(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc.’s Bible Group once again claimed the majority of the ECPA Bible Bestsellers List’s Top 20 slots. Data released this week shows the leading Christian publisher is holding seven of the top positions with titles that include: the hardcover edition of the Chronological Study Bible, the NKJV Text Bible (otherwise known as Nelson’s Million Bible Challenge Bible), the black and red Leatherflex editions of the NKJV Gift and Award Bible, and the KJV Gift and Award Bible’s red, navy, and black Leatherflex offerings. In fact the 200+ year publisher claimed more of the Top 10 than any other publisher on the Bible list overall.
“Thomas Nelson Bibles is focused on meeting the needs of our consumers and retail partners,” notes Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group Gary Davidson. “Having a continued strong presence on the bestseller lists is a great indicator in knowing that we’re being successful in addressing those needs.”

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) Bestseller Lists are compiled using adult book sales data from Christian retail stores across the U.S. A book must have sales in at least 20% of reporting stores during at least one week of the represented reporting cycle to be placed on the list. Only Trade Paper, Cloth and Mass Market Paper books are reported, tracts, mini-books or booklets are not included on this list. Only books which are offered to Christian stores at a trade discount from a publisher or wholesaler are featured on the list. Seasonal/holiday books are omitted from this list.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. For more information on the company and titles, visit http://www.thomasnelson.com or http://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com.

“Frank has a long history of working with Bible-related projects and we’re excited to be able to broaden the scope of his involvement in the creation of our life-changing products,” notes Gary Davidson, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “His experiences lend a wealth of knowledge to his role in continuing the Thomas Nelson legacy of bringing the Bible and inspiration to the masses.”

“Bible study materials and reference titles help people to dig deeper into the message of the Bible,” says Couch. “As a person in ministry, I’m honored to be able to play a larger role at Thomas Nelson in the development of tools that help people engage with Scripture.”

Frank Couch has spent his entire adult life either teaching the Bible in ministry settings or publishing Bibles and Bible study materials. After 17 years with Thomas Nelson, he went to Emmaus Bible College as Executive Vice President and later directed the publishing program of Serendipity House Publishers. He has now been back with Thomas Nelson for seven years where he has primarily focused on the development of The Voice™ Bible translation that celebrates the narrative of Scripture while bringing out the unique voices of each of the Biblical characters. Couch has been actively preaching in his church for three decades and has enjoyed developing reference systems, writing numerous study guides, and serving as Chairman of the Development Foundation for Small Group Ministries.

The Word of Promise® Audio Bible is a scripted dramatization of the trusted New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible presented in a compelling, dramatic audio theater format. The project features the talents of Hollywood actors including Michael York (narrator), Richard Dreyfuss (Moses), Gary Sinise  (David), Jesse McCartney (young David and Daniel), Stacy Keach (Paul and Job), Ernie Hudson (Peter), Sean Astin (Elihu), Malcolm McDowell (Solomon), Joan Allen (Deborah), Lou Diamond Phillips (Mark), Luke Perry (Judas), Harry Hamlin (Nehemiah), Jim Caviezel (Jesus), and Martin Jarvis (voice of God). Complete with production by AFTRA Award winner Carl Amari (The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas), an original music score by prolific Italian composer Stefano Mainetti (Abba Pater & The Shooter), and movie-quality sound effects produced, engineered, and mixed at Cerny American Creative in Chicago—an award-winning facility ranked in the Top 3 in the nation for sound design headed by director JoBe Cerny. The 90+ hour project released through Thomas Nelson, Inc., in October in a special 79-CD box set collection and an 11-MP3 CD offering, both with a bonus features DVD. Stand-alone New Testament and Old Testament sets are also available.

“The Word of Promise® Audio Bible was a huge undertaking, and I’m privileged to be able to share the honor of these Audie Award nods with a cast of over 600 professional actors, and a devoted team of those in production, sound engineering, product development, and marketing,” says producer Carl Amari. “Over three years of work and thousands of man hours went into both the creation and promotion of this project and it’s a delight to have the project recognized by The Audio Publishers Association.”

In addition to the Audie Award finalist standing, the project has already received a Platinum Marcom Creative Award in recognition of excellence in creativity. The complete Bible released as a follow-up to the The Word of Promise® New Testament Audio Bible which made history when it became the first audiobook and Bible to win the ECPA Christian Book of the Year Award in the 30-year history of the award program.

Audio samples, a free iPhone/iPod Touch application, and additional information about The Word of Promise® Audio Bible are available by visiting http://www.thomasnelson.com/thewordofpromise. Updates are also available by following The Word of Promise® on Facebook and Twitter, @WordofPromise.

