Sermons > Our Daily Bread > Birth of Our Daily BreadBy Adolph T. Liebert
Our Daily Bread
was a dream of the Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Sr., who was pastor of the
Philadelphia Swedenborgian Church for fifty years. His dream was to
publish a monthly devotional magazine of sermons and daily prayers as a
source of spiritual inspiration and a much needed publication in the
church.
As a member and adviser to the American New Church
Tract and Publication Society on theological and spiritual matters, he
brought to them his dream of a new publication to replace The Helper,
which was a small monthly magazine that was failing due to a lack of
interest in its contents. His proposal was accepted, and he was
appointed editor of the new publication: Our Daily Bread. The first issue was dated December 1949, and it has been published continuously ever since.
The
American New Church Tract and Publication Society was an incorporated
body run by members of the Philadelphia Swedenborgian Church. Its
purpose was "to publish books by Emanuel Swedenborg, and tracts by New
Church writers." On February 1, 1986 it dissolved, assigning its assets
to the General Convention (the Swedenborgian Church) to establish a
restricted fund whose income was to be used, first for the publication
of Our Daily Bread, and second for other publication efforts. A
further provision was that the editor be selected by Convention's
Council of Ministers. This has proven to be a wise requirement.
Editors:
1949-1985: Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Sr.
1985-1997: Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Jr.
1997-2008: Rev. Lee Woofenden
2008-Present: Rev. Kevin Baxter and Leah G. Goodwin
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