Jane Campbell, longtime editorial director of Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group, retired June 4 after nearly 40 years. She told Publishers Weekly she considered being part of the evolution of publishing books from a charismatic perspective “an adventure.” 

Chosen, founded by John and Elizabeth Sherrill, focuses on Spirit-led books targeted toward charismatic Christians, publishing books on prophetic vision and voice, prayer, spiritual warfare, the Holy Spirit, battling evil and more. Campbell began her journey by working for John Sherill in 1978 as writer and ghostwriter and joined the imprint fulltime in 1983 when Zondervan acquired it. The imprint was later sold to Guideposts and, in 1992, to Baker Publishing Group. 

Stan Jantz, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, called Campbell’s editing skills “undeniable,” adding, “Not only did she consistently find compelling authors and curate great books, but she also established Chosen as one of the premiere imprints in Christian publishing. In doing so, Jane virtually invented a unique genre: charismatic books with universal appeal.”

Kim Bangs, who joined Baker in 2014 and has been serving as an acquisitions editor for Chosen, will succeed Campbell as editorial director. CR

InterVarsity Press kicked off its 75th anniversary in June by beginning a yearlong celebration of books and authors who have shaped culture, affected the church and changed lives. Leading figures and IVP authors such as evangelist Rebecca Manley Pippert, apologist Francis Schaeffer, theologian J. I. Packer and pastor-scholar John Stott helped a generation of church leaders think more biblically. Landmark books such as Ron Sider’s Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, James W. Sire’s The Universe Next Door and Your God Is Too White by Columbus Salley and Ronald Behm challenged Christians to engage the world around them. 

Throughout the coming yearlong celebration, IVP will share monthly stories about how individual books and authors have started and led historical discussions concerning missions, apologetics, spiritual formation, science, social justice, theology, politics, women in ministry and more.

“InterVarsity Press occupies a unique place in the Christian world—one that I believe is essential in a time when we are more divided than ever. IVP books offer diverse and sometimes intentionally contradictory positions,” said Cindy Bunch, IVP’s associate publisher and director of editorial. 

In celebration of the anniversary, IVP is releasing special editions of select iconic and bestselling books from its history. Between fall of 2019 and fall of 2023, IVP will release Signature Collection editions of 27 books and 13 Bible studies representing a broad range of authors, topics and genres.

Stan Jantz, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association, said, “For 75 years InterVarsity Press has published compelling books that bring honor to Christ by cultivating the mind while simultaneously stirring the heart. My first encounter with InterVarsity came while I was in college through brilliant authors such as Os Guinness and Becky Pippert, who are still writing great books for—you guessed it—InterVarsity Press. Not content to rest on past success, this innovative publisher continues to discover and publish first-rate authors for new generations. That’s the mark of a great publisher. That’s the mark of InterVarsity Press.” 

Watch for more information about IVP’s 75th anniversary on ivpress.com and Facebook. CR

Tyndale House Publishers announces the launch of Tyndale Refresh, a new imprint focusing on books that promote health and well-being in all aspects of life, drawing on the expertise of top researchers as well as experts and practitioners in medicine, science, psychology, religion, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle improvement. The new imprint’s tagline is: Think well. Live well. Be well.

The first Tyndale Refresh books will release in fall 2021, with authors including Danielle Walker, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author (Against All Grain, Meals Made Simple, Celebrations and Eat What You Love), health advocate and self-trained chef. Her upcoming memoir, Food Saved Me, shares the full story of her journey to finding life again through the healing power of food.

Dr. Michael Guillen, a physicist, bestselling author, former Harvard University physics instructor, former ABC News science editor and also former atheist is also launching a new book, Believing Is Seeing, with Tyndale Refresh this fall. 

“We are creating Tyndale Refresh because we believe it’s important and possible to live a life of balanced physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being,” said Jan Long Harris, executive publisher of nonfiction. “For that reason, it’s important to stay on top of the latest expert knowledge about health, wellness, and science. Tyndale Refresh books will appeal to readers who are intelligent, curious, health-conscious, and open to how Christian spirituality can enhance overall well-being.” 

The imprint anticipates the release of six to eight titles a year, including those by popular authors such as Daniel Amen, M.D.; Curt Thompson, M.D.; Stephen Arterburn and Alisa Keeton, which were previously published under Tyndale Momentum and will be rebranded with Tyndale Refresh when reprinted. CR

Billy Joe “B.J.” Thomas, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning country, pop and gospel singer behind hits including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling,” died at age 78 on May 29, 2021, at his home in Arlington, Texas, of complications of stage 4 lung cancer. 

Born in Hugo, Oklahoma, and reared in Houston, Texas, Thomas had a breakthrough hit in 1966 with a gospel-styled cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and went on to sell millions of records and have dozens of hits across genres. He reached No. 1 with pop, adult contemporary and country listeners in 1976 with “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” He won five Grammys and sold more than 70 million records. 

