Ada, Mich. (June 12, 2017)—Baker Publishing Group is pleased to announce Kevin Nichols as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Nichols replaces Wes Brower, who retires after working at Baker for forty-five years, the past twenty-eight as Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations.

Kevin Nichols worked for the past ten years at Spectrum Health in three West Michigan locations, as Vice President of Finance/Controller, Senior Financial Analyst, and Finance Director. He also worked at Zondervan as Business Analyst and Director of Financial Reporting from 2000 to 2007. Nichols is a Certified Public Accountant and obtained a BA in Accounting from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1997.

Kevin Nichols began at Baker on June 6.

“This is an historic transition for our company,” stated Dwight Baker, President and CEO of Baker Publishing Group. “We are grateful for Wes Brower’s decades of personal service to our profession, and we look forward to Kevin Nichols’s return to the Christian book profession.”

“This is a unique opportunity for me,” Nichols said. “I am passionate about coaching and leading others to causes greater than themselves. To be able to return to Christian publishing and help shape the culture and vision of an organization by empowering others aligns very well with my career goals. Accepting this role at an organization like Baker is both flattering and energizing.”

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Contact: Lynnae Lubbers
(616)676-9185 x193  llubbers@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Anderson, Ind., May 6, 2017—Warner Press continues its growth with the announcement of the recent agreement in principle to acquire a 100% interest in Hermitage Art, Inc., a Chicago based organization. This acquisition will provide Warner Press the opportunity to expand their current customer base through the addition of new products, categories and customer channels.

Warner Press, originally called the Gospel Trumpet Publishing House, was founded in 1881. In 1963, the name changed to what it is now. Since its inception, Warner Press has been the publishing voice of the Church of God Reformation Movement.

Hermitage Art was founded in 1924 as an independent, interdenominational publisher of worship resources. In the 1960s, realizing the need for similar products in the public, private and home school market, Hermitage Art launched the “School Art” division. Today, Hermitage products are used by churches and schools worldwide.

“The addition of the Hermitage Art product line to the wide range of products Warner Press offers will allow us to better serve both our existing customer base and those that are currently not familiar with our products,” said Eric King, president of Warner Press. “Providing resources that serve and equip the church and school communities is what we strive to accomplish daily.”

King, who spearheaded the acquisition from start to finish, worked directly with Robert Brenner, president of Hermitage Art, to create a unified plan that will allow for growth of both Warner Press and Hermitage Art in the Christian market. Hermitage Art Company has grown over the past thirty years to become a trusted and valued provider of resources to churches and schools domestically and internationally.  The decision to join with Warner Press will provide new strength and focus to the product lines as well as establish a new foundation for further product and service development.

“Joining Warner Press will allow Hermitage to expand in areas like product development, marketing, and supply chain efficiencies,” said Brenner, “while allowing me the opportunity to follow my passion of serving the customer.”

The companies will continue to operate independently with Warner Press assuming the production, marketing, customer service, and shipping responsibilities of Hermitage Art. Additionally, the acquisition allows for expansion into the liturgical and school markets, while providing the opportunity to gain efficiencies in operations and logistics.

The acquisition will initially allow for five additional positions to be added. Transition began in May.

About Warner Press:  At Warner Press, our goal is to equip the Church for ministry. We strive to help churches and Christian organizations communicate better within their walls, encourage spiritual growth and biblical literacy, and share the hope of Christ and the good news of the gospel with a broken world. Warner Press publishes and distributes Christian products worldwide, including ministry resources, church supplies, kids’ books, and greeting cards. We also own and produce artwork by the artist Warner Sallman, which includes some of the most recognizable images of Christ known throughout the world. Warner Press is in Anderson, Indiana and is a not-for-profit organization.

About Hermitage Art:  In 1924, Hermitage Art was founded in Chicago as an independent, interdenominational publisher of full-color, lithographic, fine art church supplies. As the originators of the full-color church bulletin, Hermitage Art quickly expanded its line to include matching offering envelopes, small announcement folders, seasonal stationery, die-cut bookmarks, Easter crosses, and other specialty items.

For further information, contact Warner Press at (765) 644-7721 or visit us online at www.warnerpress.com.

(June 6, 2017) – To support the successful health and growth of independent brick-and-mortar retailers in the Christian industry, HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) and The Parable Group have deepened their relationship in recent months giving retailers an added boost.

Randy Ross, Sales and Marketing Specialist for The Parable Group said, “In the aftermath of Family Christian Stores closures, we’re delighted to see several publishers extending additional support and fresh collaborative ideas to help independent Christian retailers thrive. HarperCollins Christian, in particular, is stepping up in unprecedented ways.”

