WSJ: Top-Selling Pastor Goes Quarterly

He has written one of the best-selling books in history. But can pastor Rick Warren sell a magazine?

The test starts this week, with the debut of Purpose Driven Connection, a quarterly publication from Reader’s Digest Association to be sold as part of a bundle of multimedia products its backers hope will connect Christians to each other and God. A subscription includes access to a Facebook-like Christian social-media Web site and DVD guides for leading a prayer group.

In some respects, the venture represents a sweet spot for publishers, who often think of their brands not as magazines but as tools to unite a community around a shared interest. The new publication has a headliner with legions of loyal disciples linked by their devotion to a subject far more profound than home furnishings or celebrity gossip.

Yet Mr. Warren and Reader’s Digest, partners in the project, would be hard-pressed to choose a tougher time to launch a magazine.

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