Church bookstores have a critical role to play as the Christian products industry goes through a "seismic shift," according to church bookstore movement leader Geni Hulsey.

Pointing to online shopping and big box stores carrying Christian resources, Hulsey said that "the competition is just different than it was 20 years ago, and the industry, I believe, is trying to reinvent itself," when interviewed on Bridge-Logos Foundation's "We're Talking Books" blog radio show last week.

"I think it will come out stronger in the end, but for right now I also have the firm belief that church bookstores are the stopgap that God has put in place until the industry can get its footing again," she added.

President of the Church Bookstore Network and manager of the former Garden Bookstore at Houston's First Baptist Church, Hulsey now volunteers at a bookstore at another Houston church. She said the downturn in the economy had impacted church bookstores just as it had other Christian retail operations.

Churches considering starting a bookstore to serve their congregation needed to consider the idea carefully, she told show host and Bridge-Logos Publisher Lloyd Hildebrand. A clear vision and mission statement was important.

"They need to understand that they are running not only a ministry but (also) a business," she said. "If you don't run like a business, then eventually it will fail because it should not drain the stewardship budget of the church. It's just vital that everyone be on the same page from the beginning."

Hulsey also spoke about the importance of training and told about the opportunities available at Christian Retailing's The Gathering 2010 at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., April 21-23.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

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