Joint-venture store changes names, retains current manager

LifeWay Christian Stores has acquired Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore, which was founded as a joint venture between Tyndale House Publishers and South Africa-based Christian Publishing Company (CPC). Terms of the agreement were not released.

The 6,432-square-foot location has changed its name and officially opened as a LifeWay store Aug. 1. Originally opened in November 2010, the 5,000-square-foot Town Square Wheaton store in Wheaton, Ill., was named in honor of Chris Johnsen, managing director of CPC and founder of Christian Art Gifts of South Africa, and Kenneth and Margaret Taylor, founders of Carol Stream, Ill.-based Tyndale House.

“Our motivation since day one was to serve our local community through the ministry and resources of a Christian retail store,” Tyndale officials said. “We have achieved this goal, and as we look to the future of the store, we feel the community will be better served by being part of a larger Christian retail organization that is focused on retail and has a clear mission of bringing gospel-centered resources to local communities.

“[LifeWay’s] core values and mission align with what we desire for Johnsen & Taylor, and we are excited to see this ministry continue to flourish within the LifeWay group,” Tyndale officials added. “The store location, store manager and the employees, who wished to continue, all remain the same.”

LifeWay Christian Stores President Tim Vineyard said: “Our goal is to be a one-source location with Christian resources for churches and individuals as we strive to fulfill our vision of providing biblical solutions for life. It is a pleasure to be a part of the Wheaton community.” 

Store Manager Mark Sutkowski said that many individuals and churches “are excited about LifeWay Christian Stores being here.”

Sutkowski said he was personally “looking forward to having the ability to reach out to the local churches in a greater way” through cooperative community projects, seasonal campaigns and high-quality ministry resources.

Famed Hollywood couple Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s smash History Channel hit sells 1 million units

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s The Bible miniseries has received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The 10-episode History Channel miniseries is up for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie category, competing with FX Networks’ American Horror Story: Asylum, HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, HBO’s Phil Spector, USA’s Political Animals and Sundance Channel’s Top of the Lake.

The Bible also was nominated in the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie categories. 

Airing in the spring and culminating Easter Sunday, The Bible, which starred Downey as Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the top new cable series of the year. In its first week of home video release, it was the top-selling miniseries of all time and the number one television series on DVD and Blu-ray in the past five years, according to TVbytheNumbers.com, which also reported that in only three months, it had sold 1 million units.

Additionally, it was recently announced that NBC will broadcast a sequel that will focus on events after the death of Jesus. The network is teaming up with producer Mark Burnett (The Voice, Celebrity Apprentice) for A.D.: Beyond the Bible, which is the tentative title for the new series.

‘Passing the torch’ to the Association for Christian Retail expected to ‘further broad distribution of the gospel message’

CBA will take over the recently closed Christian Trade Association International (CTAI), which was established, ironically, when the Christian retail organization shed its overseas chapters in 2005.

“We are very saddened by Christian Trade’s closing, but CBA wants to see the work continue,” said CBA President Curtis Riskey. “Our desire is to maintain international services and possibly create something new.” 

Kim Pettit, CTAI’s executive director and CEO, informed supporters in an email in early July that the international organization had closed. 

“After much prayer and long deliberation, our board of directors made the unanimous decision to dissolve Christian Trade and its affiliated ministry Christian Trade Association International World Ministries, effective June 30,” she wrote. 

However, CBA will now provide CTAI’s members “options to continue existing memberships and benefits without charge directly with CBA,” CBA officials said. 

CTAI Chairman Jean-Luc Cosnard, publisher of Editions Vida in Paris, said CTAI’s board expressed its desire to see international services continue through CBA, and noted that all of the group’s assets had been transferred to CBA. 

“I have found that CBA Chairman George Thomsen and President Curtis Riskey have shared Christian Trade’s fervent desire to serve the trade, not just in the U.S., but internationally as well,” Cosnard said. “As the product, pricing and distribution models in our industry continue to evolve, rather than continuing our separate efforts to serve Christian suppliers and retailers around the globe, we are passing the torch to CBA.

