Evangelical Press Association

What Evangelical Press Association does

The Evangelical Press Association (EPA) is a private nonprofit professional trade association headquartered in Queen Creek, Arizona, that serves evangelical Christian periodical publishers across the United States, Canada, and a small international footprint including Sri Lanka. EPA's core offerings are membership services and a portfolio of recognition programs: the annual Awards of Excellence and Higher Goals contests spanning print and digital categories, the Emerging Journalist Award and Terry White Lifetime Achievement Award, an annual in-person Christian Media Convention (2025 in Branson, Missouri; 2026 in Franklin, Tennessee), a virtual companion event DigitalMediaCon hosted on Whova, a Press Release Distribution Service targeting religious editors and web professionals, member directories, a jobs board, a journalism scholarship program (cumulative awards exceeding $100,000), and access to discounted ministry and benefit partner services such as Agathon Group web hosting, VERTIQUL digital publishing, and Genesis Technologies software licensing. The association's stated reach covers member organizations serving over 24 million readers, viewers, and listeners.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: annual membership dues from publication members (tiered by publication category), individual freelance memberships, and affiliate memberships; per-entry fees for the Awards of Excellence and Higher Goals contests; convention and post-convention registration; press release distribution fees; and donations plus scholarship contributions. Payment processing is handled via Authorize.Net with credit card support across major networks. EPA markets primarily through its website, organic social (Facebook, X, LinkedIn), Constant Contact email newsletters, the annual convention, and the press release service itself. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by an Executive Director (currently Lamar Keener, with a national search for a successor underway). Underlying technology is conventional: a WordPress-hosted website (Agathon Group has hosted since 2014), standard SaaS integrations (Authorize.Net, Whova, Constant Contact), and no disclosed proprietary platform, API, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Evangelical Press Association

Legal name

Evangelical Press Association

Website

https://evangelicalpress.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Evangelical Press Association is a nonprofit professional trade association for evangelical Christian periodical publishers, offering membership services, awards programs, an annual convention, scholarships, and press release distribution to a member base whose publications reach over 24 million readers, viewers, and listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Media Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Evangelical publishing association
• Christian media awards
• Journalism scholarships
• Press release distribution
• Publishing trade association

Headquarters

HQ city

El Cajon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual dues from publication members, individual freelance members, and affiliate members. Dues vary by membership type and publication category.
2. Contest Fees: Entry fees for Awards of Excellence and Higher Goals contests, charged per publication and category entered.
3. Convention Registration: Revenue from annual convention attendance, including optional post-convention activities.
4. Press Release Service: Distribution service fees for press releases targeting religious publishing industry.
5. Donations and Scholarships: Donations to scholarship fund supporting journalism students; funds Jerry Jenkins and Douglas J. Trouten Memorial scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Evangelical Press Association is a private nonprofit professional trade association serving Christian print and digital media publishers. EPA delivers a portfolio of membership services including competitive awards programs (Awards of Excellence and Higher Goals), an annual Christian Media Convention for networking and professional development, a niche Press Release Distribution Service targeting religious publishers, journalism scholarship programs, member directories, and an online jobs board. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues, contest entry fees, convention registration, and donations supporting scholarship initiatives.

Product overview

The Evangelical Press Association is a professional media organization serving Christian print and digital publishers. Rather than offering a unified software platform, EPA provides a portfolio of membership services centered around professional development and recognition: awards programs (Awards of Excellence, Higher Goals Awards, Best in Class Contest), the annual EPA Convention for networking and training, the Press Release Service for media distribution, the Journalism Scholarship Program supporting future journalists, Emerging Journalist Awards and Terry White Lifetime Achievement Award for recognition, member directories for networking, an online jobs board, and the Cause of the Year contest feature. EPA represents member organizations reaching over 24 million readers, viewers, and listeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Awards of Excellence
• Higher Goals Awards
• Christian Media Convention (EPA Convention)
• Press Release Distribution Service
• EPA Journalism Scholarship Program
• Emerging Journalist Awards
• Terry White Lifetime Achievement Award
• Member Directories
• EPA Jobs Board
• Cause of the Year

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 24 million readers, viewers, and listeners reached through EPA member publications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Agathon GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationWeb development and cloud hosting company with a passion to serve Christian ministries. Offers EPA members a 10% discount off web hosting. Has hosted the EPA website since 2014. Services include programming, print design, branding, and custom WordPress-optimized hosting with migration support, cloud backup, proactive security, and SSL support.
• VERTIQUL by AdvontemediacoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital publishing platform that converts InDesign and PDF files to HTML5 for modern magazine delivery. Offers substantial discounts on initial platform fees and ongoing costs to EPA members. Features include full-service conversion, video/interactive enhancements, responsive cross-platform presentation, and analytics.
• Herzog FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of EPA's 2027 Cause of the Year: Education. Encourages publications to tackle important educational topics through the annual contest.
• American Bible SocietycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of EPA's 2026 Cause of the Year: Scripture Engagement. Provides resources and information for publications covering Bible engagement themes.
• Magazine Training International (MTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partner providing professional development resources and education for magazine publishers and staff.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Christian Booksellers Association (CBA / CBI): Trade association for Christian retail, including books, bibles, gifts, and music. Comparable to EPA as a Christian publishing-adjacent trade association with conventions and member benefits, though focused on retail rather than editorial publishing.

Broad incumbents

• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): Nation's most broad-based journalism professional association. Comparable to EPA in providing ethics codes, training, awards (Sigma Delta Chi Awards), and member services for journalists, though secular rather than faith-specific.
• National Press Club: Major professional organization for journalists with programming, awards, and networking events. Comparable to EPA in offering networking, professional development, and recognition programs for media professionals at a much larger national scale.
• Associated Church Press (historical, now merged into RCC): Historical interdenominational Protestant press association now operating under the Religion Communicators Council. Provides a useful predecessor benchmark for interdenominational religious press trade associations comparable to EPA.
• Association of American Publishers (AAP): Largest U.S. trade association representing the book, journal, and periodical publishing industry. A broader incumbent comparable to EPA in its trade-association function but covering the entire publishing industry rather than the evangelical niche.
• Magazine Media Association (formerly MPA – The Association of Magazine Media): Industry trade association for consumer magazine publishers in the United States. Comparable to EPA in representing magazine publishers, running awards (National Magazine Awards), and hosting industry events, but at a broader commercial scale.

Direct peers

• Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA): Trade association representing Christian book publishers, offering the Christian Book Award program, industry events, and member benefits. Directly comparable to EPA in evangelical trade-association mission and member-service model, though focused on books rather than periodicals.
• Religion Communicators Council: Interfaith professional association for religious media and communications professionals. Comparable to EPA as a membership organization for religious publishers and communicators, with conventions and awards programming.
• Religion News Association: Professional association for journalists covering religion across mainstream and religious media. Comparable to EPA in mission to elevate religion journalism and in serving members through awards (RNA Templeton Prize) and annual conventions.
• Catholic Press Association: Trade association serving Catholic periodical publishers in North America, offering awards programs, an annual convention, and member services. Directly analogous to EPA in mission, structure, and programming for a parallel denominational media ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/epatweeter
• Facebookfacebook.com/EvangelicalPressAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evangelical-press-association-inc

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 Evangelical Press Association