Merger
EP Books has entered a new chapter in its history, with a merger with US-based Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service (CVBBS). The new entity will be called Grace Distribution Inc., a non-profit organisation dedicated to the production, sale and distribution of Christian books across the US and Canada.
Grace Distribution will also have a worldwide outreach into Africa, Russia and Eastern European countries in English, French and Russian languages.
The new organisation will be made up of CVBBS managing retail activities, and EP Books managing trade and distribution sales.
Graham Hilton, chief executive of EP Books, said, ‘It has taken us two years to reach this significant milestone in developing our presence in the US. Our desire is to honour the Lord as we seek to expand the sales and distribution of quality Christian books. It is a delight to join forces in this work with CVBBS, who already have shown unprecedented skills in improving our customer service.
‘This had been achieved under the direction of Todd Jennings, the owner of CVBBS, and the other members of his team; and I am delighted that he has taken up the role of chief executive of Grace Distribution’.
Strength in depth
Mr Jennings said, ‘Having a publisher, distributor and retailer under the same roof is positive and gives the new organisation strength in depth as we look to future developments. Having the ability to reach more of the world with the gospel gives us an invaluable opportunity’.
EP Books is the distributor for Evangelical Press, Carey Publications, Bryntirion Press, Grace Publications, Wakeman Publications and ET Perspectives. CVBBS has a dedicated bookstore and warehouse facility operating from its premises in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and is a key web retailer of Christian books from a wide variety of reformed publishers.
The EP group now has employees in the US, UK, France, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo and Belarus. EP’s best-selling title, Ultimate Questions, is available in 59 languages and has more than 16 million copies in print.
Through the Lord’s goodness, it has been used in one-to-one evangelism for more than 22 years and been the means through which many have come to know Christ as Saviour and Lord.
EP also runs pastors’ conferences in Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Belarus, in addition to a French language correspondence course for pastors and 15 French language radio shows a week.
David Woollin