“We trust they will continue the good work that Christian Trade has carried out, and that our members will benefit from having a wider range of resources and services available to them in the future,” Cosnard added. “Our desire has always been to see the industry grow so that more people might come to know Christ through our resources, and we believe that this consolidation is the best way to accomplish this in the future.” 

Pettit will work with CBA as a consultant to transition international services. 

“It is tough to see the association close, but I am encouraged to see the legacy of Christian Trade’s late founder, Jim Powell, continued to further broad distribution of the gospel message,” Pettit said. 

Powell, who died of cancer last November, stepped down as president of CTAI in 2011 to serve in Papua New Guinea. 

Riskey said CBA will work to multiply what CTAI achieved by leveraging further industry resources to benefit global distribution. 

“Ultimately, we want to see the work that was begun brought to fruition and the Word of Jesus Christ shared throughout the world,” Riskey said. 

CTAI has members in 148 countries and associations in 18 nations, which will continue to operate.

Company moved more than 5 million units in 2012 alone

Choice Books hosted a reception at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) to celebrate 50 years in business. 

“We give thanks to God for his faithfulness in leading Choice Books these past 50 years and fondly remember the four founders who cast the original vision that continues to inspire and motivate us today,” CEO John Bomberger said.

“Choice Books has a rich history of dedicated, hard-working staff committed to sharing God’s love through books and many strong partnerships with publishers and retailers who have helped Choice Books fulfill its mission and purpose over the years,” Bomberger added. “We say thanks to all our partners and give God the glory for our collective work together.”

A reception held June 24 at the Ramada Plaza Downtown in St. Louis drew nearly 80 representatives from various publisher partners “for a time of fellowship and reflection on the past 50 years,” the company said. 

Started in 1962, Choice Books has made major inroads in general market distribution of Christian books, selling more than 5 million faith-based titles in 2012 through more than 12,000 kiosks at supermarkets, highway rest stops, drugstores, department stores and airports, company officials said. 

The vision for Choice Books began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Mark Martin of Harrisonburg, Va.; Eugene Garber of Kalona, Iowa; Norman Martin of Chambersburg, Pa.; and Orrin Eichelberger of Canton, Ohio, began selling inspirational books to local stores. Based in Harrisonburg, Va., the company now has seven regional distributors and more than 250 employees.

During the reception, six publishers were presented with an engraved book clock and recognized for significant sales in their longtime partnership with Choice Books: Moody Publishers; Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group; Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, now under HarperCollins Christian Publishing; Tyndale House Publishers; Harvest House Publishers; and Barbour Publishing. Choice Books purchased titles from more than 90 publishers last year.

Show sees announcement from former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, appearance by Michael Landon

Films and video took the spotlight at this year’s ICRS in St. Louis, with the announcement of new studio partnerships and screenings of upcoming releases. CBA President Curtis Riskey said DVD sales in Christian stores increased 27% from 2010 to 2012, and he sees this category as an area as a vital one for Christian retailers and for spreading the gospel in a postmodern world.

“One area where we are seeing growth is Christian films,” Riskey said. “We’re at a critical place in the church, where young people either don’t know about Jesus Christ or don’t care. We need to go where they are, and Christian films can do that.” 

On the opening night of the show, former U.S. Senator and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum told the audience he has accepted the position of CEO of EchoLight Studios. At a later press conference, Santorum said that EchoLight is the first fully integrated faith-based film company, meaning it can produce, finance, market and distribute films across every platform.

“We can develop not only our own projects, but we can build this industry from the bottom out,” Santorum said. “One of our key partnerships must be CBA and the Christian retail store, and we want to be their trusted brand. I have no doubt that we can serve and minister and share the gospel, not just to the flock, but to the world. I’m jumping in with both feet.”

Santorum and EchoLight President Bobby Downes said the company has a $20 million investment fund to produce Christian films and to help new screenwriters and filmmakers. To that end, EchoLight recently pledged up to $1 million to produce and distribute a new work from the Best Film winner of 2013’s 168 Film Project, $250,000 to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) and committed to a five-year, multimillion-dollar production and distribution deal with Liberty University.