The MarCom Awards is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual, and audio materials. The mission of the MarCom Awards is for the creative industry to honor excellence and recognize creativity and hard work by giving recognition to the talent, firms, departments and/or clients that collaborate on outstanding marketing and communication projects. The awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and free-lance professionals. Each year there are over five thousand entries received from around the world.

“The Word of Promise® Audio Bible represents over three years of dedication to excellence, the work of over 600 professional actors portraying 1,100-plus different roles, an average of 220 hours of Foley (sound effect) man-hours a week, close to 30,000 man-hours of recording time, and the use of numerous audio studios across the country and abroad, and the implementation of comprehensive marketing and publicity initiatives. It is an extreme honor to have the project honored by the creative industry,” says JoBe Cerny who served as director for the work. “What’s the most exciting thing for me personally is that with this audio Bible, we have found a new and exciting way to introduce people to the Bible and an award of this nature helps draw attention to the Word.”

The Word of Promise® Audio Bible is a scripted dramatization of the trusted New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible presented in a compelling, dramatic audio theater format. The project features the talents of Hollywood actors including Michael York (narrator), Richard Dreyfuss (Moses), Gary Sinise  (David), Jesse McCartney (young David and Daniel), Stacy Keach (Paul and Job), Ernie Hudson (Peter), Sean Astin (Elihu), Malcolm McDowell (Solomon), Joan Allen (Deborah), Lou Diamond Phillips (Mark), Luke Perry (Judas), Harry Hamlin (Nehemiah), Jim Caviezel (Jesus), and Martin Jarvis (voice of God). Complete with production by AFTRA Award winner Carl Amari (The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas), an original music score by prolific Italian composer Stefano Mainetti (Abba Pater & The Shooter), and movie-quality sound effects produced, engineered, and mixed at Cerny American Creative in Chicago—an award-winning facility ranked in the Top 3 in the nation for sound design headed by Cerny. The 90+ hour project released through Thomas Nelson, Inc., in October in a special 79-CD box set collection and an 11-MP3 CD offering, both with a bonus features DVD. Stand-alone New Testament and Old Testament sets are also available.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. Audio samples, a free iPod application, and additional information about The Word of Promise® Audio Bible are available by visiting http://www.thomasnelson.com/thewordofpromise. For more information on the company and its titles, visit http://www.thomasnelson.com or http://www.nelsonbibles.com.

Contact:
Brenda Smotherman
Publicist
tel:    (615) 902-2231
fax:    (615) 902-1132
web:    www.thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today the promotion of Gary Davidson to the position of Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. Davidson brings over twenty years of experience working with Christian products. He has worked for Thomas Nelson for thirteen years, leading Thomas Nelson’s Christian Retail Sales team for the last eight, and the Ministry Development and Church Direct team for the last two.

“I am confident that Gary is the right person to lead our Bible team,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and chief operating officer of Thomas Nelson. “Gary has a distinguished track record of building strong business units by casting vision, building cohesive teams, executing plans, and anticipating the needs of our customers.”

Thomas Nelson veteran and Bible scholar Bob Sanford will return to the company to act as Vice President and Associate Publisher of the group. Sanford, who has worked intimately with the Bible category over the lastthirty years, has unparalleled experience and vast knowledge of the business.

Schoenwald continued, “Bob’s intimate Bible knowledge makes him the perfect compliment to Gary. Working side-by-side they will help strengthen the core of our business, our Bible, reference, and curriculum division.”

Tom Knight will be promoted to fill Davidson’s current role as Senior Vice President of Christian Retail Sales and Ministry Development. With over 10 years of experience working in Christian retail, Knight has demonstrated the ability to develop strong teams through his hands-on management and the ability to build alignment around strategic plans. Knight’s successor has not been appointed, although leadership is evaluating several options and hoping to make an announcement as quickly as possible.

“I am so excited about the privilege of leading Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group,” said Davidson. “They are a strong and passionate team doing extraordinary work to make the Word more accessible for readers around the world. I am leaving the Christian Retail and Ministry team in Tom’s very capable hands. Our working relationship, and my new role, open up new possibilities for creating great Bible, reference, and curriculum products for our Christian and Ministry retail partners.”

Leading Publisher Holds Five Out of Top 10 Bible Titles

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc.’s Bible Group has claimed half of the November 2009 ECPA Bible Bestsellers List’s Top 10 slots. The leading Christian publisher is holding five of the top positions with titles that include: the NKJV Text Bible (otherwise known as Nelson’s Million Bible Challenge Bible), the NKJV Gift and Award Bible in black Leatherflex, the hardcover edition of The American Patriot’s Bible, and the KJV Gift and Award Bible’s blue and black Leatherflex offerings. In fact, Thomas Nelson currently holds more slots than any other publisher on the Bible list overall. These results continue to identify Thomas Nelson, who has been publishing Bibles for 200-plus years, as a strong leader in the Bible publishing industry.

