A quick note to anyone still awaiting the arrival of the man (or woman) with all the answers to the challenges we face as an industry. He (or she) is not coming.

From new formats to multiple channels, our industry has many more faces than a few years ago. So it shouldn’t be surprising that it needs multiple heads, too.  And as I look back on 2010, I am encouraged to see the emergence and recognition of individuals providing leadership in different areas of our world. 

The following eight folks probably won’t thank me for singling them out, but I thank them for their varying contributions to our industry.

With his thoughtful manner and passion for the  ministry of Christian retailing, Curtis Riskey quickly endeared himself to many as the new head of CBA. Taking the reins of a slimmed-down organization in some ways finding its new (and welcome) place as a servant of the industry rather than its boss, he brought a fresh sense of bridge building.

Riskey’s appointment was part of a shift at CBA that also had much to do with the chairmanship of George Thomsen. The director of the church store at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., was widely appreciated for the clear-sighted twin commitment to business excellence and biblical faithfulness he brought to the role as he helped steer the organization through its changes.

As a member of the CBA board, Daywind music label head Ed Leonard not only was involved in the transition there, he also shouldered the responsibility of leading the (GMA) Gospel Music Association through its own metamorphosis. 

Double duty alone deserves some appreciation for commitment to the wider industry at a time when the challenges of the changing music world could excusably demand all his attention.

But his GMA chairmanship was also pivotal in steering the organization through changes that will hopefully ensure that it continues to provide a sense of professional and creative community for those in Christian music—a “home” even more needed as the commercial side of it increasingly fragments and diverges.

A reluctant “star,” Francis Chan continued to confound people in the light of the success of Forgotten God, which followed Crazy Love into the best-seller lists as a squirmy challenge to radical discipleship rather than the comfortable Christian living settled for by too many of us. 

Uncomfortable in the spotlight, Chan followed the launch of his “Basic” DVD curriculum with the announcement that he was giving up his pastorate to travel overseas and learn more about ministry to the poor.

 Similarly able to present an unsettling message in a palatable way was Phil Vischer, the VeggieTales co-creator. His reflections on some of the humility he had learned through the boom and bust of his former enterprise, at the opening night of the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis, well captured the fresh spirit of the convention and many attendees’ back-to-basics desire. You can find a video of Vischer’s presentation at our Web site (www.christianretailing.com).

Through the past quarter century, Max Lucado has learned to be at ease with the celebrity that comes in the wake of selling a gazillion books but somehow managed to stay unaffected by all the hullabaloo.

 While some other best-selling authors have earned behind-the-scenes reputations for being egocentric and greedy, he remains universally appreciated as an all-round good guy—who used his platform to mark 25 years’ writing and 25 books by setting out to recruit 25,000 child-relief sponsors.

In a year that saw continued growth and broadening horizons for Christian fiction, it was fitting  to have due tribute paid to Carol Johnson for her pioneering role in championing the category while an editor at Bethany House.  

In a more male-dominated world 30 years ago, she had to press for a chance for an unknown novelist and her prairie romance—Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly. The rest is fiction history.

Perhaps the least familiar name on my list is that of Bob Elder, a marketing specialist whose Christian products world career included retail and supplier service before joining the Propeller Consulting agency—where he was the man who quietly helped usher into being the first annual Christian Store Day.

Even with a heightened commitment to unity and cooperation from different corners of the industry, it remained an unenviable, cat-herding task to bring together people with such diverse interests and coordinate the program as effectively as he did. 

May the quiet lessons in leadership offered by these eight individuals guide us all as we move into another challenging year. 

How about you? Where did you see leadership in our industry last year that should be recognized and replicated? Drop me a line and tell me who you think should be remembered and why. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at our online forum at www.christianretailing.com.

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