Joel Belz, a pioneer in Christian journalism, has died at the age of 82

In 1977, he became editor-in-chief of The Presbyterian Journal, a struggling publication in Asheville founded in 1942 by L. Nelson Bell (the father-in-law of the Rev. Billy Graham). Mr. Belz later suggested that the organization start a children's magazine, similar to the Weekly Reader that he had devoured during his youth before switching to Time magazine.

That happened, and It's God's World magazine was a hit.

When some parents suggested an adult version, Mr. Belz gave World a try. The magazine didn't catch on as quickly as the children's magazine, but it eventually did, and the organization's board of directors quit The Presbyterian Journal to focus its resources on World. Mr. Belz was an editor until the early 1990s, when he retired to work on the business side and write a column.

His first marriage, in 1967, to Diana Ewing ended in divorce. In 1975 he married Carol Esther Jackson, who survives him.

In addition to her and his brother Andrew, his survivors include two children from his first marriage, Jenny Gienapp and Katrina Costello; three children from his second marriage, Alice Tucker, Elizabeth Odegard and Esther Morrison; his siblings Julie Lutz, Mary Kaufmann, Sara Drexler and Mark and Tim Belz; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Another brother, Nathaniel, died in 2023.

Mr. Belz was a mentor to countless Christian journalists.

In 1999, he helped establish the World Journalism Institute to train students to write “biblically objective” articles. Even when he was ill, Mr. Belz welcomed journalists to his home for advice and prayer. His brother Andrew remembered a large group of World staff members who visited last year.

“I hope you all tell a big story,” he told them. “I hope it's as big as Watergate.”