33 Years Ago the First Issue of Charisma Magazine Rolled Off the Press

Today, August 5, is a special day for me. Thirty-three years ago the first issue of Charisma magazine rolled off the press. It was our August/September 1975 issue. Thurlow Spurr was on the cover. It had 32 pages and sold for 50 cents.

The magazine was a publication of Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, Florida. Most of the 500 or so subscribers were church members, and all of the advertisers belonged to the church. I was a 24-year-old journalist who published the magazine as a part-time job while I continued my work at the Sentinel Star (now the Orlando Sentinel).

Several times over the years--usually in anniversaries divisible by five--we've done something to commemorate Charisma's anniversary. It's really the only anniversary that we pay attention to in our company, even though we now publish six magazines and hundreds of books and have an increasingly substantial presence on the Internet.

Since those early years the Lord has opened up a lot of doors for me. This week, for example, I expect to interview presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. I will be reporting on the interviews in the Strang Report as well as running them in the October issue of Charisma, where we will be taking an in-depth look at the upcoming election and the issues.

Charisma magazine has allowed me to be a part of what God is doing the last 33 years. Back in the ’70s the charismatic movement in mainline churches was going strong. The big controversy of the day was the “Discipleship Movement.” The television networks of Praise the Lord (PTL) and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) were just getting off the ground. We had never heard of the ministries of now-prominent leaders such as T.D Jakes or Joyce Meyer.

Since then we have seen and reported on the rise of megachurches and the explosion of the charismatic movement, first among African-Americans and later among Hispanics. We have noted the rise and fall of a number of ministries. The charismatic movement has become more mainstream in the church, yet it is still often on the outside not only of American culture but also of the broader evangelical Christian community.

Forgive me if I'm a little sentimental when an anniversary rolls around. But I am grateful for and humbled by what God has done. If I died today, I would truly feel that I had had a very enjoyable and productive life. Yet at the same time I have been getting prophetic words--one as recently as yesterday--that indicate the Lord will open up doors in the future that are greater than those I’ve walked through in the past.

On Sunday George Cope, the current pastor of Calvary Assembly (where we started), was gracious enough to acknowledge Charisma's 33rd anniversary in the church’s morning service. Even though I have not attended Calvary Assembly for many years, we have worked to maintain a connection there.

We offered a special subscription of 33 issues for $33 (that's just less than half-price for a nearly 3-year subscription). We had an overwhelmingly positive response and are giving all the proceeds to a ministry of Calvary Assembly. You too can get 33 issues of Charisma for only $33. Click Here!

The response was so good that I decided when I wrote about our anniversary in this report, I would make the same offer to you.

Whether you are a current subscriber or a new subscriber, I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity. You can click here to order your subscription online. We'll also be glad to send it to someone as a gift if you choose.

In 1986 we took over the publishing legacy of Christian Life magazine, one that went back to 1939. A few months ago Bob Walker, the founder of Christian Life, went home to be with the Lord at age 95. In his day he was reporting on what the Holy Spirit was doing. He was one of the first to report on the burgeoning charismatic movement.

I believe I am doing much the same thing in a new generation and with new tools. Back in 1975 we were just beginning to hear about the personal computer, which became available a year or two later. We could not have envisioned the Internet as it is today. These two tools give us open doors to proclaim the good news of Jesus throughout the world.

We are privileged to publish Charisma in Spanish under the name Vida Cristiana (Christian Life). We have also licensed our name with a group of Christians in Indonesia to publish Charisma Indonesia, and this week we hope to come to an agreement with a leading publishing company in South Africa to publish Charisma Africa. This magazine will give us a presence in Africa that will allow us to do special editions in both Nigeria and Kenya. The deal in South Africa will be an arms-length business deal, but we will be supporting the efforts in Nigeria and Kenya through Christian Life Missions.

Many of you have already given to the Charisma Africa project, and we believe it will strengthen the church in those two countries. Of course there is a need for a financial help, which we are happy to give through Christian Life Missions. If you would like to add your tax-deductible donation, you can click here to help us with this project.

I'm proud of my son Cameron, who is continuing the publishing legacy through his own Relevant Media Group, a separate company. He's reaching his generation in a way I can't.

At the same time I believe Charisma and the other products we publish at Strang Communications will continue to grow and prosper as God gives us favor, opens doors and helps us network with many Christians, not only in America but also around the world. I feel a very special bond with those Christians who are my readers--that's why I felt I could open my heart and share my feelings with you on this special day.

I'll close by humbly admitting that the first issue of Charisma was actually scheduled to come out on August 1. We were five days late when it came off the press on August 5. Though we do a much better job of meeting deadlines today, it's always been a joke in our office that our first issue was late.

Steve Strang

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