In his new role, McKinney--with the company since 2006--will primarily be responsible for the daily operations and management of all aspects of the organization.

"This new position will help the organization focus more on efficiency and productivity, while moving forward in new growth and ministry opportunities," said Swanson's CEO and President Adam Swanson. "This change will position him to be more influential in our industry, while providing other significant opportunities for our organizational growth."

McKinney has been a member of CBA's National Gift Council since 2008. Before joining Swanson, he spent 10 years with LifeWay Christian Stores' marketing/retail division.

Independents’ expansions welcomed for showing how small businesses can out-serve the giants

Despite a still-weak economy, two independent Christian retailers have opened second locations in order to fill a void and offer “a ministry” to their communities. CBA’s new head has praised the store expansions as an example of how well-run small businesses can out-serve bigger competitors.

Fran Cantwell opened His Word Christian Bookstore in Newark, Ohio, in February. Cantwell— who also owns and operates a store with the same name located approximately 30 miles away in Johnstown, Ohio, where she lives—said she felt compelled to open the 900-square-foot store, sandwiched between a pizza shop and a women’s workout facility in a small strip mall.

“I opened the store because God led me to do so,” Cantwell told Christian Retailing. “I have seen God’s leading in every decision of the business.”

Mindy Uitermarkt—who opened Stepping Stones Christian Bookstore in Marshalltown, Iowa, in April—said she also felt prompted by God after she was urged by a friend last fall to launch the 1,900-square-foot store.

“Although technically a for-profit business, it has more of a nonprofit mission—which is to help people along their faith walk,” said Uitermarkt, who also owns a store with the same name located approximately 35 miles away in Grinnell, Iowa.

CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey said Cantwell and Uitermarkt both “understand the role Christian stores play in supporting the church, providing resources to grow individual faith walks and providing a place of community that changes people and changes the culture.”

“It is always a good sign that Christian stores are opening or expanding because it helps bring the good news to more people,” he said. “It’s also a good sign that an established and experienced business expands because it means a call to obedience reinforced with skills for retail excellence.”

Cantwell said there had not been a Christian store in Newark—located 45 minutes from Columbus, Ohio—for 10 years, and the nearest evangelical store is 30 miles away. With the help of her family, including her daughter-in-law, Cantwell said her new location has been well received and churches have been spreading the news about the store.

Besides books, Bibles, DVDs, CDs, performance tracks, the store carries communion supplies and rosaries as well as out-of-print titles and used books. Cantwell’s Johnstown store, which she opened two years ago, is approximately 350 square feet—reduced from 700 square feet to accommodate the new location.

“I see His Word Christian Bookstore as a ministry,” said Cantwell, who has a part-time job besides running her two stores. “We have a prayer list going that people sign up to be prayed for. The success of the store is totally God’s success. When I opened the store I made a commitment to God not to incur debt, so my merchandise is pre-paid.”

Uitermarkt said she stepped out in faith to open her store in Marshalltown, although there had been at least three Christian bookstores in the area that had come and gone over the past 10 years.

“God has provided in so many ways through so many people to make our new store a reality,” said Uitermarkt, who has owned her 1,500-square-foot store in Grinnell since 2002.

Uitermarkt said opening of the second store made some sense because Marshalltown has three times the population base of Grinnell—about 27,000 versus approximately 9,000.

Additionally, the nearest Christian store is 45 minutes away. Uitermarkt’s stores carries books, music, greeting cards, wedding and church supplies and the offer a frequent buyer’s club. The Marshalltown store’s sales have been approximately triple the Grinnell location since she opened the new site.

“By having two stores, there are economies of scale, which will enable me to continue furthering God’s kingdom in this way,” Uitermarkt said. “Everyday I thank Him that He has given me this opportunity to interact with so many people and do something that I’m very passionate about, which is helping people find the right products to assist them and the ones they love grow in their faith—wherever they might be on their spiritual journey.”

Riskey said the expansions by Cantwell and Uitermarkt reveal how retail is changing. “Retailers who wish to expand not only have to be good retailers, but they also must understand their customers and how to serve them,” he said. “Both of these stores seem to be adapting their merchandising especially to local customers’ needs.

“Bargain books, specialized product selection—these are things stores do best and can’t be duplicated by Amazon or Wal-Mart,” Riskey added. “They are making a difference in their communities by being different from all the rest and being comfortable and relational to people.”