EchoLight treated convention-goers to a screening of its upcoming fall theatrical release, The Redemption of Henry Myers, starring Drew Waters of TV show Friday Night Lights and Erin Bethea of Fireproof. 

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment invited retailers to a reception to catch a glimpse of its upcoming films. Due out this fall and in early 2014 are Heart of the Country, starring country music star and actress Jana Kramer; The Ultimate Life, a sequel to the hit film The Ultimate Gift; and Cowgirls ‘N Angels 2.

Director John Ward said he signed Kramer to film Heart of the Country right when she left the TV series One Tree Hill and before her country music career took off. He said his goal in the film was to take the biblical story of the prodigal son and bring it to life in a modern-day setting.

“What I wanted to do was adapt the words of Jesus, make them about a prodigal daughter and show what that might look like if they were lived out today,” Ward explained.

The Ultimate Life stars Waters and Peter Fonda, among others, and was directed by Michael Landon Jr. and produced by Rick Eldridge. Landon recently directed an original film, When Calls the Heart, based on Janette Oke’s “Canadian West” series from Bethany House. The pilot will air in October on the Hallmark Channel, and Hallmark will launch a TV series beginning in January. Landon and Oke answered questions from retailers during a screening of the pilot.

“I like to create projects, like my dad did with the Little House series, that bring the family together in one room, not the kids off in one room watching something and the parents in another room watching something else,” Landon told the audience. “I love the idea of everyone gathering around the dinner table, then watching something together—like my family did on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. 

“Not that I had any choice about that,” he added with a laugh.

Word Distribution celebrated 20 years of VeggieTales with a sneak peek of Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas, featuring the voice of Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson.

Co-creator Mike Nawrocki was on hand to thank retailers and Big Idea’s Greg Fritz announced that since DreamWorks acquired the company, it has partnered with Netflix to create a new VeggieTales TV series to debut in 2014. Retailers broke into applause when told that the show will air uncensored, meaning that it will have faith-based content.

At a workshop titled “Retailing in the Digital Media Age: Where does your store fit in the value chain?” a panel moderated by the Dove Foundation’s Dick Rolfe considered whether digital downloads, Redbox and Netflix are signaling the end of DVD sales.

“Three years ago, the headlines all said that once consumers went digital, they would never go back,” said Paul Lauer, president of Motive Entertainment, the firm that has helped market films that grossed more than $2 billion worldwide, including Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ. “But what we are finding is that 25% of American households make up almost 75% of sales across all channels. They use them all—Redbox, Netflix, DVDs, CDs and movie theaters.”

Another screening featured Pure Flix’ sequel Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire, slated for DVD and Blu-ray release Sept. 10. Actors David A.R. White and Brian Bosworth spoke after the event. 

Bridgestone Multimedia Group announced it will be moving beyond its licensed properties to begin filming its own productions in 2014. Bridgestone also screened its newest licensed DVD releases, The Lost Medallion and Jimmy. The Lost Medallion stars Alex Kendrick (Courageous, Fireproof) in a film that teaches foster kids how important they are to God. Jimmy—winner of five Dove Foundation awards—tells the story of a mentally disabled teen finding faith.

City on a Hill Productions invited key retailers to a VIP reception followed by an open screening of Acts of God, which won two Crown Awards as Best Picture and Best Drama at the International Christian Video Media Conference in June.

Capitol Christian Distribution held suite events to introduce its sales team and two upcoming properties to key retailers. Iesodo (pronounced yay-so-doh, which means “The Way of God” in Japanese) is a new children’s series with birds as the leading characters, including a white dove Jesus figure named Iesodo. The character made several appearances on the exhibit floor with actress Erin Bethea. The first episode is due on DVD in October. 

Grace Unplugged hits theaters Oct. 4 and follows an 18-year-old Christian singer who sets out to become a pop star and finds that success puts her faith to the test. 

