Loveland’s Group Publishing lays off 62

LOVELAND — Christian publisher Group Publishing Inc. will lay off 45% of its staff in coming weeks as demand for Bible school curriculums dried up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the Loveland company said it will lay off 62 people beginning July 1 after churches in several states across the U.S. were either restricted from in-person gatherings by local health authorities or voluntarily closed their doors. The company said it is releasing a free guide to adapt its books to online virtual Bible school and Sunday school programs.

A letter to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment shows the company will complete its layoffs in October. 

At its peak 15 years ago, Group Publishing had about 350 employees. As of last October, it had about 170 occupying 50,000 square feet in a 90,000-square-foot office building on the city’s west side.

Several client churches also froze spending due to a drop in donations. company president Thom Schultz said he expects long-term disruptions to both churches and his company, as it’s unclear how many churchgoers will plan to return to in-person services in a post-COVID world. He also said some church leaders may not be able to keep their houses of worship open through the end of the year.

“Throughout our 45-year history we never anticipated anything that would prohibit all churches from gathering,” company president Thom Schultz said. “But now we’re doing everything we can to help churches adapt and continue to serve their people during these challenging times. Unfortunately, we’ll have to do that with fewer people.”

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