Elsewhere, a longtime Christian bookstore in Merced, Calif., has been saved from closure by a couple who owns two evangelical bookstores in Bakersfield, Calif. Christian Connection, owned by Annette and Rick Macias for the past 16 years, was to due to close Christmas Eve because of low sales, theMerced Sun Star reported.

But Bud and Linda Mayhew, who have known the Maciases for about five years, stepped in. The Mayhews offered to let the Maciases still run the store in Merced, while the Mayhews would stock and manage it. The Maciases took the offer, and the bookstore reopened as Hope Christian Bookstore in January.

GRAMMY-winning band Third Day recently received its eighth overall Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) milestone with the Gold certification of the group’s live concert video project Live Revelations: On Stage, Off Stage,Backstage (Essential Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution). The RIAA Gold recognition represents more than 500,000 units sold. Live Revelations was released in April 2009.

Author and radio commentator Chuck Colson has been named the recipient of the 2010 Jordon Lifetime Achievement Award. Colson, whose books include The Faith and Loving God (both Zondervan) as well as How Now Shall We Live? and Lies That Go Unchallenged in Popular Culture (both Tyndale House Publishers), was honored May 3 during the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Executive Leadership Summit and Annual Member Meeting in Nashville.

Singer-songwriter Matt Brouwer won the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Where’s Our Revolution (Universal Music Christian Group/Fontana Distribution) April 17 during the Juno Awards, Canada’s equivalent to the GRAMMY Awards. The first-time Juno winner received the award in person during the event, held in St. Johns, Newfoundland.

Singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp—who rose to fame with a series of best-selling albums on Gotee Records in the 1990s and disappeared from the Christian music scene after her 2001 release, The Way I Am—announced in April that she is gay.

Harvest House Publishers author Lisa Boalt Richardson has partnered with Heart for Africa to help build a needed facility for orphans in Kenya. A certified tea specialist, Richardson said that a portion of the proceeds from her new book, The World in Your Teacup, will help build a septic system for the orphanage. A chapter in the book features a tea from Kenya, a region which has produced tea for more than 100 years.

Growth opportunties championed at The Gathering 2010

Retailers and suppliers were in positive mood when they met to consider key industry trends at The Gathering 2010 in Louisville, Ky., last month.

They saw and heard of new opportunities despite the ongoing challenges of the economy, from digital publishing to a growth category for church-based stores.

E-books and bargain books were spotlighted as areas in which stores should consider investing during lunchtime Food-for-Thought presentations and discussions that were offered in addition to more than a dozen training workshops.

Joe Questel, vice president of business development for Symtio, the digital book distribution program launch in 2008 by Zondervan to give stores a toehold in the digital world, told how it has turned out to have an unexpected bonus―a boost in audiobook sales.

The sale of the in-store cards that give people codes to download content for reading or listening was helping meet the “pent-up demand” for audio editions of books that had previously not taken off in the Christian market the way they had in the general market by reducing inventory costs, he said.

Symtio Marketing Director Jerri Helms reported a lot of subsequent interest at the company’s booth, with retailers “more comfortable” with the idea of embracing e-books and concerned that they do not lose out on digital sales as they had with music, she said.

Jerry Bloom, president of bargain book leader Treasures Media—which recently acquired the discount “speed table” program of SAS & Associates—told during another session how he had developed his wholesale remainder business after finding how cut-price titles had benefited at the retail store he runs in Racine, Wisc.

Another trend that emerged at The Gathering—which drew representatives of church, chain and independent stores—was greater interest in and openness to inspirational gifts at church-based operations.

While church stores some carry ministry-centered items like greeting cards and products that can be given to others for evangelism and encouragement, many have to date been more conservative and focused on books and Bibles.But “they are realizing that book sales are down and people are finding other places to buy them,” said Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network. “They know they have to make that up somewhere and they are looking for high quality gifts that are ministry tools.”

Tim Belanger, a volunteer at the bookstore managed by his wife, Connie, at Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, Mich., said that having been primarily focused on books, it had recently been decided to “open it up to merchandise and apparel. Books are great, but with them you only have a certain segment of the congregation that will come in.”

Annette Atwood, president of Show Offs Arts, noted high interest from church accounts. Gifts “are what is going to keep them afloat, really,” she said. “I had some stores say they weren’t allowed to carry gifts so they placed orders to decorate offices in the church” to show how gift products could offer ministry value.

