Gary Johnson, the president of Bethany House Publishers from 1960 until 2008, died on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Minnesota. He was 86. His nearly 50-year career in book publishing is widely credited with helping to establish Christian fiction as a powerful category for the business.
Johnson was helped in his role as president of the company by his wife, Carol Johnson, who joined him at Bethany as editorial director in 1978. The Carol Awards, administered by the American Christian Fiction Writers and honoring top Christian fiction, are named for her.
The pair acquired Janette Oke’s first novel, Love Comes Softly, that year, and the sequel, Love’s Enduring Promise, a year later. Sales took off, Christian bookstores took notice, and Christian fiction entered the modern age. The Johnsons also published Beverly Lewis’s The Shunning in 1997, which launched the wildly popular Amish fiction craze.
“Gary left an incredible legacy at Bethany House, and we’re so grateful for all that he and Carol did to build a biblical, God-honoring foundation for us as a publisher that we are continuing to build to this day,” said Andy McGuire, editorial director for Bethany House, in a statement. Dwight Baker, former president of Baker Publishing Group, which acquired Bethany House in 2003, added: “Gary Johnson was a consistent model of professional grace and dignity. We have all been blessed by our association with him.”
Johnson is survived by his wife, Carol. A memorial service will be held on December 16 in Bloomington, Minn.
