The chairman-elect of CBA has issued a message of reassurance to members in the wake of the departure of longtime President and CEO Bill Anderson.

The retail trade association is "not with leadership ... not without a mission ... not without faith," George Thomsen says in a column in the latest issue of the CBA Retailers + Resources magazine.

"While CBA's leadership is changing, its commitment to its mission is not," Thomsen writes. "Nor is its effort in the pursuit of its mission diminished in any way."

The director of Harvest Bookstore at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., Thomsen is leading the CBA board in its search for a replacement for Anderson, who resigned in late October after almost 25 years at the helm. His abrupt departure took many in the industry by surprise.

"Organizations generally transcend leaders, not the other way round," Thomsen says in the November/December issue of the CBA publication. "The Bible shows us that no man is bigger than his mission or his organization. That's why great organizations must be made up of teams of great individuals."

CBA's four-strong leadership team is being headed by Curtis Riskey as interim executive director. The owner of Basic Books and Cafe in Oshkosh, Wisc., though no longer involved in its day-to-day operations, Riskey joined the organization in 2007. Thomsen writes: "Though our leadership is changing, our team is unchanged in its resolve and commitment to continue on and carry out its calling."

Dec. 11: This article has been updated/amended since it was first posted.

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