User:Tchula/Theafricanamericanpulpit.com
The African American Pulpit Journal is the only African American owned, non-denominational preaching and ministry journal in North America. In Winter 1997, Judson Press debuted The African American Pulpit Journal (informally known as TAAP), with David Albert Farmer and Kirk Byron Jones as coexecutive editors.
TAAP originated with three specific purposes: To provide preachers quality materials to assist them in successful sermon preparation; To provide exposure on a regular basis and to a wider audience sermons by great African American preachers; To preserve in a written form the genius of the primarily oral African American preaching tradition.
These three purposes met a need in the market. A significant turn in the history and direction of TAAP occurred when Martha Simmons was recruited to serve as coexecutive editor of TAAP with Kirk Byron Jones. She brought to the journal a keen knowledge of African American preaching a great desire to raise its visibility in religious and scholarly circles. Eventually, Simmons asked Frank Thomas to join her as coexecutive editor. Under the new leadership of Simmons and Thomas, TAAP was re-designed and subscriptions rose from 900 to 2780, with a total readership of over 5,000 per quarterly issue.
After purchasing TAAP on December 27, 2003 from Judson Press, Hope For Life International, Inc. (HFL) located in Germantown, TN, is now the owner. TAAP is now under the leadership of Frank Thomas (who serves as HFL CEO) and Martha Simmons (TAAP President and Publisher. In Spring 2004 HFL printed its first issue of TAAP.
Continuing their desire to provide preachers quality materials to assist them in successful sermon preparation, in 2007, the President of TAAP brought together a cadre of preachers, scholars and liturgists to begin the formation of the first African American Lectionary! The African American Lectionary is a resource tool that not only highlights the African American ecclesial traditions and moments that creatively express the joy, freedom, and the challenges of being both African American and Christian (e.g., Watch Night, African Heritage Sunday, Usher's Day, and Women's Day), but also recognizes days on the liturgical calendar that are celebrated across a variety of ecclesial traditions (e.g., Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost). By incorporating both the moments of significance across many African American ecclesial traditions, and some of the traditional moments of any lectionary cycle, The African American Online Lectionary allows users to select from a vast array of material that will exactly fit their congregation's needs and expectations. By fall of 2009 the lectionary had received more than one million unique hits.
It features all of the annual days celebrated by African American congregations. Lectionary commentaries, cultural resources and worship units are provided for each day on the calendar along with amazing videos and images. The site also provides sermon illustrations and the BIG IDEA which was developed to aid small and mid-size congregations in addressing some of the most difficult issues of our time. The lectionary was unveiled as a free online resource in December 2007. The lectionary will remain on line through at least 2013.
In 2009, TAAP continued to meet the needs of its readers by offering digital downloads of issues and a blog.