“I’m encouraged by the continued support our product has from consumers and our retail partners,” notes Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group Wayne Hastings. “I believe this type of success along with our solid line of new releases positions us well for a strong Christmas season with the ultimate goal of getting more Bibles in the hands of people who need them.”

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) Bestseller Lists are compiled using adult book sales data from Christian retail stores across the U.S. A book must have sales in at least 20% of reporting stores during at least one week of the represented reporting cycle to be placed on the list. Only Trade Paper, Cloth and Mass Market Paper books are reported, tracts, mini-books or booklets are not included on this list. Only books which are offered to Christian stores at a trade discount from a publisher or wholesaler are featured on the list. Seasonal/holiday books are omitted from this list.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. For more information on the company and titles, visit http://www.thomasnelson.com or http://www.nelsonbibles.com.

Contact:

Brenda Smotherman

Publicist

tel: (615) 902-2231

fax: (615) 902-1132

web: www.thomasnelson.com

CHICAGO – In today’s society many people are seeking hope. Academy Awards® winners Jon Voight, Richard Dreyfuss, Marcia Gay Harden, Lou Gossett, Jr., and hundreds of other actors have joined together to create The Word of Promise® Audio Bible, a dramatic audio theater production that offers hope and inspiration to listeners. After three years of production, the 90+ hour project will be released through Thomas Nelson, Inc. in late September in a special 79 CD box set collection or 11 MP3 CD offering with a bonus features DVD.
“This Bible project, I think, is going to be the most important thing that I have ever done, or have ever been associated with,” says John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), who portrays King Saul in the Old Testament. “As a piece of theater, it just completely swept me away. I found myself more excited by stories that I knew before, than I had ever been.”

Producer Carl Amari, known by many for his popular The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas, led The Word of Promise® endeavor and approached Cannes Award-winning JoBe Cerny to join him in 2006 as the director of the project.

“It feels like my entire career has been preparation for this one project. When Carl called me to do it, it felt like the kind of call you wait your whole life to get,” says Cerny. “In my line of work, actors always ask ‘what’s my motivation?’ before they start a scene. The Bible is about people searching for their motivation, their purpose in life. It truly was a director’s dream project.”

After 6,000 hours each of studio time, eight recording studios, and over 175,000 takes, Cerny and Amari have completed what is arguably the most ambitious dramatization of the Bible ever taken.

“We wanted every single moment to be exciting for the listener, like they were really there experiencing the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and the whale, and Jesus’ teachings,” says Amari. “We wanted to create an experience for Christians and non-Christians alike, where they get to be a part of an incredible drama, “adds Cerny.

For The Word of Promise®, Cerny directed Hollywood heavyweights including Gary Sinise as David, Jesse McCartney as young David and Daniel, Stacy Keach as Paul and Job, Malcolm McDowell as Solomon, Joan Allen as Deborah, Lou Diamond Phillips as Mark, Luke Perry as Judas, Ernie Hudson as Peter, Sean Astin as Elihu, Harry Hamlin as Nehemiah, Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Martin Jarvis as the voice of God, and many more. He also led top Foley artists in creating gripping sound effects using both high-tech equipment and everyday items, such as raw chicken breasts thrown onto a cement slab for the plague of the frogs in Exodus.

“I have never before composed and conducted so many hours of music for one project,” notes Italian composer Stefano Mainetti, who scored over 100 hours of original music for The Word of Promise® in Bulgaria and Rome. “This daily contact has definitely had an influence over me.”

“Carl and JoBe are approaching it with a seriousness and a passion that I think is admirable. They are literally trying to bring alive the New Testament and the Old Testament in a way that is engaging, thoughtful, and truly professional,” notes actor Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) who voices Joseph. “It’s actually being done with an integrity that I rather admire. That’s why I was delighted to be a part of it.”

CARL AMARI is the President and CEO of Falcon Picture Group, a Chicago-based production, development and distribution company dedicated to family-friendly audio, video and DVD products. JOBE CERNY is an award-winning international speaker, the president of Cerny American Creative, and has garnered more than 450 awards during his acting, directing, and voice-over personality career. When The Word of Promise® New Testament launched in 2007, it received the highest honors a project of its kind could receive including the 2008 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) “Christian Book of the Year” Award, three Gold Millennium Awards and first place in Christian Retailing Magazine’s “Retailer’s Choice Awards.” To learn more, visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact: Tolly Moseley at (512) 478-2028 x213

(Nashville, Tenn.) Today, Dr. Richard G. Lee, the General Editor of The American Patriot’s Bible, officially announced that he has launched the “Honor and Pray for an American Patriot” campaign on americanpatriotsbible.com in partnership with his publisher Thomas Nelson, Inc. Together they’re challenging Christian Americans to rise up and pray for the nation and those who have dedicated their lives to being a positive influence on its citizens and the world.