Many suppliers reported good business at The Gathering. The event was “very good” for Thomas Nelson, said Inside Sales Consultant for Christian Retail Sales Scott Etheridge, who noted that sales had been strong and consistent. There had been a good response to its new Jack Countryman gift book spinner rack to be available from the fall, he said.

“There has been a lot of interest,” Etheridge said. “A lot of stores do well with gift books, but don’t really have a home for them all in one spot. We have found if you can do that and call them out, your sales increase.”

Bob Spooner, marketing director for Robert Spooner Galerie, said that there had been a good response to the lower price points the company has introduced with new lines that aimed to continue its reputation for high-end and quality wall art while dropping prices to offer more value.

Stores seemed to be coming out of the worst effects of the recent, he said. “They are still trying to keep inventories low, but they are starting to buy again. We have had several people say, ‘We are empty, we need product soon.’”

STL Distribution North America President Glenn Bailey said that the company had signed up a handful of new accounts and that “all things considered, it has been definitely worthwhile being here.”

First-time Christian trade event exhibitor Darryl Shellhamer―whose SDS Designs Associates has recently added a faith-based line to its popular car magnet collections―said that though the show was small compared to some he had been to “I got more accomplished here than at some of the megashows I have attended.”

For new publisher Inspired Faith, debuting at The Gathering with interactive gift books containing inspirational movie DVDs, CBA Channel Director Chris Robinette reported a good response and appreciation that the new line was available only to specialty retailers.

Dottie Poythress, manager of The Bookmark at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., said she had found “some new things I would not have seen if I had not been here” in Louisville. There was “a great spirit, a real sense of enthusiasm and excitement,” at the event, she added.

Other highlights from The Gathering included:

* Author and children’s market expert Mary Manz Simon emphasized how helping parents protect and nurture their children presents an opportunity for Christian stores to set themselves apart from the increasing competition they face.

More than ever, with unwholesome trends in entertainment content for the young, “parents are going to look to you to fulfill your traditional role as gatekeeper to their children,” Simon said in her keynote presentation on trends in the category.

* CBA Chair-elect George Thomsen proposed an industry summit to help build up Christian retail. “I would really love to see us work together,” he said when asked about his hopes for the future, during an informal question-and-answer forum.

“I’d like to see us tear down barriers―whatever barriers there are, let us rip them down because it is not Christlike,” Thomsen said. “And we need to work together; we need to love each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to operate with integrity; we need to not be mean with each other as we sometimes are. ... I think we need to get together as an industry and talk and perhaps even have an industry summit where we bring publishers together, where we bring associations together ... different entities, people who have a stake in this game.”

* Attendees were given a preview of the Not A Fan revival initiative that is to tour the country later this year, to be backed by a DVD small-group video curriculum and book featuring the message of the church’s teaching minister, Kyle Idleman.

The six-part series created by City on a Hill Productions and to be released in July features Southeast Christian teaching minister Kyle Idleman’s message about the need for Christians to move from being “just a fan, an enthusiastic admirer of Jesus” to becoming a true follower.

Four bookstores and two companies recognized with awards of excellence at The Gathering  2010

Retailer and supplier excellence was recognized at The Gathering with awards to four stores and two companies.

Steve and Janelle Pickering, owners of Parable Lemstone Christian Store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received Christian Retailing’s Independent Store of the Year Award for “outstanding contributions in the development of Christian retail.”

Similar honors from The Church Bookstore magazine for quality stores went to church-based operations in three categories.

Large store: Rockpile, Rock Ministries, San Diego, Jayson Payne, manager. Mid-sized store: Passages —The Gateway Bookstore, Gateway Church, Southlake, Texas, Bobby Williams, manager. Small store: Next Step Resources, Granger Community Church, Granger, Ind., Susan Chipman, manager.

The Church Bookstore Vendor of the Year award, for “outstanding service in the development of Christian retail in the local church,” went to Thomas Nelson. Zondervan’s Larry Avery, senior account executive, was named Salesman of the Year.

The Gathering also saw the announcement of the winners of Christian Retailing’s Retailers Choice Awards 2010, with 33 trophies presented in categories from Bibles and backlist to best marketing campaign. Full details, page 48.

Publishing giant distributes Women of Faith brand ‘to fill the void of a diminishing industry’

Hoping to fill a void, the world’s largest Christian book publisher has ventured into the music business.

