CBA Chairman-elect George Thomsen has welcomed prayer for the association as it seeks a new leader following the abrupt departure of longtime President Bill Anderson.

"I have been hearing from people that are behind CBA and actively praying for us," Thomsen said. "I really think that is the call to our industry-that we work together as stewards of what is God's industry."

CBA has formed a leadership transition committee to find a replacement for Anderson, who served at the retailers association for 31 years and was its leader for almost 25 years. His departure, without reason, was announced Friday, Oct. 30.

Thomsen said that no timeline had been set for appointing a new CBA head. "That is something we need to look at, but we want to make sure that we don't rush."

Thomsen told Christian Retailing that the board would be reviewing its ownership of its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., as part of the deliberations. "We are looking into our options there," he said of the facility into which CBA moved in 2000, when it had around 50 staff. The workforce has since been reduced to 10 full-timers.

"We do have tenants that rent space, but we are looking at the options that we have before us," said Thomsen. "We are looking at anything and everything that makes sense to make sure that we are efficient in providing the space we need to operate our staff."

In addition, he said, further consideration might be given to the possibility of working more closely with other trade organizations such as the Gospel Music Association (GMA), where former President John Styll had recently stepped down as part of a cost-cutting effort to keep the group alive.

"The industry consortium could be a good thing if we can figure out if there are ways we can do things as different organizations more efficiently and still maintain our identities and serve our constituencies," Thomsen said. "People might be open to that."

Thomsen said that Anderson had "left the association with a strong staff" and was "assisting us with the transition." CBA was "a financially viable organization," he said. "We are solvent, and we have made adjustments as most people have in our industry to keep things that way."

Ed Leonard, GMA board chairman and Daywind Music Group president, said the organization "is always looking for ways to work closely with CBA."

"As an organization, we are currently working with them on Christian Store Day to be held in October 2010 as well as being their source for great music talent at ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) through our Power of Music event," he said. "Several of our members are participating in their frontliner training platform and on CBA-exclusive product, which is a proven traffic-driver to the stores."

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