More than 300 overseas guests heard about "what God is doing" in different parts of the world during the Christian Trade Association International's (CTAI) annual International Vision Celebration yesterday.

Unlike previous years when the event featured a keynote speaker, the gathering spotlighted delegates from eight countries who gave brief reports of what was happening in their part of the world in interviews by Jim Elwell, international publishing director for Tyndale House Publishers.

"The industry is growing." Abebisi Olagoke, president of Chosen Generation Books in Nigeria, told the 310 people present in a room that displayed several flags of CTAI's 20 member nations. Olagoke noted that 200 bookstores and 50 publishers make up the mushrooming Christian market in the African nation's southern region. "We need to be more united to enhance the work of God," she said.

In contrast, Warren Smith, president of the Christian Superstore in New Zealand, said his nation's industry is small, with only 58 Christian bookstores. "Bookstores have been struggling," Smith said. "There are 100 volunteers working in the 58 stores. In some of the stores, the volunteers are keeping them open."

Jack Scott, CTAI's training and member development director who emceed the event as CTAI President Jim Powell was ill, said the delegates' report was a popular aspect of the International Vision Celebration. "We receive the most positive feedback from the reports because we hear from the Lord's workers," he told Christian Retailing.

Sylvester Ejeh, CTAI's vice chairman and owner of Edysyl, a bookstore, distributor and publishing house in Nigeria, welcomed representatives of the Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA), including President Tessie DeVore and Executive Director David Ecklebarger, to the organization. DeVore is executive vice president of the Strang Book Group, and Ecklebarger is president of Editorial Unilit.

During a report about CTAI, Ejeh said it has been "a miracle year" for the organization as he noted the success of the inaugural Marketsquare International, which attracted more than 300 participants to Toronto this past January.

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