The May 25 releases Women of Faith Worship, Hope and Grace and Sheila Walsh’s I Hear Angels marked the first time Thomas Nelson distributed music from its conference brand. Women of Faith Worship features 10 tracks from the WoF worship team, while Hope and Grace is a compilation disc of singles from artists involved in the conferences, including Mandisa, Steven Curtis Chapman and Natalie Grant. The CDs retail for $13.99 each.

The company purchased WoF in 2000, and has reported that the events—which also include Revolve teen conferences—comprise 20% of its annual operating budget.

Tom Knight, Nelson’s senior vice president of Christian retail sales and ministry development group, credited the strength of a “robust” sales team—with backgrounds in publishing, retail and music—in making the decision to distribute music.

“We understand Christian retail and … are well-qualified to help fill the void left by a diminishing music industry, especially as it relates to sales to Christian retail and independent bookstores,” he said.

Before the new recording—for which Nelson was working towards an iTunes agreement—WoF projects were distributed by Integrity Music and more recently by Word Distribution. The brand’s most recent recording—A Grand New Day, distributed by Word—was nominated for two Dove Awards this year.

Vance Lawson, chief service officer for Nelson, said the new venture would help the company keep better control of its WoF music brand.

“In addition to distribution, these companies also owned and controlled the records released during the distribution agreements,” he told Christian Retailing. “And they served us well. But over the last year, the Women of Faith team would like to begin creating intellectual properties that they could own and control.”

Gospel Music Association Chairman and Daywind Music Group President Ed Leonard applauded Nelson’s move.

“It’s great whenever a big company gets involved in the music business,” said Leonard, a CBA board member. “They’ll add a lot to the music enviornment.”

The music distribution extends beyond WoF as well. Knight said the publisher is “open to discussion with labels as to sales, retail marketing and distribution” of Nelson products.

Reading device will offer Christian books to ‘an even broader audience’

Thomas Nelson and Zondervan were among the first publishers to release titles for Apple’s new iPad digital-media device. The market is strong, with more than 300,000 iPads sold April 3—the launch day for the device—and more than 250,000 e-books downloaded.

More than 1,200 Nelson titles, including Max Lucado’s Fearless and Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover, were made available for download for the launch on Apple’s digital book store—iBooks. At press time, iBooks had approximately 60,000 titles from general market and Christian publishers.

“We are extremely pleased that Thomas Nelson has the largest collection of inspirational titles available on such a revolutionary reading device,” Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt said.

More than 1,000 Zondervan titles were made available for download on iBooks. The Grand Rapids, Mich., publisher plans to release all of its future e-books in an iPad version and was working to release more than 150 additional books in the next three months, company officials said.

“As a division of HarperCollins, we are fortunate to play a major part in the iPad launch,” said Steve Sammons, Zondervan’s executive vice president of consumer engagement. “We are excited that … Zondervan’s titles will be available to an even broader audience.”

Among the Zondervan books offered were three translations of the Bible, The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel and Take Three by Karen Kingsbury as well as best-sellers, including The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

To celebrate the iPad launch, Zondervan launched a social-media campaign through Twitter and Facebook, giving away 50 $10 iTunes gift cards for the purchase of iBooks.

Hachette Book Group USA offered 4,000 titles on iPad, including 298 FaithWords and 97 Center Street books, company officials said. Meanwhile, Crossway made its ESV Bible available as a free application for iPad. Additionally, more than 600 Crossway titles were offered on iPad via the iPad Kindle application, with 50 of those accessible through iBooks.

Elsewhere, titles published by Random House—the parent company of WaterBrook Press and Multnomah Books—were unavailable for iPad’s launch because the world’s largest consumer trade publisher resisted the pricing model that Apple had offered publishers.

Although publishers make less money per unit sale under Apple’s “agency” pricing model, they fear universal $9.99 e-book best-sellers create the impression all new books are worth only $10, The Wall Street Journal observed.

Digital books are the fastest growing part of the book business. E-book sales had sales of $31.9 million in January—reflecting an increase of 261.2% for the month and the same percentage increase compared to January 2009, according to the Association of American Publishers.

Last year, Zondervan, Baker Publishing Group and Tyndale House Publishers were among those offering Bible translations for the mobile reading device.

Recently, Bethany House Publishers and Zondervan began offering free versions of some its best-selling titles from authors such as Beverly Lewis, Rob Bell, Brandilyn Collins, Tracie Peterson and Terri Blackstock—which topped Amazon’s Kindle best-sellers lists.