Christian Retailing

ECPA to honor IVP's Bob Fryling Print Email
Written by Taylor Berglund   
Monday, 21 March 2016 11:10 AM America/New_York

Bob-Fryling-IntervarsityThe Evangelical Christian Publishers Association will honor Bob Fryling with the ECPA Chairperson’s Award. The award will be presented May 3 at the ECPA Leadership Summit in Nashville in recognition of Fryling's publishing leadership at InterVarsity Press (IVP) and his commitment to global student evangelism.

Fryling is the publisher at IVP and has been involved with both InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and InterVarsity Press for 48 years. Under his leadership, IVP has consistently appeared on the list of “Best Christian Workplaces” and has brought diversity to its workplace and diverse voices to the marketplace.

Fryling has invested his leadership, wisdom and friendship in the industry through his role in ECPA, serving for 11 years as a board member and a valued participant on industry committees and at events. Fryling announced his retirement from IVP, effective in June.

Respected for his leadership in various capacities, Fryling is the author of The Leadership Ellipse: Shaping How We Lead by Who We Are. Together with his wife, Alice, he co-authored Handbook for Engaged Couples, Handbook for Married Couples and Handbook for Parents. Fryling also contributed a chapter on his leadership experience in Transformation of a Man’s Heart, which was edited and compiled by Stephen W. Smith.

The award presentation will take place at the Industry’s Award Celebration held in conjunction with the ECPA Leadership Summit at the Sheraton Music City.

Stan Jantz, executive director of ECPA, explained why Fryling deserved the award.

“Bob is one of the wisest and most forward-thinking people I have ever had the privilege of working with,” Jantz said. “As an ECPA board member and the publisher of IVP, Bob has had an enormous influence on our industry. All of us at ECPA are so very grateful for Bob’s service on the board and his contributions to Christian publishing."

The ECPA Chairperson’s Award is given in recognition of an individual or organization’s outstanding contribution to the industry or society at large at the ECPA board chair’s discretion. Past recipients of the award include Jim Carlson and Bill Bright.