Thomas’ iconic hit “Raindrops” from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He later said the song’s success exacerbated an addiction to pills and alcohol dating back to his teens, when a record producer in Houston suggested he take amphetamines to boost his energy levels. Touring and recording constantly, he took dozens of pills a day. By 1976, while “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” was hitting No. 1, he said he felt like he was “No. 1,000.”

“I was at the bottom with my addictions and my problems,” he said in 2020 on The Debby Campbell Goodtime Show. But when his wife, Gloria, became a born-again Christian, the singer also came to Christ and began expressing his newfound faith via gospel music. He quit drugs immediately, signed with Myrrh Records and released the album Home Where I Belong in 1976. The project, which won a Grammy and became the first of his two Dove Award wins, also became the first gospel record to sell a million copies. 

Thomas went on to continued success in multiple genres and, although he stopped recording exclusively for the Christian market, performed in a church setting as recently as 2019. Thomas wrote two books, including his autobiography, Home Where I Belong, co-authored with New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins. He leaves behind Gloria, his wife of 53 years; their three daughters and four grandchildren.— Marti Pieper

 Bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado was recently awarded the 2021 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Pinnacle Award for the outstanding contribution of his writing, both to the publishing industry and to society at large.

Lucado is only the fourth recipient of this honor, which recognizes the outstanding contribution by an author or book. It was presented at the ECPA Awards Celebration on May 6 via webinar at the conclusion of the ECPA Leadership Summit.

Lucado’s career highlights are unprecedented in Christian publishing, with his products exceeding sales of 145 million. His books are printed in 45 languages and distributed throughout 80 countries worldwide. On the Anvil, his first trade book, was published in 1985. His forthcoming title, You Were Made for This Moment, will release in September 2021 from Thomas Nelson. Twenty-three of his titles have sold more than 1 million copies.

“It is such an honor for ECPA to present the Pinnacle Award to Max Lucado,” said ECPA President Stan Jantz. “I was a bookseller in 1985, and I clearly remember when our store received On the Anvil for the first time. The accessibility of the writing and the clear expression of the heart of someone who loved Jesus more than anything were early indicators that this was a special author.”

“It is an honor for HarperCollins Christian Publishing to represent Max and his collection of life-changing, God-centered works for the past 31 years,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO. “God’s grace, mercy and unconditional love has been discovered by millions of people because of Max’s devotion and love for his Lord and Savior. I join my colleagues at HCCP and the publishing industry in offering our sincerest thanks for his many contributions and congratulations on this amazing recognition.”

Past recipients of the ECPA Pinnacle Award include Stormie Omartian (Power of a Praying series), Dr. Gary Chapman (The 5 Love Languages series) and Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye (Left Behind series). CR

Stephen E. Strang, founder and CEO of Charisma Media, announced on June 3 that the company is combining its multimedia and book groups effective immediately. The announcement came the same week Charisma Media celebrated its 40th anniversary as a company. 

The new structure combines magazines, books, the MEV Bible, digital products and the Charisma Podcast Network into the two areas of markets and operations. With many industry changes, this change of structure will allow Charisma Media to develop new channels for its audience and maximize its digital footprint to distribute content.

The change expands the roles of two of Charisma Media’s executive team members. Dr. Steve Greene will now serve as executive vice president of media and markets, and Ken Peckett is now executive vice president of operations.

“This new structure streamlines our organization, minimizes duplication and overhead, and positions us for growth,” Strang said. “In the process, we can better serve the Christian community and pursue our passion to encourage people to experience the power of the Holy Spirit.” CR

Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (btpubservices.com), a leading provider of sales and fulfillment services to book publishers, is pleased to announce the signing of a full-service sales and distribution agreement with the SPCK Group, effective July 1, 2021 – US/CAN only.

The SPCK Group is the one of the world’s leading Christian publishers, formed following the acquisitions of Inter-Varsity Press UK as well as Lion Hudson by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a publisher founded in 1698. Under this arrangement, all three lists will be available from BTPS.

Lion Hudson (lionhudson.com) is a renowned Christian publisher that features an extensive list of award-winning books for adults and children under several imprints, including Lion Books, Monarch Books, Lion Scholar, Lion Fiction, Lion Children’s Books and Candle Books. Its mission is to “see literature that challenges, encourages and leads people to God, whatever their background, with titles that cover a broad spectrum of faith-based publishing. 

Inter-Varsity Press UK (IVP UK, ivpbooks.com) is an evangelical Christian publisher that arose from the Christian Union movement in the U.K. Its mission is to publish Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission throughout the world. 

SPCK Publishing (spckpublishing.co.uk) has been publishing Christian books since the 17th century and is best known for its work with such authors as N.T. Wright, Rowan William and Richard Rohr. SPCK aims to publish the best Christian books in a range of genres, including theology, biblical studies, Bibles and children’s. SPCK Publishing also publishes spiritual fiction titles under the Marylebone House imprint.

“This new partnership with BTPS is a significant step for the SPCK Group in ensuring availability of all our titles in North America and growing the sales of our authors,” said Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK Group. 

