How We Conduct Ourselves
Berean Press’ Ten Principles
The Publishing Philosophy answers why Berean Press exists and what it publishes. These ten principles answer the consequent question: with what character is that purpose pursued? They are not aspirations. They are the assumed conditions of every decision this press makes – from the significant to the small.
The test for any significant decision: does it honour each of these principles, or does it depart from one?
Stewardship, not ownership
Psalm 24:1
Every financial and publishing decision begins with ‘what was this given for?’ – not ‘what can we keep?’ The business and everything in it belongs to God. We are stewards of what has been entrusted, not owners of what we have generated.
Firstfruits giving
Proverbs 3:9–10
Ten percent of net profit is committed to the Berean Press Giving Fund before any other distribution, without exception. Giving is the first call on profit, not the last. Eight percent goes to standing charitable partners; two percent is held discretionary for needs as they arise.
Integrity in small things
Luke 16:10
Invoices paid on time. Taxes filed honestly. No agreement made that we would be uncomfortable making public. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. The small daily honesties compound into character over time.
The fear of the Lord
Proverbs 9:10
Prayer and Scripture open every covenant decision. Commercial analysis serves the decision; it does not drive it. Wisdom that begins anywhere other than the fear of the Lord may be useful but is not the rock.
The dignity of every person
Genesis 1:27
Every author, supplier, and reader bears the image of God. Contracts are fair. Communication is honest. No person is treated as a means to an end. This applies as fully to the author whose manuscript we decline as to the one we publish.
Excellence as worship
Colossians 3:23
Editorial rigour, design care, and honest communication are acts of worship, not merely professional standards. Whatever we do, we do it as working for the Lord. A careless book is not a neutral product – it is a failure of stewardship.
Counsel before action
Proverbs 15:22
Covenant decisions are not made alone or in haste. The order is: prayer, Scripture, the Decision Framework, trusted counsel, then practical expertise. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Honest speech
Matthew 5:37
What is promised is kept. What cannot be delivered is not promised. There is no managed impression in any communication – to authors, readers, or suppliers. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
The discipline of return
1 John 1:9
Departure from principle is anticipated, not denied. Drift is named in the quarterly review; failure is confessed and corrected, then released. The health of the press depends not on never failing but on being willing to name it and return.
Orientation toward the Kingdom
Matthew 6:33
The measure is not industry standing or revenue. It is whether Berean Press serves readers, honours authors, and advances Kingdom work. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Transparency. The full Ten Principles document, the Publishing Philosophy, the Decision Framework, and the Author Charter are available on request. We offer them not as a formality but because we believe that a business built on Biblical principles must be willing to be held to them by others, not only by itself.