Sword of the Lord

What Sword of the Lord does

Sword of the Lord is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious publishing ministry founded in 1934 by Dr. John R. Rice in Dallas, Texas, and currently headquartered at 224 Bridge Avenue in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (since 1963). It operates as the recognized flagship publication of the independent fundamentalist Baptist movement, currently led by President and Editor Dr. Shelton Smith (since April 1995). The ministry's core product is the Sword of the Lord newspaper, published 24 times annually in print ($24.95 retail, $20.00 on sale) and digital ($12.00) formats, featuring more than 100 sermons per year. Supporting offerings include the Sword Books publishing imprint (swordbooks.com), the Sword Sermon Vault digital archive, the Sword Bulletin Service providing 52 unique bulletin designs per year across six tiered packages (50-300 shells per week, $52-$312/quarter), and the "Making a Difference" radio broadcast/podcast distributed via 100+ radio stations across 19 US states and 12 international countries on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Simplecast, and Anchor. Three annual conferences (National Sword Conference, Sword Men's Conference, National Sword Youth Conference), the Soul Winners' Club program, and free prisoner/missionary literature distribution extend the ministry's reach.

The business model combines subscription revenue (print and digital newspaper), one-time product sales (books, tracts, Bibles, church supplies via the online store), recurring bulletin service subscriptions, advertising sold to churches and ministries in the newspaper, and charitable donations — including a brokerage-channeled investment giving program with Raymond James (EIN 36-2212715) accepting stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and commodities. The organization operates with 1-10 reported employees, relying on a tightly integrated content, broadcast, and events ecosystem rather than proprietary technology. No patents, AI capabilities, mobile apps, APIs, or external funding are present; the platform is supported by a Wix-hosted website and standard publishing/broadcast infrastructure. Customer segments center on fundamentalist Baptist pastors and church leaders, individual conservative Christians seeking KJV-only doctrinal content, subscribing churches, and missionaries/prison chaplains receiving free literature.

Name

Sword of the Lord

Legal name

Sword of the Lord

Website

https://swordofthelord.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sword of the Lord is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publishing ministry founded in 1934, serving independent fundamentalist Baptist churches and individual Christians with a biweekly newspaper, books, tracts, church bulletins, radio broadcasts, and annual conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Book Publishers (513130), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI), Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Christian newspaper publishing
• Baptist publishing ministry
• Religious periodicals
• Church bulletin service
• Christian radio broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Murfreesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Newspaper Subscriptions: Print edition subscriptions to the Sword of the Lord newspaper, published 24 times per year, targeting fundamentalist Baptist churches and individual subscribers. Retail price $24.95, sale price $20.00.
2. Digital Newspaper Subscriptions: Digital edition of the Sword of the Lord newspaper delivered via email, priced at $12.00 per subscription. Includes audio set 'Home Sweet Home' as a bonus.
3. Sword Bulletin Service: Church bulletin subscription service providing 52 unique designs per year. Six package tiers ranging from 50 to 300 bulletin shells per week, priced from $52 to $312 per quarter.
4. Investment Giving / Donations: Accepts charitable donations via stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and commodities through a brokerage account. EIN 36-2212715. Donations support global ministry operations including prisoner literature, missionary support, and newspaper distribution.
5. Book and Literature Sales: Publishing and sale of biblically-sound books, pamphlets, tracts, King James Bibles, and church supplies through the online store (swordbooks.com). Products include books by Dr. Shelton Smith and other fundamentalist authors.
6. Newspaper Advertising: Advertising space sold in the Sword of the Lord newspaper to churches, ministries, and businesses. Multi-issue ad rates available. Target audience is fundamentalist Christian churches and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sword of the Lord is a religious publishing ministry that publishes a fundamentalist Baptist newspaper 24 times per year in print and digital editions, sells biblically conservative books, pamphlets, tracts, and King James Bibles through the Sword Books online store, and produces the Making a Difference radio broadcast and podcast. It also delivers a weekly church bulletin cover subscription service (Sword Bulletin Service), maintains the Sword Sermon Vault digital archive, and hosts three annual conferences (National Sword Conference, Sword Men's Conference, National Sword Youth Conference) for independent Baptist pastors, churches, and lay believers.

