Nashville, November 2019 – United by a common mission to serve churches and ministries and a long-standing commitment to exceptional customer service and selection, Cokesbury and Bibles by the Case are pleased to announce that an acquisition agreement between the two Christian retailers has been finalized, effective November 1. Cokesbury will continue to operate Bibles by the Case as an independent sales channel, moving forward with the same employees, systems, and vendor partners. Russ and Becky Casenhiser, who founded Bibles by the Case in 2001, will serve Cokesbury in a consulting capacity over the next 2 years to ensure a seamless transition for customers and publishing partners.
The Casenhisers have been called into another large ministry project, helping build a mission training center and intentional Christian community focused on preparing young adults for a lifetime of service and Bible-centered day-to-day living. This acquisition allows Russ and Becky to actively step into the calling of this project and steward both BBTC and this ministry project into the future.
Supporting ministry since 1789, when the first circuit-riding preachers distributed materials from their saddlebags, Cokesbury has long served as an ecumenical source of Christian resources including curriculum, books, and Bibles. The acquisition of this new sales channel and expanded customer base is a logical and strategic next step in Cokesbury’s evolving ministry.
“We are excited about the opportunity to nurture and expand the ministry of Bibles by the Case as a new way for Cokesbury to serve more people in more places and help them know and love God,” said Brian Milford, President and CEO. “Becky and Russ Casenhiser have developed the BBTC ministry as their vocational calling, and enriched it through faithful service with an innovative spirit. We are gratified that they have entrusted the BBTC mission to Cokesbury and will continue to partner with us to help it grow and thrive.”
In speaking about their decision, Russ and Becky Casenhiser affirmed, “Our long-term vision for BBTC has always been to serve churches and ministries in helping them get Bibles to hands and hearts at the lowest prices possible, and to continue to be a very strong and guiding presence in Christian retailing.” They added, “While we were so thankful for the amount of interest shown in BBTC, we prayerfully discerned that Cokesbury is the best fit for our industry partners and customers, and has the ability to work as a ministry and a business, demonstrating both historical longevity and an innovative heart, as well as absolute missional alignment with BBTC.”
Cokesbury is the retail and customer services arm of The United Methodist Publishing House, which serves more than 11 million United Methodists worldwide as well as a broad ecumenical audience representing many denominations and independent churches, with books, Bibles, curriculum, worship resources, and church supplies. Cokesbury offers more than 200,000 products to congregations through www.Cokesbury.com and the Cokesbury Contact Center 1-800-672-1789.
Founded in 2001 and based in Anaheim, California, Bibles by the Case works closely with publishers to offer churches and ministry groups the highest discounts available along with free ship-ping and, for selected items, 2-day delivery. It is the mission of Bibles by the Case to assist churches and ministries in getting Bibles into hands and hearts at the lowest prices possible.
Contact: Audrey Kidd, Chief Customer Experience Officer, 615-749-6181 akidd@umpublishing.org