Not only is HarperCollins Christian Publishing supporting nearly 90% of The Parable Group Summer Catalog which celebrates “independents” and shopping local, HCCP also provided postage for stores to mail deeper into their customer list. All participating stores increased their catalog distribution, and 10 stores added the summer promotion due to HCCP’s generosity.

“Summer is typically a slower time for retail, but this summer promotion should reinvigorate sales and traffic with tremendous savings on bestselling Thomas Nelson and Zondervan titles,” said Ross.

Additionally, HarperCollins Christian funded a graduation postcard program to drive church traffic to Christian retail this year. The Parable Group sent over 8,000 postcards to churches and schools on behalf of participating retailers—HCCP covered the printing, postage and bulk buy offer on select grad titles.

“Christian retail is the backbone of our industry,” said Dan VanGorp, Director of Independent Retail for HarperCollins Christian Publishers. “Retailers work hard every day to balance the ministry and business aspects of their stores. We consider it a great privilege to come alongside these retailers, who are committed to growing the Kingdom of God, through the resources that we’re able to provide. We don’t take that relationship for granted.”=

To view the digital version of The Parable Group Summer Catalog, click here.

The Parable Group is a privately owned multi-service Christian marketing agency based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Since 1985, we’ve served over 1,000 Christian brands; including retailers, publishers, churches, non-profits, film studios and more. Today, we pair decades of Christian consumer data with proven business practices, cutting-edge digital technologies, and thoughtful design to drive measurable results for those we serve. As CBA’s exclusive data warehouse partner, we also safeguard Cross:Scan data to help unite and improve the Christian products industry. For more information, contact sally.ross@parable.com or visit www.parablegroup.com.

The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups in addition to Olive Tree Bible Software. The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space. Also home to BibleGateway.com, the world’s largest Christian website, and FaithGateway.com, an online community dedicated to helping people grow in their faith. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

Contact: Sally Ross
Tel. (805) 543-2644 x590  Email: sally.ross@parable.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 1, 2017) –  For the first time, the bestselling devotionals Jesus Calling and Jesus Always will have a presence at the 2017 CMA Music Festival in Nashville.  These books by Sarah Young have touched the lives of more than 20 million readers, and this CMA presence will expand the devotionals’ message to new audiences and also allow current fans to interact with the brand in a new way.

The booth will be located at the Fan Fair X area of the CMA Festival inside the Music City Convention Center. Fans will have an opportunity to play games and win prizes, such as books by Sarah Young, country artist memorabilia, and more. The booth will also feature appearances by country stars Shane Owens, Rick Monroe, Josh Wright and T. Graham Brown. The artists will greet fans and read their favorite passage from Jesus Calling.  Also, country music artist Collin Raye will broadcast an exclusive Facebook Live inspirational moment on theJesus Calling page prior to his performance on the Forever Country stage.

The presence of the Jesus Calling and Jesus Always booth will be a welcome addition to CMA Fest, since many country artists, such as Reba McEntire, Charlie Daniels, and Josh Turner have shared their connection to the devotional on the Jesus Calling podcast. Since its debut in February 2016, the Jesus Calling podcast has reached more than 300,000 listeners around the world—becoming part of their devotional routine. It has reached the #1 spot in the religion and spirituality chart on iTunes several times since its debut.

“Country music has never shied away from messages of faith or a reliance on Jesus to endure life’s ups and downs, so it makes perfect sense to bring this life-changing devotional to the largest gathering of country music fans in the world,” said Michael Aulisio, vice president of marketing for gift books, children’s books and new media at Thomas Nelson.

About Thomas Nelson: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson, is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Koorong has announced that long serving CEO Paul Bootes will retire in early July when his brother Rob Bootes will succeed him as CEO. Paul, a 40 year veteran of the Christian bookselling industry, has overseen the expansion of the original bookshop in his parents’ house in Sydney to the 15 store chain and online business that it is today. During his long career Paul’s vision for Christian retailing in Australia has provided the church with extensive resources for use in Christian ministry.

Paul says, “It’s been a wonderful privilege for me to lead such a great organisation as Koorong for so many years. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and every day I still see that positive effect of what we do on people’s lives. I am delighted to be able to hand over to Rob who knows and understands the business as well as I do, I know he will do a great job, supported by an able and experienced team.”

Rob commented, “My thanks to Paul for his years of service to the Koorong mission and I trust his retirement will be filled with God’s richest blessings. I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to lead the Koorong operation and am humbled to be working with such a talented group of people. Despite the challenges presented by an ever-changing industry, the opportunities for the furtherance of the Gospel and the equipping of the Church remain as exciting and significant now as when Koorong began.”

