Contact:
Brenda Smotherman
Associate Publicity Manager
Phone: 615-749-6290
email: Bsmotherman@AbingdonPress.com
(Nashville, TN) – Abingdon Press is saddened to share that their longtime ministry partner and author J. Ellsworth Kalas, died November 12, 2015 at the age of 92.
J. Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015) was the author of over 35 books and close to 30 studies including the popular Back Side series which looked at biblical topics from a different perspective, A Faith of Her Own: Women of the Old Testament, Strong Was Her Faith: Women of the New Testament, I Bought a House on Gratitude Street, and the Christian Believer study, and was a presenter on the popular DISCIPLE Bible study videos. In 1993, he became part of the faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary, where he served as president and then as senior professor of homiletics. He was a United Methodist pastor for 38 years and also served five years in evangelism with the World Methodist Council.
“Ellsworth Kalas was a consummate gentleman, magnificent story teller and generous collaborator. He was an awestruck, animated, eloquent and trusted eye-witness to the lavish mercies and transforming love of God,” shared Neil Alexander, President and Publisher for The United Methodist Publishing House.
Published works of J. Ellsworth Kalas are still in print and available digitally including the collection offering The Best of J. Ellsworth Kalas: Telling the Greatest Story Ever Told Like It’s Never Been Told Before. His last book The Story Continues: The Acts of the Apostles for Today will release in April 2016.
“We received notes from readers every time we published something with Ellsworth’s name on it. His hundreds of thousands of readers are grateful that his words will live on to enrich our faith and our lives for years to come,” shares Mary Catherine Dean, Associate Publisher/Editor-in-Chief at Abingdon Press. “Ellsworth embodied faith in exemplary ways, hope to the fullest, and love in abundance. It has been a privilege to work with him for more than 25 years. He will be missed.”
Abingdon Press is the publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House and has a tradition of crossing denominational boundaries with thought-provoking and enjoyable books. It has a commitment to providing the best, most effective religious publications available which include a wide array of quality Christian living, fiction, devotional, academic, professional, and reference titles published each year to enrich church communities across the globe. Visit them online at AbingdonPress.com.
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