This year, we mark the 50th anniversary of Charisma magazine—a milestone that leaves me profoundly humbled and deeply grateful. What started as a modest publication out of a local church office in Orlando has, by God’s grace, grown into one of the most influential Spirit-filled media platforms in the world. As I look back over the decades, I’m reminded of when we printed our first issue in August 1975, I had no idea that the Holy Spirit would use this magazine to impact millions.
I was 24 years old at the time. I had just graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism and was working as a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel. I was also attending Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando. While editing the church’s newsletter, I sensed God calling me to something more—a publication that would give voice to the growing charismatic movement and document what the Holy Spirit was doing around the world.
With a small loan and a lot of faith, we launched the first issue of Charisma from an office inside the church. That first issue had just 32 pages and a circulation of a few thousand. My wife, Joy, and I worked late nights doing layouts and writing stories, often not knowing how the next month’s issue would come together. There were no guarantees—only a sense of calling.
Over the years, Charisma became more than a magazine. It became a platform for Spirit-led journalism and birthed a broader publishing enterprise: Charisma Media. We’ve now published hundreds of books, including more than two dozen New York Times bestsellers. Our authors have included Jonathan Cahn, John Eckhardt and Jentezen Franklin, among many others. Titles like The Harbinger, The Faith of George W. Bush, and God and Donald Trump reached millions and helped frame national conversations from a biblical worldview.
But it’s the magazine that has remained closest to my heart. For 50 years, Charisma has served as a prophetic watchman on the wall for the Pentecostal and charismatic church. We’ve been there to chronicle moves of God—from the Jesus People revival and the rise of the megachurch to the Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Revival and beyond. And we’ve not been afraid to speak the truth. When doctrinal error, scandal or moral compromise crept into the movement, we addressed it head-on—always with a heart for restoration and clarity. Our calling has never been to court popularity but to remain faithful to what the Holy Spirit was saying in our generation.
This has always been more than journalism to me. It’s been a divine assignment.
We were among the first Christian publications to cover the AIDS crisis—not from a political standpoint, but from a biblical and compassionate perspective. We’ve interviewed every major Pentecostal leader of the past five decades, some before they were widely known. Some of our greatest breakthroughs came through book publishing. In 2012, The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn shocked the publishing world by becoming a New York Times bestseller through a Christian publisher that the mainstream media had largely ignored. That book opened the door to the idea that God still speaks through modern-day prophets and that biblical patterns repeat through history. And yet, the last decade has brought new challenges. The computer revolution has upended traditional publishing. Print readership across the industry has found new outlets and platforms across the digital media landscape. Cancel culture has threatened to silence voices like ours. But instead of shrinking back, we’ve adapted.
Today, MyCharisma.com reaches millions of readers each month with news, commentary and the prophetic story-beyond-the-story. We’ve embraced digital media not as a replacement but as an extension of our mission.
What gives me hope is that this mission is far from over. In fact, I believe we’re entering a season of even greater influence—because the need is more urgent than ever. The United States is at a spiritual crossroads. Our culture is increasingly hostile to biblical truth. But this is not the time to retreat—it’s the time to speak louder.
I believe Charisma is uniquely positioned to help lead the next generation of believers—especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha—into the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They are searching for meaning and authenticity. The church must meet them where they are. That means online, yes—but also in truth and in fire.
We’re already training up a new generation of Spirit-filled journalists, editors, designers and storytellers. We’re investing in innovative technologies to ensure our message multiplies in the years ahead. And we’re staying rooted in the same principles that launched us in 1975: journalistic excellence, prophetic boldness and total dependence on the Holy Spirit.
So, while this 50-year milestone is a moment to celebrate, it’s also a moment to refocus.
If the Lord tarries, I want the next 50 years of Charisma to burn even brighter than the first. I want our grandchildren to know the Holy Spirit not just as a doctrine, but as a living presence. I want our company to be the place where truth is told, where fire is fanned, where Jesus is glorified and His eternal message amplified.
We’re still on the wall. We’re still watching. And we’re still proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.
Stephen Strang has seen major changes in the church, the culture and technology since he founded Charisma magazine in 1975. In addition to being CEO of Charisma Media, he hosts a Strang Report podcast live on YouTube and Rumble at 4 p.m. EST every Tuesday and Thursday. His important recent book Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-World is available wherever fine Christian books are sold d including online at amazon.com.
