Jerry Jenkins has searched for fresh Christian fiction talent through his Operation First Novel contest for over a decade. For the first time, three winners have been selected.

David C. Steinmetz, one of the world’s leading Reformation scholars, died Nov. 26. He was 79.

An ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, he held degrees from Wheaton College (B.A.), Drew University (B.D.) and Harvard University (Th.D.). He is a former president of the American Society of Church History, which awarded him its Distinguished Career Award in 2010. He was the Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the history of Christianity at Duke Divinity School. In 2006, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also a member of the editorial advisory board of InterVarsity Press’ "Reformation Commentary on Scripture" (RCS).

The 2016 Pantone Color of the Year will be premiered this January at the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market. The color—along with the PantoneView home and interiors 2016 color forecast—will be the inspiration for the Pantone design exhibition, which will also unveiled at the Market.

Seven acclaimed interior designers and tastemakers—Robert Leleux, Shaun Smith, Jamie Durie, Michael Habachy, Tami Ramsay, Janie Hirsch and Heather Hogan Roberts—will each design a vignette inspired by the 2016 color forecast in the Building 1, Floor 14 gallery, using products sourced from AmericasMart showrooms. The Pantone design exhibition is presented in collaboration with Rue and Veranda magazines and the Pantone Color Institute. The exhibition will remain on display until June 2016.

Pure Flix has launched its own U.S. theatrical distribution arm, in preparation for next year’s nationwide theatrical release of God’s Not Dead 2. This move makes Pure Flix the first global Christian motion picture production and distribution studio. 

Pure Flix is responsible for the hit faith film God’s Not Dead and the recent box-office successes Do You Believe and Woodlawn.

Tyndale House Publishers purchased the publication rights and existing inventory for the book What the Bible Is All About from Ventura, California-based Gospel Light.

The book rights were purchased through Gospel Light’s bankruptcy auction Oct. 27. Tyndale House also acquired the rights to several ancillary books related to What the Bible Is All About.

LifeWay Christian Resources has sold its Nashville headquarters. LifeWay announced that Southwest Value Partners (swvp.com), a private real estate investment firm, closed today on the purchase of the campus.

The nearly 15-acre campus is in and at the gateway to downtown Nashville. The property is broadly entitled for mixed-use purposes that may include hotel, entertainment, commercial and creative office, and residential. LifeWay will continue to occupy a portion of the campus in the near term until it determines the permanent location of its corporate headquarters.

Casting Crowns was awarded the American Music Award (AMA) Sunday for Favorite Artist-Contemporary Inspirational, competing with MercyMe and Hillsong United in the category. This is the fourth AMA the group has won, having also won in 2007, 2011 and 2014.

The AMAs are a fan-voted award show with winners determined by votes cast online as well as via Twitter.