Greg Clarke, CEO of Bible Society Australia, parent company of Koorong said, “We thank God for Paul’s commitment to providing Christian resources for Australians over a lifetime of energetic and faithful service. He has been the driving force behind the success of Koorong and will be sorely missed. We wish him all the best for the next phase of life and ministry. As part of the Bible Society group, we are excited to imagine the next stage of Koorong’s impact under Rob’s leadership.”

About Koorong:  Koorong is a company that was founded over 40 years ago at the Bootes family residence in Sydney, Australia and since July 2015 has been a subsidiary of Bible Society Australia Limited. It has over 400 employees and operates online and in 15 stores across Australia.

Address any enquiries to hl@koorong.com.au.

Bible Society Australia enquiries please contact: John Pearson, National Media & Communications Manager john.pearson@biblesociety.org.au Ph. 0438771269

Hundreds Attend African Voices Conference at Moody Bible Institute

Wheaton, IL – Hundreds of Moody Bible Institute students, faculty, and distinguished guests joined together April 10-12 to learn about the explosive growth and future of the church in Africa as part of the African Voices Conference, hosted by Oasis International in partnership with Tyndale House Publishers and Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI).  The conference also served as the United States launch of the Africa Study Bible, the first study Bible developed by Africans with over 2,600 notes written by 350 contributors from 50 countries (Oasis International/Tyndale House Publishers).

“The African church has a voice,” Dr. Paul Nyquist, president of Moody, told attendees. “It’s a mature voice, it’s a learned voice, it’s a contextualized voice, and it’s a global voice. The African church does not lack for evangelism; it gains approximately 20,000 brand new believers every single day. It’s the fastest growing church in the world. But those believers need to grow and they need to be educated in the truth of God’s word so they can serve and lead and start more Bible-centered churches.”

Conference attendees heard from six leaders and scholars from Africa and the United States, all contributors to the ASB, who gave 28 lectures over the three-day conference on topics ranging from missional theology to the roots of Christianity in Africa. The conference also included a chapel focused on the ASB, a luncheon with the African guests, and a special dinner for more than 100 people hosted by Dr. Nyquist, Dr. Mark Taylor, chairman and CEO of Tyndale House, and C. Jeff Wright, CEO of UMI. More than 100 Moody faculty members from three campuses also participated in a faculty forum, led by the six visiting professors.

“The greatest injustice you can do to anybody is to deny that person education,” said Dr. John Jusu, Supervising Editor of the ASB and Dean of the School of Professional Studies at Africa International University, who shared his testimony in chapel. “The worse injustice you can do to anybody is to deny that person the Word of God because the Word of God is light, is food. You deny people, you have denied them their livelihood, you’ve denied them food for life here on earth and over there. When the idea of the ASB came, I said, ‘Hallelujah, this is our time.’ We are going to make it different. We are going to make the word of God understandable to Africa.”

Attendees commented:

“Hearing the convictions of the visiting African professors fueled my faith. The conference introduced us to two African theologians that we had never heard of and the testimony of their lives and work both inspired and challenged me deeply. The ASB is a wonderfully condensed resource of biblically engaged scholarly work and traditional heritage from the continent.”

“I was happy to witness a connection between Christians from Africa and those of us of African descent born in the United States. I felt close to my brothers and sisters from Africa for the first time. The most valuable aspect was meeting Christians from Africa.”

After a seven-year, cross-continental effort, Oasis, in partnership with several major Christian organizations, is in the midst of a multiple country launch of the ASB. Special celebratory events were held in April in Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana, with additional events planned for Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa on June 4-11, and Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria on June 29-July 1.

With nearly every evangelical study Bible written from the viewpoint of the United States or the United Kingdom, Africans have lacked a one-volume biblical resource that connects God’s Word with their experiences, hindering discipleship. Designed to grow the faith of church members in Africa and teach them to apply a biblical worldview to their culture and society, the ASB uses the New Living Translation and includes over 2,600 features such as application notes, stories and proverbs, touchpoints that link Africa and the Bible, learn notes that explain basic values and theology, and major theme articles that apply the Bible to key issues. The ASB brings unique African perspectives to the global Church and allows Christians around to the world to better understand God’s Word through African Eyes.

Tyndale House Publishers released the ASB in English in the United States in May and a freestanding app is now available in both iOS and Android formats. French and Portuguese translations are in development.

Oasis partnered with Tyndale House Publishers and Tyndale House Foundation to create the Bible. Other participants and supporters include Wycliffe, Willow Creek and Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), Scripture Union, Center for Early African Christianity, PJA (Publications pour la Jeunesse Africaine), SIM, UMI, Association of Evangelicals in Africa, and Moody Bible Institute.

For additional information, samplers of the ASB, or to schedule an interview, contact: Debbie Lykins, 224-234-6699 or deb@sidedoorcom.net