A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

of the Christian Leader until 1951, when it became the official conference organ. The Leader was published as a 32-page monthly from 1937 to 1943 when it was changed to a larger format and 16 pages. In 1946 it was changed to a 16-page semi-monthly. Upon request of the 1939 General Conference the Publishing House began the production of the "Graded Sunday School Lessons" in 1940. Ten years later the English Adult Quarterly replaced the "Graded Sunday School Lessons." Both name and language of the Vorwaerts were changed in 1939, when the paper was renamed the Hillsboro Journal, and also became bilingual in content. In 1951 the Publications Committee recommended that the conference dispose of the Hillsboro Journal since its publication demanded too much staff time to justify PUBLISHING FOR THE BROTHERHOOD 297 continuation. In 1953 this paper was sold and subsequently merged with another local paper. The election of A. J. Voth as business manager in 1948 was another forward step in the operation of the publishing enterprise. 40 In 1949 the Publishing House undertook an expansion program whereby an $18,000 addition was added to the building, and about $24,000 was spent by 1953 for more adequate equipment. 4 ' In 1954 P. H. Berg retired from the editorship of the Zionsbote. The conference expressed its appreciation by giving him a vote of thanks for his thirty-two years of service in the Publishing House of the brotherhood. A new chapter in publications was begun in 1954 with the appointment of Orlando Harms to the position of general manager as well as editor for both conference papers — the Zionsbote and the Christian Leader. Harms brought to his new assignment the experience of teaching in Tabor College (where the author was his student) and also his pastoral experience in the city of Wichita. Under Harms' capable leadership the Publishing House was able to liquidate its indebtedness and the Leader was improved in form and content. The bookstore, which had been located in a separate building for a few years, was moved back into the Publishing House in 1955 and its services expanded. Although negotiations with the brethren in Canada with regard to a united effort in publications continued throughout the fifties, the United States Conference moved forward and initiated a new pattern of meeting the needs of the brotherhood. The first area conference held in Reedley in 1957 voted to accept a plan whereby each congregation would contribute $5.00 per family per year to publications. In return the Christian Leader was to be sent to every family of the constituency. Upon ratification by the churches in the United States this plan went into effect in 1958. The response to this new arrangement was gratifying. At the second area conference in Fairview, Oklahoma, Orlando Harms reported: It has been very encouraging to receive expressions of enthusiasm regarding the Leader plan from many of our