About Us
The Purpose of CLC is to make evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.
About CLC Ministries International
CLC Ministries International (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is an evangelical, interdenominational world mission with a central passion: bringing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to the nations through the power of Christian literature. Founded in England in 1941, CLC is a global ministry distributing Bibles, Christian books, and Christian resources where most needed. In the United States, CLC operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“The Purpose of CLC is to make evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
For more than 80 years, CLC has lived out this purpose by producing, translating, and distributing Christ-centered resources around the world. Our ministry spans Christian bookstores, bookmobiles, publishing and printing, translation projects, websites, e-commerce, digital books, and apps. Because we serve the entire evangelical community, our workers and materials reflect a range of evangelical denominational backgrounds—united by a shared love for Jesus and commitment to Scripture.
A Worldwide Team with a Reproducing Mission
Where new needs and opportunities arise, CLC desires to send cross-cultural missionaries to establish sustainable literature ministries. Their goal is not to remain indefinitely, but to train and empower national believers to lead their own ministry—resulting in vibrant operations that are locally owned and globally connected.
Today, over 90% of CLC fields are led by national workers, often serving sacrificially to make God’s Word accessible in their own communities. Several of these countries are now sending their own missionaries cross-culturally, multiplying the original vision in new places. Donations to our Overseas Literature Fund directly support these dedicated teams and expand their impact.
CLC in the United States: A Multi-Faceted Ministry
In the U.S., CLC carries out this global vision through three key ministry arms:
CLC Multi-Language Media
One of the largest distributors of multilingual Christian resources in North America, MLM provides Bibles, evangelistic materials, discipleship tools, and children’s books in over 120 languages. Churches, ministries, and individuals rely on this outreach to reach immigrants, refugees, international students, and multilingual communities with the Gospel.
CLC Publications
Our publishing division produces thoughtful, biblically grounded titles that encourage spiritual growth and faithfulness to Christ. CLC Publications partners with authors, ministries, and global Christian leaders to equip believers worldwide with solid evangelical teaching.
CLC USA Bookstores & Outreach
CLC has operated Christian book centers for decades—places dedicated not merely to selling books, but to prayer, discipleship, evangelism, and to impacting local communities. Every center exists as a “spiritual powerhouse,” echoing the early vision of our founders.
Diane recently purchased 120 Bibles from Multilanguage Media to give away to her friends and neighbors.
Be a part of the impact.
Carl regularly shops CLC Publications for trustworthy books and Bible studies for his small group.
Leonie volunteers one afternoon each week in the CLC warehouse to help ship books and Bibles around the world.
Our History: A Vision Born in Wartime, Sustained by God’s Grace
The Vision Begins
In the midst of World War II, young evangelists Ken and Bessie Adams heard Jesus’ call to “feed My sheep.” During their ministry with the Friends Evangelistic Band in England, they noticed that many homes had already been visited by groups distributing opposing literature—particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Ken responded with conviction:
“I cannot stand by and watch the spread of so much dangerous propaganda and not do something about spreading the truths of the Gospel.”
Armed with Christian books and Bibles, they began going door-to-door, sharing the good news of Jesus. Soon, Ken rented an upstairs room in Colchester, England, and opened The Evangelical Publishing House, even as wartime restrictions made such efforts nearly impossible.
Their next step was to partner with the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade (now WEC International). Inspired by the idea of placing Christian book centers across the country, WEC’s Norman Grubb imagined “scattering spiritual Woolworths around the country and then worldwide.” Opportunities and funding began coming in, and on November 1, 1941, CLC was born as an autonomous literature ministry.
From the beginning, CLC served all branches of the church:
“We will not let doctrinal differences hinder us from serving all denominations with their literature needs,” Ken affirmed.
Each book center, he insisted, must be “a spiritual powerhouse…workers out to win souls and help fellow Christians, this being more important than the sale of books.”
The Vision Continues
By the end of the war, six Christian literature centers were operating across England. With God’s blessing, the ministry grew across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Today, CLC serves in over 40 countries, with nearly 700 workers of many nationalities—all united to distribute God’s Word and biblical resources to a world hungry for truth, hope, and peace.
The Story Isn’t Finished!
From a rented room in wartime England to a global network of publishing, distribution, and missionary outreach, CLC remains committed to the same calling that launched us: to make the Gospel accessible to all people, in every language, in every corner of the world.
We invite you to explore our ministries, discover how God is moving through the written Word, and join us in this mission.
Together, we can place life-changing Christian literature into the hands of those who need it most.