“We are honored and privileged to partner with the SPCK Group, including Lion Hudson, IVP UK and SPCK Publishing, whose solid reputation for incredible adult and children’s books is known worldwide for helping people grow in the Christian faith,” said Randy McKenzie, sales manager of BTPS’s Christian Division. CR

CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, moved its annual convention to Nashville this year. The location, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, along with significant funds given to CBA member retailers to pay for show expenses were factors that drew Christian retailers to the Unite convention.

CBA reported that more than 1,700 people, a 10 percent increase over last year, attended the July 8-11 trade show. Representatives from 35 countries also attended.

Although the gift section of the exhibit floor appeared to be full, some gift companies either did not attend Unite or went from one show to the next as Unite and the Atlanta gift show at AmericasMart overlapped. 

“For the most part, we sold out our booth space,” CBA President Curtis Riskey said.

CBA is also in the very early stages of establishing strategic alliances and is challenging retailers and suppliers to look at the industry in a fresh way.

“Many great things are birthed in times of great fire, turmoil and crisis,” said Eddie Roush, the new chairman of CBA Service Corp., who has invested $1 million in CBA, including retailer show reimbursement. “Many Christian retailers are suffering because they have not yet adopted new ways of marketing their businesses, and at CBA’s Unite 2018, we have provided them new tools, insight and inspiration in order to thrive.”

Roush is also president of The Roush Foundation, which helped to organize and underwrite Unite 2018.

“We feel we need to rebrand Christianity,” he added. “We have taken the holy name of Jesus and diluted it, where people have lost hope in His power to give hope and new ideas to our business owners who are struggling. We have come to interrupt our industry for the good of furthering the cause of Christ.”

Most of the training at the show was offered free of charge for retailers, who took advantage of the opportunity to learn from inside and outside experts on retail topics.

“We had so many people not only sign up for education workshops but also attending,” Riskey said. “A lot of years we would measure somewhere between 20 and 40 on average who would be attending a session. This year there are many that averaged well over 100.”

Riskey was encouraged by the increase.

“We’re talking a lot about change,” he said. “There’s change needed, because obviously you can’t expect to do the same things and expect different results. But when I see those folks taking workshop sessions and things like that, people are starting to realize they do need help and are seeking it. Hopefully they found a lot of really good things here.”

CBA brings Unite back to the same location next year, June 25-28.

Don Piper, a New York Times best-selling author and the subject of the 90 Minutes in Heaven movie, said he came to know Christ as Savior at age 16 through the influence of friends and relatives. Those were the people he says he met at the gates of heaven when he died in a car crash at age 38 and spent 13 months in the hospital.

In his new book, People I Met at the Gates of Heaven, Piper, who is also an ordained minister, told of those who expected and met him at heaven’s gates. His college roommate’s mother met him there, as did one of his classmates who was killed, his great-grandparents, his grandmother and a teacher.

People I Met at the Gates of Heaven also shows how believers can and should influence others on earth for heaven's purposes, just as those who helped lead Piper to Christ influenced him.

As for whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, which the Scripture speaks about, “only God knows” Piper said.

“We think we know who’s going and who’s not, and we do not,” he said.

FaithWords releases his new book in November.

Author Craig von Buseck brings his Bible-teaching skills to his new book, Seven Keys to Hearing God’s Voice from Ramcastle Press. Supportive of Christian retail, von Buseck came to Unite 2018 to share the story of his new book that, he said, fills a market niche.

“Seven Keys to Hearing God’s Voice is a book that is different than anything I’ve seen in the market in that it talks about the traditional forms of God’s guidance that you hear in pretty much any kind of a church you’re going to go into, the Scripture and godly counsel and the peace of God in confirmation,” von Buseck said. “Those are things that everybody agrees on. But what differentiates this book is that I specifically speak to, first of all, the Holy Spirit speaking directly to our hearts, and I talk about how that happens.”

He identifies four voices that try to lead the Christian’s life: God, the devil, one’s self and the world, which could be a mentor or parents, for instance.

“We need to learn how to discern between those different voices, but one of those voices is the Lord,” he said, citing Joy Behar of ABC's The View, who stirred up social media with her assertion that when Jesus talks to you, it’s a “mental illness.” She has since apologized for her remark.

In the book, von Buseck shows how God speaks to the Christian and, at times, even those who don’t know the Lord.

“I give these seven different channels through which the Lord will speak, and the point of the book is to say that He doesn’t typically speak through any one of those things,” von Buseck said. “Typically He’ll speak through several, if not all of the seven keys, then He’ll knit it together in a tapestry, and it’s in the picture of that tapestry that we see the picture of God’s guidance.”

This book is different from most books on God’s guidance in that it also teaches on personal prophecy, words of knowledge and words of wisdom.

“God gave us a brain. He gave us an intellect,” von Buseck said of the need to know how God speaks to us. “We’re not just spiritual beings.”

The author may also post teaching videos related to the book on his website, vonbuseck.com, in the future.