The Rev. Deborah A. Block has been elected to serve as chair of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC), according to Presbyterian News Service. Block, a member of the PPC board since 2004, succeeds Kenneth Godshall.

PPC is the denominational publisher for the Presbyterian Church (USA), but through Westminster John Knox (WJK) Press, publishes a variety of materials.

According to its mission statement, PPC “seeks to glorify God by contributing to the spiritual and intellectual vitality of Christ’s church. To that end, PPC publishes resources that advance religious scholarship, stimulate conversation about moral values, and inspire faithful living.”

Based on some of the titles PPC has promoted in the past, that claim is questionable. In 2006, WJK released “Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action” which accused President George W. Bush and his administrative of treason and conspiracy by allegedly orchestrating the terrorist attacks of 2001.

A WJK official defended publishing the book with the following statement: “We have a long tradition of being a publisher of somewhat progressive stances on theological and social issues, so it is not out of character for us to do this.”

WJK has published a number of books that attack Presbyterian beliefs and policy statements, including “Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality” by former PCUSA Moderator Jack Rogers. The book claims that the Bible does not condemn homosexual behavior or same-sex marriages.