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Gospel Light taps industry veteran for interim CEO position Print Email
Written by Jeremy Burns   
Tuesday, 14 January 2014 05:40 PM America/New_York

StanJantz-webThe Gospel Light board of directors has appointed Stan Jantz as interim CEO, effective Jan. 13.

Jantz is a Christian book industry veteran whose 40-year professional career includes several phases: owning and operating one of the nation’s leading Christian retail stores; co-writing more than 50 Christian nonfiction books with sales of more than 3.5 million copies worldwide; and founding the digital publishing and content platform ConversantLife.com. Since 2011, Jantz has served as the publishing director for Regal Books, a division of Gospel Light.

“I am both humbled and eager to take on the position of interim CEO for Gospel Light,” Jantz said. “I have had enormous respect and appreciation for the high quality, Bible-based products published by Gospel Light and Regal Books.”

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, while president of Fresno Bible House (Fresno, Calif.), Jantz served on the Advisory Board for Gospel Light. Twenty years later, he joined the company.

“Like all publishers, Gospel Light is facing challenges stemming from massive technological, cultural and ecclesiastical shifts,” Jantz said. “But we believe our unique combination of product lines, along with our close relationship to the church, are of great value to the church and Christians everywhere.”

Jantz said the Gospel Light team is ready to move forward with new energy and a renewed vision for producing products that will impact the world for Christ. Kim Bangs, a 20-year publishing veteran who has most recently served as senior acquisitions manager for Regal Books, has been appointed publishing director for Regal.

Gospel Light publishes children’s curriculum, Vacation Bible School resources, youth and adult curriculum and nonfiction. Its nonprofit affiliate, Gospel Light Worldwide, has a global mission to reach 1 million children through Bible-based, culturally relevant teaching resources, books and curriculum worldwide. Gospel Light is also one of the founding partners of ZDL, an Christian publishing enterprise in China.