concordia