This is a time for our local communities to recognize people that they believe represent a true American Patriot. A patriot could be a former teacher, family member, military officer, civil servant, pastor, etc., who has prominently displayed the godly qualities that helped shape the legacy of our great nation and who have followed the path paved by godly men and women, like those discussed in The American Patriot’s Bible.

As a part of this nation-wide challenge, visitors to americanpatriotsbible.com can share a name, story, and photo to be displayed in an online American Patriot’s gallery. Those represented will receive a special certificate of recognition letting them know that they have been honored for their faith, patriotism, and loyalty. The dedications will also allow individuals and churches to pray for the people in the gallery.

“Now, more than ever in America, it’s essential that Christians take a stand to say ‘in God we still trust.’ We need to be in prayer about what’s happening in the United States as well as the world,” says Lee.

“I’ve no doubt that each of us has witnessed Christian works in action, and it’s by those examples that others are often motivated to leave their personal mark for Christ. The ‘Honor and Pray for An American Patriot’ campaign was developed to recognize and celebrate our modern-day patriots of faith,” notes Wayne Hastings, Senior Vice President and Group Publisher for Thomas Nelson, Inc.’s Bible Group.

The idea for the call to action stemmed from the subject matter included in The American Patriot’s Bible (Thomas Nelson) which reveals how faith has impacted the overall formation of this country. Joining with the sacred New King James version (NKJV) text are stories of American heroes, quotations from and articles about many of America’s greatest thinkers, historic photographs, and beautiful illustrations that present the rich heritage and tremendous future of the United States of America.

Dr. Richard G. Lee is the Founding Pastor of First Redeemer Church in Atlanta. There’s Hope America, the radio and television ministry for which Dr. Lee is a speaker, is broadcast nationwide in 42 million homes across the U.S. and in 17 additional countries.
Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. For more information on the company and titles, visit http://www.thomasnelson.com.
Contact:    Brenda Smotherman
Publicist
tel:    (615) 902-2231
fax:    (615) 902-1132
email: bsmotherman@thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. was awarded six of Christian Retailing’s 2009 Retailer’s Choice Awards. The awards were announced on Monday, July 13th at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver, Colorado. Thomas Nelson received more any other publishing house and walked away with a fifth of the cumulative awards.

“There are two things about Retailer’s Choice Awards that make them among the highest honors in the industry,” said Michael S. Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson. “First, the awards are selected by Christian retailers, who work on the front lines helping Christians strengthen their spiritual journey. Second, the awards are judged on a product’s ability to inspire, encourage, and affirm Godly living. I am so proud of our team.”

The Thomas Nelson winners are:

• The Word of Promise Next Generation: New Testament Audio Bible (Audio)
• Baby’s First Bible (Bibles: General)
• What in the World Is Going On? by David Jeremiah (Bibles - General)
• Fireproof by Eric Wilson (Fiction: General)
• Looking Up When Life Is Looking Down by Beth Moore (Gift Books)
• Chronological Study Bible Campaign (Marketing/Promotion Campaign)

Products nominated for the 2009 Retailer’s Choice Awards must include clear Christian content, message or worldview. Retailers judged the 250 nominations in 30 categories on the impact they have had on staff and customers, including their ability to speak to people’s hearts and evoke emotion, open people’s minds to new ways of thinking, and encourage and affirm Christ-like living. For more a complete listing of the 2009 Retailer’s Choice Awards, visit www.retailerschoiceawards.com.

Thomas Nelson is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes.  For more information, visit our website www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact:    Lindsey Nobles
Director of Corporate Communications   

tel:    (615) 902-1109    

fax:  (615) 902-1110
cell:  (615) 476-5984    

e-mail:  lnobles@thomasnelson.com

“I am very excited about this partnership, says Wayne Hastings, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “Standard has a long tradition of serving churches across the country with integrity and service, and we’re honored to have their team come alongside us and represent Thomas Nelson’s life-changing small group and church resources.”

“Because of our position as one of the leading publishers of Vacation Bible School programs and church curriculum products, Standard is very effective at creating awareness of our products at the church level,” notes Larry A. Carpenter President and Publisher of Standard Publishing. “We are proud that Thomas Nelson has recognized our capabilities and given us the opportunity to sell their God-honoring products in to the churches with which we work.”

For more than 140 years, Standard Publishing has been raising the standard for true-to-the-Bible resources that educate, encourage, and enrich. The company is based in Cincinnati, Ohio where it was founded in 1866. For more information, visit www.standardpub.com.

Contact:    Brenda Smotherman
Publicist
tel:    (615) 902-2231
fax:    (615) 902-1132
web:    www.thomasnelson.com