Product overview

Sword of the Lord is a fundamentalist Christian ministry founded in 1934, operating as a multi-platform publishing and media organization. The core offering is the Sword of the Lord newspaper (published 24 times yearly in print and digital formats), supplemented by book publishing through Sword Books and the Sword Sermon Vault. The ministry also produces the 'Making a Difference' radio broadcast/podcast distributed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms. Supporting products include the Sword Bulletin Service (church bulletin covers), the Soul Winners' Club program, and advertising services in the newspaper. The organization hosts three annual conferences: the National Sword Conference, Sword Men's Conference, and National Sword Youth Conference. Since 1934, the ministry has served alongside fundamentally-minded Christians to promote revival and soul winning, publishing over 100 sermons annually and distributing gospel literature to prisons, missionaries, and churches worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sword of the Lord Newspaper: The flagship publication of the ministry, published 24 times per year, featuring sermons, Bible studies, and Christian commentary.
• Sword Books
• Sword Sermon Vault
• Sword Bulletin Service
• Making a Difference Radio Broadcast
• National Sword Conference
• Soul Winners' Club

Products and services

• Sword of the Lord Newspaper (Print and Digital) A fundamentalist Christian newspaper published 24 times per year, featuring sermons, Bible studies, doctrinal articles, soul-winning tips, and news from a King James Bible perspective. Available in annual print ($20.00 on sale / $24.95 retail) and digital ($12.00) subscriptions for individual subscribers, pastors, and churches.
• Sword Books (Publishing and Online Store) Publishing house and online bookstore selling biblically sound books, pamphlets, tracts, King James Bibles, and church supplies. Titles by Dr. Shelton Smith and other fundamentalist Baptist authors are sold direct-to-consumer through the swordbooks.com storefront.
• Sword Sermon Vault Digital archive and subscription service that provides online access to the ministry's sermon content library, integrated with the Sword Books storefront.
• Sword Bulletin Service Subscription service for churches providing 52 unique weekly bulletin cover designs per year, with quarterly delivery of bulletin shells in six tiers from 50 to 300 per week (priced from $52 to $312 per quarter). Designed for independent Baptist churches seeking consistent, doctrinally aligned bulletin artwork.
• Making a Difference Radio Broadcast and Podcast Weekly radio broadcast and podcast hosted by Dr. Shelton Smith featuring fundamentalist Baptist preaching and teaching; distributed through 100+ radio stations across the US and 12 international countries and on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Simplecast, and Anchor.
• National Sword Conference Annual multi-day conference for the fundamentalist Baptist community featuring preaching, music workshops, Ladies' Jubilee programming, and School of the Prophets teaching. Held at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC with free admission.
• Sword Men's Conference Annual men's conference hosted by Dr. Shelton Smith at the Sword of the Lord Ministries headquarters in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
• National Sword Youth Conference Annual conference for teenagers (7th grade and up) held in conjunction with the National Sword Conference at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC.

Named customers4 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

One partnership is on record.

• 100+ Radio Stations (US and International)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with over 100 radio stations across 19 US states and 12 countries to broadcast the 'Making a Difference' radio program. Includes stations in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and international locations including Peru, Iraq, Haiti, Ghana, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Togo, Liberia, Nepal, China, Philippines, and Cameroon.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Christianity Today: Long-running Christian news and commentary periodical with subscription, digital, and conference products. Comparable as a denominational-flavored religious media ministry that publishes magazines and runs events for a defined Christian segment.
• WORLD Magazine: Weekly Christian news magazine with subscription revenue and editorial focus on biblical worldview. Comparable as a print-first, doctrinally positioned Christian periodical targeting engaged lay Christians and church leaders.
• Chick Publications: Independent Baptist-leaning tract and gospel literature publisher with direct-to-consumer catalog and bookstore. Closely comparable as a small-team, doctrinally conservative publisher of tracts, books, and evangelistic materials.
• Regular Baptist Press: Curriculum and publishing arm serving General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, producing Sunday school materials, books, and church supplies. Comparable as a small-team publisher serving an independent Baptist church base.
• Crown Publications: Independent Baptist publishing house producing books, tracts, and ministry resources. Comparable as a like-sized publisher serving the same KJV-only, independent Baptist market with overlapping book and tract products.

Regional players

• Baptist Press: News service for the Southern Baptist Convention providing articles, newsletters, and multimedia. Comparable as a Baptist-targeted publishing outlet, though denominational rather than independent and broader in theological scope.

Broad incumbents

• Moody Publishers: Publishing arm of Moody Bible Institute producing books, periodicals, and Bible study resources. Comparable as a faith-rooted book publisher serving evangelical Christians, though broader and larger than Sword of the Lord.
• Focus on the Family: Large Christian media ministry producing magazines (e.g., Focus on the Family magazine), radio broadcasts, books, and conferences. Comparable as a multi-platform Christian publishing and broadcast ministry with subscriptions and donor revenue.
• Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins Christian): One of the largest Christian book publishers, including KJV Bible editions and ministry titles. Comparable as a publisher of biblically-oriented books and Bibles, though operating at much larger scale and broader market.

Emerging players

• HeartCry Missionary Society: Independent Baptist-aligned missionary organization producing books, tracts, and gospel literature for distribution, similar to Sword of the Lord's missionary/prison literature distribution channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swordofthelord
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@swordofthelordyt
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwordoftheLordMinistries
• Instagraminstagram.com/swordofthelordpublishers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sword-of-the-lord-publishers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Sword of the Lord