All My Knotted-Up Life (Tyndale Momentum), a bestselling memoir by Bible studies publishing powerhouse Beth Moore, has been named the 2024 Christian Book of the Year by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. It leads a list of titles in a dozen different categories honored Tuesday evening at the ECPA Leadership Summit event in Chicago where the association also celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Jeff Crosby, ECPA president and CEO, marked the anniversary with a new 96-page book, Fifty Years at ECPA: An Industry on a Mission – Past, Present, Future. The book, distributed to guests Tuesday, highlights not only the association's past, but also its plans for the future, which include broadening its global engagement and increasing ECPA's resources for pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion in publishing. He told members that the group, founded in 1974 with 22 publishers and now representing nearly 185 members, will stay "committed to the way of love."
Several other milestones were observed on Tuesday, including marking the 50th anniversary of one of ECPA's founding publishers, Harvest House. The Pinnacle Award was presented posthumously to Sarah Young, author of the bestselling devotional series, Jesus Calling, which has sold more than 46 million units in multiple formats. Innovative Gospel Light publisher Henrietta C. Mears, known for creating resources for children's ministry and modern Sunday School curricula, was posthumously honored with the Kenneth N. Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award. And Noble Marketing founder Ted Terry received the ECPA Chair Award.
In the Christian Book Awards presentations, two authors took multiple honors for their books that encourage believers through life's pain and challenges. Granger Smith, a country musician turned author and minister, won as best new author for his book that topped the biography and memoir category, Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache, (W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson). It shared Smith's spiritual struggle in the wake of his toddler's drowning death. Lysa TerKeurst's You're Going to Make It (Nelson) took top honors in the devotions and gifts category, while Terkeurst's narration of her book Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, (HCCP Audio and Thomas Nelson) won in the audiobook category.
Two books tied in the Christian Living category, God Never Gives Up On You, by Max Lucado (Nelson) and You Are a Theologian: An Invitation to Know and Love God Well, by Jen Wilkin and J.T. English (B&H Publishing).
When Worry Whispers, by Joyce Meyer; illustrated by Marcin Piwowarski (WorthyKids, a division of Hachette), took the honors for children's books and The Songs of a Warrior: Saul and David, a Retelling by Katy Morgan (The Good Book Company) won for young people's literature.
Winning titles in Bibles, biblical reference books, Bible studies, and ministry resources can be found in the full list of winners here.
