Lucado’s books have sold 130 million, and are distributed in 80 countries and translated into 45 languages worldwide
March 29, 2021 – Tempe, Ariz. – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announces today that they will present bestselling author MAX LUCADO with the industry’s PINNACLE AWARD for the outstanding contribution of his writing, both to the industry and to society at large. The award will be presented at the ECPA Awards Celebration on May 6 at 1:00 pm (Central time), via webinar at the conclusion of the ECPA Leadership Summit.
Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and bestselling author who, in his own words, “writes books for people who don’t read books.” He serves the people of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, and his message is for the hurting, the guilty, the lonely, and the discouraged: God loves you; let him. He’s been dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Christianity Today, and “The Best Preacher in America” by Reader’s Digest.
Lucado’s products have exceeded sales of more than 145 million, with book sales exceeding 130 million. His books are printed in 45 languages and distributed throughout 80 countries worldwide (including the United States). He published On the Anvil, his first trade book, in 1985. His latest title, Begin Again, was released in January 2021. Lucado’s books regularly appear on bestseller lists, including The New York Times. His writing has also been featured in Bible studies, Bible commentaries, songs, greeting cards, and even plush toys. Twenty-three of his titles have sold more than 1 million copies.
In March 2020, Lucado started daily video “check-ins” to pastor people during the pandemic. These videos have been viewed more than 45 million times and were the catalyst for launching “The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast” with more than 1.2 million downloads in the first eight months.
ECPA has presented a total of 46 industry awards to Max Lucado titles: 19 Christian Book Awards® (includes Gold Medallion), nine Platinum Sales Awards (for over one million sold), and 18 Gold Sales Awards (for over 500,000 sold). ECPA named three of his books as Book of the Year — When God Whispers Your Name, In the Grip of Grace, and Just Like Jesus — in 1995, 1997 and 1999 respectively.
“It is such an honor for ECPA to present the Pinnacle Award to Max Lucado,” said ECPA president Stan Jantz. “I was a bookseller in 1985, and I clearly remember when our store received On the Anvil for the first time. The accessibility of the writing, and the clear expression of the heart of someone who loved Jesus more than anything, were clear indicators that this was a special author.”
Max is only the fourth recipient of this high honor from ECPA, that recognizes the outstanding contribution by an author or book, to the industry or society at large. The Pinnacle Award was presented to Stormie Omartian last year for her Power of a Praying® series. Other recipients include Dr. Gary Chapman (The 5 Love Languages® series), and Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye (Left Behind® series).
For more information about this special award presentation at the ECPA Awards Celebration webcast on May 6, visit the ECPA Leadership Summit event site.
Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and best-selling author more than 145 million products in print that have been translated in 45 languages and distributed in 80 countries worldwide. As a writer, Max is known for combining poetic storytelling and homespun humor with the heart of a pastor. Max’s love for everyday people began during his childhood in the small town of Andrews, Texas. His father was an oilfield mechanic, his mother was a nurse. Max grew rebellious in his teenage years, and after one specific drunken night, he began to wonder if there was more to life than parties and chasing girls. He now believes that if Jesus hadn’t found him and changed his heart, alcoholism would have been in his future. After high school, Max attended Abilene Christian University and graduated with two degrees and a heart for following Jesus and helping others learn about him, too. He moved to Miami, Florida, and took a position as an associate pastor at a small church, where Max started writing about Jesus for the first time in the church’s monthly newsletter. Florida was also where Max met his wife, Denalyn. Together, they lived first in Miami and then spent several years in Rio de Janeiro, helping plant churches. The newsletters Max wrote to family and friends while in Rio, along with the newsletters he wrote at his church in Miami, eventually formed the manuscript of his first book, On the Anvil. Max and Denalyn now live in San Antonio, Texas. They have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren.
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 and translated into more than 65 different languages. Thomas Nelson is committed to one central mission: inspiring the world by meeting the needs of people with content that promotes biblical principles and honors Jesus Christ. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) 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. For more information about ECPA: info@ecpa.org ECPA.org @ECPA
Media contact: Stan Jantz, President, ECPA, sjantz@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998
Carol Stream, Ill. (March 29, 2021) NavPress, in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, will release Topical Memory System for Kids on July 6, 2021. The tried-and-true Scripture memorization methods of the popular Topical Memory System are now available in this fun, interactive resource for kids.
The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to people’s lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact and life transformation, and that help lead in the mission of making disciples.
Grand Rapids, Mich, March 2021—Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, today announced that the one hundredth video course is now available on its streaming video platform, MasterLectures. MasterLectures offers subscribers unlimited streaming access to thousands of video lectures on the Bible, theology, apologetics, biblical languages, and leadership.
Zondervan has ambitious plans for growing MasterLectures in the coming year. Upcoming video courses include The New Testament in Its World, taught by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird; A Theology of Paul and His Letters, taught by Douglas Moo; and Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege, taught by Dominique DuBois Gilliard; among others.
Ada, Mich. (March 16, 2021)—Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, announces the passing of bestselling author Dr. David Stoop on March 10, 2021, at the age of 83.
WESTMONT, IL— InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that five IVP titles have been recognized as finalists in the 2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
Multicultural
Grief/Grieving
History
Religion
Science and Technology
The global audiobooks market size is expected to reach USD 15.0 billion by 2027, expanding at an estimated CAGR(Compound annual growth rate) of 24.4% from 2020 to 2027, according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc.
[Nashville, Tenn., March 22, 2021—] B&H Publishing is proud to announce the forthcoming release of “Being Elisabeth Elliot” by Ellen Vaughn the fall of 2022, the second volume of the authorized biography of one of the most influential Christians of the 20th century, Elisabeth Elliot. The first volume, “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot,” also by Vaughn, released in September 2020.
The first volume, “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot” debuted at No. 6 on the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s New Release Bestseller list and received hundreds of positive reviews within the first few months of its release from top media outlets, social media reviewers, book clubs and bloggers alike. Vaughn was featured on national programs such as “The Eric Metaxas Show” on TBN, “In the Market with Janet Parshall” on Moody Radio, and others, speaking about the book and her experience writing it.
B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources, is a team of mission minded people with a passion for taking God’s Word to the world. Because we believe Every Word Matters® we seek to provide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade, church and academic markets, titles include “The New York Times” No. 1 bestsellers “The Love Dare” and “The Vow,” No. 1 CBA bestseller “I Am a Church Member,” as well as the newly-revised Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 19, 2021) – For more than eighty years, The Navigators has championed knowing Christ, making Him known, and helping others do the same. NavPress is renewing its focus on the ministry’s mission of training and encouraging disciplemakers in all walks of life. David Zimmerman has been appointed as the new publisher to direct NavPress in support of that mission.
Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts from IF: Gathering visionary and founder Jennie Allen, has surpassed more than 500,000 copies in sales and received the ECPA Gold Sales Achievement Award for a half-million in sales of all formats including print, digital and audio. Published in January 2020 by WaterBrook, a Random House imprint, Get Out of Your Head was an instant national bestseller and went on to spend 31 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers List and became the top new title in the religion category for 2020.
Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 15, 2021) —The Bindery is pleased to announce they have added a new member to their team in veteran Literary Agent, Andrea Heinecke, formerly of Alive Literary. Andrea has a literary and commercial sensibility honed over years of working as both a book editor and literary agent, and representing an array of influential books and authors.




