Christian Book Distributors announces strategic partnership
with 4 The World Resource Distributors (4WRD)
Peabody, Massachusetts, April 13, 2016: Christian Book Distributors (CBD) today announces the formation of a strategic partnership with non-profit organization 4 The World Resource Distributors (4WRD) http://www.4wrd.org.
Based in Springfield, Missouri, 4WRD aims to enhance the effectiveness and success of theological education in the Majority World by strengthening neglected, underfunded and understaffed Bible college and seminary libraries worldwide.
Ray Hendrickson, President/CEO of CBD, said the partnership is a natural one, given that the two organizations share a vision for supporting theological education both at home and overseas. “Just like 4WRD, our company is dedicated to supporting many local and global causes. Our shared passion for aiding overseas Bible schools, along with the expertise and resources CBD will offer, will help strengthen and enhance the great work that is already being done by 4WRD. CBD will not profit from this partnership. We will be providing all products and resources at our cost, or, in some cases, at a loss. We have also committed to giving 4WRD monthly financial support to help them be more effective in their core strategic efforts,” said Ray Hendrickson.
Founded by Gerard (Gary) and Glenna Flokstra III, 4WRD supports libraries by appraising library processes, providing staff development, evaluating student use, recommending and supplying resources, and facilitating networking.
Gary Flokstra said the partnership with CBD would be beneficial in helping the organization spread its reach further globally by providing resources to students around the world. “We are excited about the opportunities this partnership offers us, and we look forward to working with CBD to strengthen and expand the effectiveness and success of evangelical libraries worldwide,” said Mr. Flokstra.
Both Gary and Glenna served as appointed missionaries with the Assemblies of God World Missions for 19 years and have been involved in overseas ministries for over 33 years. Gary began working with book and resource distribution to missionaries and overseas schools in 1998 at Africa Library Services. He was the director of that ministry from April 2000 until December 2003. Since founding 4WRD in 2004, they have assisted over 85 Bible schools in more than 50 countries.
CBD is the largest religious catalog company in the world, sending out more than 65 mailings of unique catalogs to millions of customers each year. Customers have access to a premier selection of Christian products—over 530,000 books, Bibles, CDs, DVDs, academic references, commentaries, church supplies, gifts, toys, games, and more.
CBD has been honored as one of Boston Globe’s 100 Top Places to Work for seven years in a row. Christianbook.com, the online home of Christian Book Distributors, is a 14-time recipient of the BizRate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award. This award is presented to top-performing online retailers who have met the strict criteria set by BizRate Research to recognize outstanding customer service.
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For more information, please contact Bridget Timmins, Christian Book Distributors, at (978) 573-2201 or btimmins@cbd.com