The Board of Trustees and Senior Management of Carlisle-based Christian charity IBS-STL UK, formerly known as STL, have announced the sale of two of its three trading divisions: Authentic Media and STL Distribution, as well as the sale of a significant number of its retail stores that comprise the third trading division: Wesley Owen.

A large number of jobs have been secured as a result of the sale and the charity’s mission of ‘Advancing the Christian Faith’ will continue.

The sale details are as follows;

• Authentic Music based in Milton Keynes has been bought by Kingsway Communications operating from Eastbourne.

• Authentic Book Publishing and eight Wesley Owen Stores (Bath Birmingham, Bristol, Bromley, Coleraine, Derby, Glasgow and York ) have been sold to Koorong, which is owned by the Bootes family. Based in Sydney, Koorong has 18 stores operating successfully throughout Australia. It has purchased all of the Authentic and Paternoster intellectual property and author contracts, the freehold properties in Glasgow and York, the Wesley Owen trading name, and the domain name, wesleyowen.com. They plan to continue to operate from the Milton Keynes area.

• STL Distribution has been purchased by John Ritchie Ltd a small but ambitious book distributor based in Kilmarnock, Scotland. John Ritchie Ltd has purchased all of the Carlisle properties and intends to make Carlisle its main base. It will continue to trade as STL Distribution. John Ritchie Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Lord’s Work Trust which has substantial resources and supports Christian projects around the world.

• A further six Wesley Owen stores (Bolton, Cambridge, Coventry, Guildford, Kingston and Stockport) have been acquired by Christian Literature Crusade (CLC), whose head office is in Halesowen, West Midlands.

• There are ongoing discussions with a number of groups interested in retaining their local Christian bookshops.

• Full story at Inspire Magazine.

• Filed under Business, Media, Scottish Christian News Monitor.