For Immediate Release — February 27, 2024

ECPA to honor the impact of three remarkable leaders at upcoming Awards Celebration on April 30

Sarah Young will be honored with ECPA’s Pinnacle Award and Henrietta Mears with the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously; Ted Terry will be presented with the ECPA Chair Award

FEBRUARY 27, 2024 | TEMPE, ARIZONA — The ECPA Awards and 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place at the Hilton Rosemont at Chicago O’Hare on Tuesday, April 30 during the ECPA Leadership Summit. Starting at 6 pm with a dinner buffet, the industry will gather to celebrate the industry’s best content and those who have contributed to excellence in Christian publishing.

The special evening will feature several honors and celebrations, including ECPA’s 50th anniversary. The Alloy Horn Quartet, whose appealing performances are powering their rise to the top of the chamber music scene, will provide the evening’s entertainment.

The evening’s honors include:

The 2024 Christian Book Award® winners will be announced in twelve categories, including a pre-recorded presentation of the Christian Book of the Year® by last year’s recipient and New York Times bestselling author, Jennie Allen.

Sarah Young, author of the Jesus Calling devotionals, will be honored posthumously with the ECPA Pinnacle Award in recognition of her impact to the industry, church and society at large. Her devotionals have sold over 46 million units worldwide, and she was known to pray daily for her readers. The first title, Jesus Calling, earned a Double Diamond Milestone Sales Award from ECPA in 2023 for over 20 million sold.

Henrietta Mears will be honored posthumously as the recipient of the industry’s Kenneth N Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award. Henrietta Mears founded Gospel Light publishing in 1933. She used her platform and teaching gifts to create significant resources for the church and children’s ministry, by developing the modern approach to Sunday School. ECPA recognizes her as a leader whose lifetime of work in the Christian publishing industry is characterized by innovation and influence that has endured through time. VIEW MOVIE TRAILER ABOUT HER LIFE

Ted Terry will be presented with the ECPA Chair Award to recognize his impact in the industry. For 58 years, Ted Terry has impacted the Christian publishing industry, mentoring booksellers, publishers, and authors. For 22 years, he was the sales representative and owner of the Noble Marketing Group, working to advance the work of ECPA members such as Baker, Kregel, InterVarsity Press, and many others.

Threaded throughout the evening will be reflections from across the industry on ECPA’s past, present and future work in service of the industry. The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association was founded in 1974 by 22 companies who had a vision to work together as competitors to strengthen and grow the industry. Today, ECPA has nearly 185 members and represents over a billion dollar industry.

“It is always a joy to recognize excellence in Christian publishing through this awards program,” stated ECPA president Jeff Crosby. “In this, our 50th anniversary year, I’m looking forward to honoring not only individual books but also three people whose work, in widely divergent ways, have left a lasting imprint on our industry.”

Crosby has written a 96-page, illustrated book, Fifty Years at ECPA: An Industry on a Mission – Past, Present, Future, that reflects on the organization’s five decades of serving the industry. Copies will be given to all attendees at the event.

Also celebrating its 50 year anniversary is Harvest House Publishers. Established in 1974 by entrepreneur Bob Hawkins Sr., and currently led by Bob Hawkins Jr. since 1991, Harvest House is most honored to share this night with ECPA in recognition of five decades of publishing service and ministry outreach.

Additionally, the industry’s Milestone Sales Awards will be recognized – for all titles that received Bronze, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Sales Awards in the past year – celebrating sales of 100,000, 500,000, 1 million, and 10 million.

This event is included with Leadership Summit attendee registration.
Guest tickets are available for purchase.

ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org

Media contacts:
Jeff Crosby, ECPA President and CEO, jcrosby@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101
Cindy Carter, ECPA Awards & Recognition Manager, ccarter@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 103

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