Attendees of the CBA Members Luncheon took a trip down memory lane Monday as Tyndale House Publishers President Mark Taylor commemorated the company’s 50th anniversary during the event. Taylor shared how his father, Ken Taylor, was one of the founders of the Christian Booksellers Association (now CBA) and that he attended the CBA Convention each year on behalf of Moody Press (now Moody Publishers).

“But 50 years ago, at the CBA Convention in July 1962, Ken wasn’t in the Moody Press booth,” Taylor said. “He was across the room in a little 5-foot booth that was labeled Tyndale House Publishers. Ken’s bookstore friends were curious and perhaps confused. 'Ken, why aren’t you in the Moody Press booth? What’s Tyndale House Publishers?'

“Ken responded, 'My newest book is called Living Letters, and I’ve decided to publish it myself,' ” he added. “I’m using the name Tyndale House for my little company. Here, take a look at Living Letters. It’s a modern translation of the New Testament epistles.”

In 1963, at the request of evangelist Billy Graham, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association printed and distributed 600,000 copies of Living Letters, and sales of the easy-to-read translation of the New Testament soon took off.

In 1971, The Living Bible, the follow-up to Living Letters, was published, and it became the best-selling book in America for the next three years. Taylor also shared about Tyndale's best-sellers through the years, including Josh McDowell's More Than a Carpenter, James Dobson's The Strong-Willed Child and Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins' “Left Behind” series.

Jack Savage and his wife, Ruth Ann—owners for more than 52 years of Jack's Religious Gift Shop in Salisbury, Md., which now only carries church supplies—said it was a “nice surprise” to see Tyndale mark its anniversary.

“Ken Taylor presented us with several plaques for selling 25,000 copies of The Living Bible in the 1970s,” Jack Savage told Christian Retailing.“It was so interesting to see the old titles by Tyndale, many of which are still in print. To me, it was the highlight of the luncheon. Matthew West was also good with his story.”

The singer/songwriter performed “Strong Enough” as well as the title track from his forthcoming release, Forgiveness (Sparrow Records/EMI CMG Distribution). West received a rousing response for singing and sharing the inspiration behind the song “Forgiveness”—Renee Napier, whose 20-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver whom she chose to forgive and asked for his early release. West brought Napier on stage, and she received a standing ovation. 

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