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Christian Resources Exhibitions sold to Bible Society

The Bible Society has acquired the series of six Christian Resources Exhibitions owned by REL together with its franchised events overseas.

The handover will be effective from 1 June 2007 and the CRE staff are being closely consulted with a view to their role in further enhancing CRE’s value to both exhibitors and visitors alike.

Founded in 1985, the first of these exhibitions was staged at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster and was an instant success, linking church leaders and resource specialists together. Gospatric Home, the exhibitions’ founder, went on to create a series of identical exhibitions at Sandown Park, Surrey, and in Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Harrogate and Exeter as well as Kampala, Uganda and Sydney, Australia.

The annual National Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) is officially the country’s 47th largest consumer exhibition. The 23rd in the series is being held at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, from 15-18 May this year and will be opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Dr Rowan Williams.

It will be followed in August by the ninth in the series of Scottish Christian Resources Exhibitions, under new title NEXUS Scotland 2007, to mark the partnership with the Glasgow Presbyteries of the Church of Scotland.

Commenting on the sale to the Bible Society Mr Home said: “Handing on the ownership to Bible Society not only secures the long term future of these events that I have cherished for the last 23 years, but places them in the hands of a well established charity of huge status and history. Over 200 years ago, William Wilberforce, whose achievements in helping to abolish the slave trade we celebrate this month, was one of the founders of Bible Society.”
 
Bible Society’s Chief Executive James Catford explains: ‘There is a natural synergy between Bible Society and CRE because both are committed to resourcing the Church and serving world mission. This makes our acquisition of CRE a natural step, at a time when we are both experiencing considerable growth in every area of our respective activities – globally and here at home.”
 
The incoming Executive Chairman of CRE is another respected name in the Christian world. At the helm will be Colin Saunders, a founder of Spring Harvest and its Chairperson for 18 years and, until recently, Executive Director of Evangelical Alliance.
 
Responding to his appointment, Colin Saunders said: “CRE has a highly strategic role to play in helping churches to discover the range of support available to them in today’s challenging environment. With the additional resources of Bible Society, I am committed to seeing these events becoming of even greater benefit to all those who exhibit and the thousands who attend each event.”

Full story at Inspire Magazine.