Kingstone Media Group announced that Affirm Films/Sony Pictures Entertainment is adapting to film Kingstone’s  graphic novel The Remaining. Premiering in fall 2014, the thriller follows a group of friends who must figure out what to do after the rapture.

New production company will help train future filmmakers

Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers who created the hit movies Fireproof and Courageous, are “expanding their film-making endeavors beyond the walls” of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. 

“It is with hearts of gratefulness for the past and a sense of God’s leadership for the future that the Kendrick brothers are announcing a new direction,” the siblings said on their website. “Kendrick Brothers Productions will be launching an independent movie production company designed to partner with believers across the nation and help train the next generation of Christian filmmakers.”

After years of prayer, and with the support of Sherwood Baptist Pastor Michael Catt and Executive Pastor Jim McBride, the brothers plan to make their next as-yet-titled movie under the new company. 

Alex Kendrick said that the venture “is basically growing pains.”

“My brother and I are still ordained ministers at the church, and it’s still our home base,” said Kendrick, who with his brother made four films under the Sherwood Pictures banner—Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants and Flywheel. “This is a blessed venture from the pastor of the church and what God is calling us to do. It’s part of growing pains of this movie ministry.”

Catt added: “We love these guys and are grateful for God sending them to our staff over a decade ago. When we began this journey, none of us had movies in mind. It will be exciting for us to take the steps of faith required to see where God will take us. … Our prayers are with them as they pursue future endeavors.”

Under the new company, the Kendricks will able to film outside Albany, and not just use volunteers from the church in making their movies.

“For the next movie, we will shoot wherever we need to shoot, and we’ll include as many Christian film students [as possible],” Kendrick said. “We need to be investing in the next generation, teaching them what we know at this point. We’re thinking of passing the torch someday. We still have several films in us. Just as 2 Timothy talks about teaching faithful men, we want to teach other filmmakers to honor the Lord.”

The brothers are currently writing the script for their next movie. 

“We know the title, theme and story, but it’s a little too soon to say,” Kendrick said."

CBA convention’s special events highlight significant fall trade titles from Max Lucado, Kevin DeYoung

Fans of the printed word found much to satisfy at June’s International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in St. Louis.

From powerhouse novelists such as Karen Kingsbury to potential best-seller Danny Gokey—whose Hope in Front of Me details his American Idol experience and the loss of his first wife, Sophia—to custom-published authors along Author Avenue and members of the Christian Small Publishers Association—all found a voice on the exhibit floor.

Jonathan Cahn drew a crowd as he signed his two FrontLine books from Charisma House Book Group, The Harbinger and The Harbinger Companion With Study Guide, for two-and-a-half hours.

Abingdon Press author  Sarah Kovac made her debut with In Capable Arms, releasing in September. Kovac was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which left her shoulders, arms and fingers shortened and lacking muscles. She signed nearly 125 books with her feet.

Sunday night’s Worship Him gave Max Lucado the opportunity to share from his fall release, You’ll Get Through This, from Thomas Nelson. It also was announced that there will be a mass-market paperback of the book for the Salvation Army to provide to clients in crisis. Through the Give Hope Where It Counts campaign, Christian retailers are invited to ask consumers to purchase the special edition for $5.

Crazy Busy author Kevin DeYoung keynoted the publisher’s 75th-anniversary banquet Monday evening. Special guests Bryan Chappell and J.I. Packer put in an appearance—Packer via live video—to commemorate the evening.

Retailers at Monday’s CBA Member Luncheon listened in as Chris Fabry facilitated a discussion with The Shack author William Paul Young, who talked about his newest novel, Cross Roads (FaithWords).

Suzanne Kuhn of SuzyQ hosted the Christian Fiction: Authors, Retailers, Readers event Tuesday that allowed authors, including Cecil Murphey and James Rubart, to connect with retailers.

Lysa TerKeurst spoke at the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association’s Golden Scroll Awards and Munce Group’s ice cream social along with Robin Wolaver of the Annie Moses Band.

ICRS was also the stage for a number of awards announcements, including Christian Retailing’s Best, the Christy Awards and the Golden Scroll Awards.