Christian Supply Centers Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based company that operates a chain of inspirational retail stores, has bought Christian Resources Inc., which had operated five Christian Gift Center outlets here and in Coeur dAlene.


Also, Pamplin Broadcasting Inc., a Portland-based company thats affiliated with Christian Supply, plans to buy KTSL, a Christian radio station here, from Salem Communications Inc., of Camarillo, Calif., by the end of this year, says Guy Coleman, Christian Supplys Portland-based marketing director. Pamplin began operating KTSL under a management agreement last month. KTSL employs 14 full- and part-time people, says the stations manager, David Artinian.


Christian Supply took over the operation of Christian Resources five stores here in May, says Coleman. It plans to open a sixth outlet under a different name in the Post Falls Factory Outlet mall by October, he says.


Christian Resources had been owned by Daryl and Faye Bursch, of Spokane. At the time of the sale, the stores were generating a combined $3 million in sales annually, says Daryl Bursch, who now works for Christian Supply as a consultant and manages its community-outreach programs. He declines to disclose the terms of the sale.


As part of the transaction, Christian Supply bought a building at 510 E. Francis that houses one of the former Christian Gift Center outlets. It also plans to buy the building at 301 W. Boone that housed Christian Resouces main operations, says Bursch. Christian Resources had been leasing that space.


Christian Supply plans soon to spend $50,000 remodeling the 16,000-square-foot Boone store and its Francis store, Coleman says. The Boone Street store remodeling project includes reconfiguring the buildings current space to increase selling space and to create a radio studio, he says. The company plans to move KTSL into the remodeled space when the work is completed this fall. The radio station currently is located at 1212 N. Washington.


In addition to the Boone and Francis stores, Christian Supply acquired outlets at NorthTown Mall, at 5320 E. Sprague, and at 1602 W. Appleway, in Coeur dAlene, all of which operate in leased space.


Christian Supply, which is a subsidiary of Pamplin Communications Inc., of Portland, operates 19 stores in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, including the five in Spokane and in Coeur dAlene. It employs about 35 people here.