Online Archives

BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Christians, especially United Methodists, are 'a people of the book,' Gail Bender has discovered in her first few months as manager of Cokesbury Bookstore.

In other regions of the country Cokesbury stores, the retail outlet of The United Methodist Church, cater to the needs of pastors and Sunday School teachers. However, in the Baltimore-Washington Conference area, the laity are also avid readers, turning to books to help them grow in and express their faith, Bender said.

The store, one of the largest Cokesbury outlets in the country, has begun going out of its way to cater to these needs, said Bender.

'We reorder stock every day,' she said. 'We can provide whatever books our customers are seeking.'

Bender recognizes that Wal-Mart, which often undercuts prices to lure people into its stores, and Amazon.com, which provides online ordering, may be an attractive options for some people.

But the fact that Cokesbury is a non-profit entity, which makes substantial contributions to the pension funds of pastors in developing nations, is an incentive for some shoppers.

Last year, the Cokesbury store on Rolling Road in Catonsville gave $12,107 to the Baltimore-Washington Conference to pass along to needy pastors abroad.

In addition, Bender is hoping the store?s renewed emphasis on customer service and the 'smile that accompanies the transaction,' will make shopping at Cokesbury an experience people will want to repeat. 'Positive attitudes make a difference,' she said.

Since she arrived in April, Bender has also expanded the store?s card and gift lines.

With 22 years of experience in Christian retail, Bender said she spends all her time, from 8 a.m. until the doors are locked in the evening, working. 'I like to do the little extra things that make a difference, down to the wallpaper in the bathrooms.'

In her own reading life, Bender enjoys devotional books and 'can-do biographies. I like to read about strong believers who practice servanthood and hospitality,' she said. 'I like the idea of servanthood and try to amplify it every aspect of my life.'

'I am,' she said with a smile, 'here to serve.'