Wheaton location established with South Africa-based partner

Industry leaders are praising Tyndale House Publishers’ plans to open a new Christian bookstore in Wheaton, Ill., this month in a joint venture with South Africa-based Christian Publishing Company (CPC)—comprised of Christian Art Gifts and CUM Books.

To be located in an existing building in a shopping center, the 5,000-square-foot Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore is named in honor of Chris Johnsen, who founded Christian Art Gifts of South Africa and is owner of CPC, and Kenneth Taylor—founder of Carol Stream, Ill.-based Tyndale House.

Tyndale—which was recognized with CBA’s Channel Champion Award for its support of Christian stores at June’s International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis—joins a small group of Christian product industry suppliers with retail operations too.

CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey lauded the new partnership. “When you combine a leading publisher in Tyndale with an innovative gift company in Christian Art Gifts as well as the expertise of South African retailer CUM Books, I believe you have a winning partnership,” he told Christian Retailing. “I am pleased to see this partnership in our industry, and CBA is willing to help them in any way we can.”

Riskey pointed out that the enterprise was not unprecedented, as there have been many Christian suppliers who have done both publishing and retail over the years such as NOTW (Not of This World) apparel—which also runs C28, a chain of youth-targeted clothing stores.

However, most of the publishers have divested themselves of their stores, including Zondervan—which split from Family Bookstores in September 1993. But publishers such as Kregel Publications, Baker Publishing Group and Christian Literature Crusades (CLC) still own and operate stores.

Baker Publishing President Dwight Baker applauded Tyndale House “for making the move,” adding that Johnsen & Taylor will offer “a fine service” for Wheaton.

“The Wheaton bookstore will be a gift to their faith community that all parties should appreciate,” Baker told Christian Retailing. “Hurray for Tyndale. … (A retail store) gives publishers a point of contact with readers that’s unique. ... Publishers are removed by layers from their sales channels. We tend to work in a vacuum. Having a store staff gives (publishers) a unique perspective of the industry. I feel this is a good move overall for the industry.”

Baker Publishing—which at one time had approximately 15 retail outlets in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area—still operates its flagship 16,000-square-foot store Baker Book House, started in 5,000-square-foot shop in 1939 by Baker’s grandfather, Herman Baker.

Jim Kregel, president of Kregel Parable Christian Stores in Grand Rapids, a subsidiary of Kregel Publications, also hailed Tyndale’s partnership with CPC.

“With the closure of the only independent Christian bookstore in Wheaton two years ago, the Wheaton/Carol Stream community is overdue for a Christian bookstore to again offer quality Christian resources,” he told Christian Retailing. “What is unique about this development is the store will be planted in a very well-read, educated community—near the great number of students and staff of Wheaton College, and close to the great number of employees of other Christian organizations within close proximity to the store.

“Between the characteristics of this unique community and Tyndale’s partnership with a very seasoned retailer, the endeavor will bring both partners great success,” Kregel added. “It will only enhance their (Tyndale’s) understanding of Christian retailing, which will in turn make them a better publisher. … Similar decisions on the part of other publishers to open retail stores apart from these characteristics I think would be more challenging.”

CUM Books—the acronym for Christelike Uitgewersmaatskappy Books, the company’s full name in Afrikaans—currently operates 41 bookstores in South Africa, while Lombard, Ill.-based Christian Art Gifts has grown to become a leading gift supplier since it was launched in 2003.

“As the folks at Tyndale initially shared our desire to see a store established in Wheaton with Chris and (his son) Kobus Johnsen, we were pleasantly surprised by Chris Johnsen’s immediate reaction that we should partner together and make this dream come true,” said Paul Mathews, executive vice president for Tyndale House. “Tyndale feels it is an honor and privilege to be serving with the Johnsen family in this new enterprise.”

Although “Christian” is not part of the name of Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore, the store’s subtitle is “Inspirational Books and Gifts,” according to Heinrich Johnsen, another son of Chris Johnsen and president of Christian Art Gifts.

“As we continue to prepare for our fall opening and our community learns more about the store, we feel it will be obvious that we are ministering to our community through a Christian bookstore,” Johnsen said.

Mathews said Tyndale’s move into retail was “not meant to make any statement” about the company’s view of the state of the Christian products industry.” “Tyndale was answering the question:  How can we make Christian resources more readily available to our community?” Mathews told Christian Retailing. “We weren’t responding to economic opportunity, but rather, to a need. After all,  isn’t that what the Christian publishing industry is about in its purest form?”

Johan Wessels, a native of South Africa who previously managed the LifeWay Christian Store in Chicago since June 2007, will serve as Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore’s manager. The bookstore’s board of directors will include Tyndale Chief Operating Officer Jeff Johnson and Paul Mathews as well as Chris, Heinrich and Kobus Johnsen.

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