The Vision is Born

In the early days of World War II, a young couple, Ken and Bessie Adams, heard Jesus' call to" feed my sheep." Together they worked with the Friends Evangelistic Band in England, holding tent meetings andvvisiting homes. On many of these visits, they found that they had been preceded by others who left literature, especially Jehovah's Witnesses. Ken declared,

"I cannot stand by and watch the spread of so much dangerous propaganda and not do something about spreading the truths of the Gospel."

So he and Bessie visited homes armed with good Christian literature.
 

The Adams felt led to align themselves with the Worldwide Evangelization (now WEC, International), with plans to help that organization establish regional centers in England. Although they planned to leave their bookshop, they did not want to see it closed. Norman Grubb of WEC was thrilled with the potential of a string of bookshops and remarked, "We could begin scattering 'spiritual Woolworths' around the country and then worldwide." Requests, opportunities, and funding began to present themselves to Ken and Bessie, resulting in the formation of CLC as an autonomous ministry incorporated Nov. 1, 1941.

CLC Ministries offered a literature ministry to all branches of the church. "We will not let doctrinal differences hinder us from serving all denominations with their literature needs," affirmed Ken. "But our position is to be uncompromisingly evangelical so that purchasers feel quite sure that all they see and buy will build up readers or point the unconverted to the Savior. Each book center should be first and foremost a spiritual powerhouse–workers out to win souls and help fellow Christians, this being more important than the sale of books. Branches of Christ's church in the town should be made to feel that the shop belongs to all and is their service."

The Vision Continues

By the end of the war, there were six literature centers across England and a ministry to German POWs. Growth continued with God's grace and blessing as today CLC serves in 55 countries where 700 men and women of diverse nationalities are joining hands to feed a world hungry for print.

CLC is best known for bookshops. With more than 200 bookshops around the world, more than 700 workers working in about 60 countries and sending out literature to another 94 countries it truly is a mission dedicated to literature distribution. Nearly 70% of our ministry involves operating Christian bookshops as a strategic way of touching thousands of people's lives.

CLC Tomorrow

Although we are proud of our roots, the Head of our mission is the Lord Jesus Himself. He enables us to look at the opportunities that God is presenting to us in the modern world. In this way we can rely on the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit at the same time as we use the latest technology to introduce, through literature, the unsaved to Jesus and aid Christians to come to a maturity of their faith in Jesus Christ.