The Garden Bookstore at Houston's First Baptist Church in Houston--a leading member of the church bookstore movement--is to close as part of cost-cutting moves at the church.

The 2,000-square-foot store with a staff of four was founded 16 years ago by manager Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network since it was founded in 2006.

Steven Murray, director of communications at the historic Southern Baptist church, said the decision to close the store had not been an easy one as it had been "ministering to our church family" since 1993 under (Hulsey's) "faithful leadership."

But the store's ability to remain financially viable had been impacted by the growth in online retailing, and the recent downturn in the economy had seen consumers looking for deeper discounts.

"All of this, coupled with giving to the church running behind budgeted needs, has led the church to take steps to prevent being overspent this fiscal year," Murray said. Action steps had included eliminating several positions in the church, cutting the budget for the rest of the year by 20% and closing the bookstore.

"A streamlined resource center will be launched this summer offering the pastor's messages, Bibles and study materials related to courses provided by the church," he added.

Hulsey said The Garden closure--due by the end of February--should encourage other church stores to re-examine their operations to ensure they were on a good financial footing, but that they should not be discouraged. The Garden closure had "a lot to do with the Houston economy," which had been badly affected by Hurricane Ike last year, even before the general economic downturn.

Dave Condiff, publisher of Christian Retailing and The Church Bookstore, which founded the Church Bookstore Network, said the closure was an indication of "the extreme times we are living in." Hulsey remained "determined to help church stores deal with the harsh realities of today's marketplace," he added.

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