In order to focus more on translation-related tasks, the Canadian Bible Society is selling or closing six stores. One would have hoped that these stores were a source of revenue, not draining revenue, but the press release merely cites CBS’ desire to turn greater attention to their core mandate.
After a relative calm from the storms of 2007-08, any disruption in the Canadian Christian retail environment is always disappointing, but this news does create an opportunity in six cities.
Canadian Bible Society Store Closures Part of Wider Strategy
As part of a wider process of streamlining for efficiency around its core mandate, the Canadian Bible Society will be closing six more of its flagship retail outlets this summer.
National director Ted Seres notes that changing times require new approaches to the central tasks of translating, publishing and distributing the Bible and a greater emphasis on Bible engagement. While Canadians can now purchase Bibles from any one of hundreds of other retail outlets, as well as through countless mail order services and websites, some of the organization’s other ministries are unique and in need of greater investments of resources. The challenging economic situation became an ideal time to re-focus on those priority tasks of its calling that it does best, while allowing other struggling Christian retailers to benefit from greater market share.
Previous store closures in Charlottetown, Halifax, North Bay, Hamilton and Saskatoon were negotiated in partnership with local Christian retailers who have benefited from the increased business and now continue as service centers in their area for Bible Society products and services. Upcoming closures in Saint John’s, Saint John, London, Calgary and Edmonton will take similar approaches. The Bible House in Ottawa will only be closed for a few weeks in June while a partner Christian retailer transitions to continue operating a Christian bookstore in the strategic location in the downtown core of the nation’s capital.
The Canadian Bible Society is seeking out more of the kind of active partnerships that have increased its distribution of Scriptural resources by 73% over the last two years, in spite of the tough economy. The steady increase in First Nations and foreign language distribution is particularly encouraging, as is the development of countless resources in new audio and digital formats.
The new approaches will allow the commitment of more resources to translation and special grant programs that subsidize distribution of resources to the visually impaired, Canadian military personnel and their families, participants in church-based ESL programs, prisoners, seminary students learning Greek and Hebrew, and many other Canadians. While the expertise of the Canadian translation team is making a wider contribution internationally, the primary emphasis remains Canada’s First Nations languages where there is still much work to be done. The June 19th launch of the Gospel of Luke in the new Western Cree text will be just one of many significant milestones celebrated this year.
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