For Immediate Release — April 30, 2025
ECPA announces the 2025 Christian Book Award® winners in 12 categories
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer is named Christian Book of the Year®
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 30, 2025 – Last night in Nashville during the ECPA Leadership Summit, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the 13 winners of the 2025 Christian Book Award program, including the Christian Book of the Year. From 70 finalists, the winners represent the work of 13 publishers and imprints. Presented annually since 1978, the Christian Book Award program honors the “best of the year” in Christian literature.
The New York Times bestseller Practicing the Way (WaterBrook) by teaching pastor and bestselling author JOHN MARK COMER was named the 2025 CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR. The book grew out of a five-year spiritual formation initiative at Bridgetown Church in Portland, where Comer served as founding pastor, to organize community around the simple idea: practicing the Way of Jesus together. The win was announced via webcast by last year’s Book of the Year author BETH MOORE.
Hosted by author and academic Dr. Carolyn Weber (Surprised by Oxford), the evening also honored sales milestones reached by 54 titles at 1 million, 500,000 and 100,000 levels and the 50-year anniversary of NavPress and 40-year anniversary of Paraclete Press.
The ECPA Pinnacle Award was presented to Josh McDowell and to Kay Arthur in special recognition of the outstanding contribution of their body of work to the industry, church, and society at large.
“Since 1978 when ECPA first began honoring excellence in Christian publishing through these annual awards, nearly a thousand books significant to their time have been recognized,” stated ECPA president Jeff Crosby. “Each of the 2025 category award winners and John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way are examples of this level of excellence. I commend each of the authors and the publishing teams who helped make these books known throughout the world.”
Presenting the 2025 Christian Book Award winners:
CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR®
Practicing the Way
John Mark Comer, WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, 9780593193822
AUDIO
I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t
written and narrated by Lysa TerKeurst, produced by Sydney Mathieu, Harper Audio, book published by Thomas Nelson, B0CZ4LP8B6
BIBLES
CSB Oswald Chambers Bible
CSB Bibles by Holman, B&H Publishing Group, 9798384509240
BIBLE REFERENCE WORKS
40 Questions About Pentecostalism
Jonathan Black, Kregel Academic, 9780825448249
BIBLE STUDY
Luke in the Land: Walking with Jesus in His First-Century World
Kristi McLelland, Lifeway Christian Resources, 9781087788944
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Ghosted: An American Story
Nancy French, Zondervan, 9780310367444
CHILDREN
All Creation Waits: Children’s Edition
Gayle Boss; illustrated by Sharon Spitz, Paraclete Press, 9781640608283
CHRISTIAN LIVING
Waiting Isn’t a Waste
Mark Vroegop, Crossway, 9781433590979
DEVOTION & GIFT
Letters to Grief
Kate Motaung, Christian Art Gifts, 9781639524648
FAITH & CULTURE
Kingdom of Rage
Elizabeth Neumann, Worthy Books/ Hachette Nashville, 9781546002055
MINISTRY RESOURCES
Forming Faith
Matt Markins, Mike Handler and Sam Luce, Moody Publishers, 9780802433381
NEW AUTHOR
How to Tell the Truth
Preston Perry, Tyndale House Publishers, 9781496466891
YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE
The Action Bible: Faith in Action Edition
Sergio Cariello, David C Cook, 9780830787005
The 2025 winners will be promoted through multiple retail and media outlets, including media sponsor Christianity Today and retail partners Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, Logos, Mardel, The Munce Group/MTL, NetGalley, and Parable Christian Stores.
View the 2025 winners at ChristianBookAwards.com/winners.html
View the 2025 finalists at ChristianBookAwards.com/finalists.html
To learn more about the program, visit ChristianBookAwards.com
For more information on the ECPA Awards Celebration, visit ECPALeadership.org/awards-evening.html
PUBLISHERS WITH AWARDS:
Photo credit: TennesseePhotographs.com
From left to right, front row: Jeff Crosby (ECPA), Daisy Hutton (Worthy Books), Lillian Miao (Paraclete Press), Jana Zachman (David C Cook), Trillia Newbell (Moody Publishers), Rob Teigen (Christian Art Gifts), Elizabeth Neumann (author, Worthy Books), Sydney Mathieu (Harper Audio)
From left to right, back row: Scott Mathews (Tyndale House), Becky Loyd (Lifeway Christian Resources), Andy McLean (B&H), Tina Constable (WaterBrook), Jerry Kregel (Kregel Publications), Dan Kok (Crossway)
The Christian Book Award® program has recognized the highest quality in Christian books since 1978 (originally called the Gold Medallion Award). Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design and impact, the Christian Book Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in religious publishing. ChristianBookAwards.com
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, jcrosby@ecpa.org, 630-989-0222
Cindy Carter, ECPA Awards & Recognition Manager, ccarter@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998
