wfn.org | PPC and OGA Officials Discuss Production Services Agreement

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

4-March-1998 
98075 
 
    PPC and OGA Officials Discuss 
    Production Services Agreement 
 
    by Julian Shipp 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Consistent with the church goal of consolidating similar 
functions to maximize efficiency, officials in the Presbyterian Publishing 
Corporation (PPC) and the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) are 
discussing the possibility of a production services agreement. 
 
    The Rev. Kerry Clements, OGA manager of Communication and Technology, 
said that conversations have been held with PPC officials during the past 
nine months about the need to make the most of the church's publishing 
resources. On Feb. 20, Clements and the Rev. Janet DeVries, director of 
OGA's Department of Administration and Assembly Services, met with  OGA's 
Communication and Technology staff to discuss future directions for OGA 
publications. 
 
    Clements said that since the stated clerk is responsible for the 
publication of the church's constitution and other documents, it's 
imperative the OGA retain all editorial rights to the publications of that 
office. 
 
    "Even with OGA retaining editorial control, however, there are specific 
services that PPC can provide that include publication design, text 
formatting, securing bids and presenting projects to the printer," Clements 
told the Presbyterian News Service. "There are even possibilities in the 
fields of sales and marketing that PPC can offer to expand what we do 
currently." 
 
    "We want to provide production services for this other key part of the 
denomination," said Davis Perkins, PPC president and publisher. "We think 
this relationship can really flourish by allowing us to leverage our 
production volume together to get better prices and be more cost-effective 
in producing these materials. Down the road, we want to be able to put our 
marketing muscle behind the distribution and promotion of these materials 
to expand the market for some of their publications. We'll work through 
Cokesbury and integrate OGA material into our own catalogs and promotional 
efforts." 
 
    While no formal accord has been reached regarding the proposed 
alliance, the PPC has agreed to produce this year's "Book of Order," which 
should be available at the General Assembly in Charlotte, N.C. Perkins said 
the total print run for the "Book of Order" is 85,000 copies, as has been 
the practice for several years by OGA. Approximately 3,000 copies of the 
book should be available at Charlotte. Clements said that once this project 
is completed, the OGA will evaluate it and proceed to discuss a more formal 
arrangement. 
 
    The continuation of a partnership between the two entities seems 
logical. Last year, the PPC produced the software editions of the "Book of 
Order" and "The Book of Confessions" (Macintosh and Windows versions). PPC 
also produced a print edition of "The Companion to the Constitution" by the 
Rev. Frank Beattie. Next fall, the PPC is scheduled to release a study 
edition of  "The Book of Confessions" in print. 
 
    So what does this mean for the current OGA staff in Communication and 
Technology? Clements said during their recent meeting that OGA officials 
announced their intention to protect the employment of current staff by 
negotiating their retention as a part of its agreement with PPC. OGA would 
transfer the three editorial positions and two typesetting positions 
involved to the PPC. 
 
    "We're still very early in the process. There's nothing in writing," 
Clements said. 
 
    "We've not gotten down to the nitty-gritty of how OGA staff might be 
integrated into PPC, but we have made an in-principle commitment to honor 
that wish," Perkins said. "We don't want anybody to be lost in the 
transition either." 
 
    Clements and Perkins said they hope to have details of the proposed 
alliance worked out by late this year or early 1999. 

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