Tyndale House Publishers received CBA's first Channel Champion award last night in recognition of the company's support in growing the Christian retail channel.

Tyndale President Mark Taylor received the trophy from CBA President Bill Anderson, who said that the Carol Stream, Ill.-based company's "overall business model positions Christian retailers as their most passionate and dedicated business partners in reaching consumers for Christ."

The new award is given to a company that helps Christian retailers better partner with their local community and churches; has excellent customer service policies; creates programs and products that impact core issues like customers, inventory and staff; and creates programs that help boost traffic and awareness of stores.

Announcing the award, Anderson noted Tyndale's "wildly successful" channel exclusives, such as the Operation Worship Bible campaign and the Campaign Financial Aid, and its exclusive sponsorship of CBA's new Customer Inventory Accelerator program.

Receiving the trophy, Taylor told retailers that "we in Christian publishing recognize that without you we cannot do the things that God has called us to do. ... We hope that we have always been champions of the CBA channel and intend to continue that."

The rewards ceremony also honored a name familiar to many Christian stores, Bible teacher, author and broadcaster Warren W. Wiersbe, whose 160 books-including the popular "Be" series of Bible studies-have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than 4 million copies.

He received the CBA Life Impact Award in recognition of his "devotion to Christ and faithfulness to God's Word," as a result of which "multiplied millions of believers around the globe have discovered the glory of God and have seen Christ come to life in relevant ways."

Unable to travel to receive the award-accepted on his behalf by longtime friend Michael Catt, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga.-because of ill health, Wiersbe expressed his appreciation in a video message presented by publisher David C. Cook.

Bill and Tina Beyer, owners of Skia Christian store in Bentonville, Ark., were announced as winners of the first CBA Jim Carlson National Spirit of Excellence Award. The pair-who last year received the Retail Innovator of the Year Award at ICRS-were chosen from 10 stores that have previously received Spirit of Excellence awards for customer service, outreach and ministry, marketing and merchandising.

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