PEABODY, MA—Christianbook International Outreach (CIO) announces a milestone 2,000,000 books and Bibles distributed to Christian pastors, theological students, and churches in 81 countries. “We are grateful to all of our partners who have generously helped to bring about this tremendous impact, including the publishers who have contributed at reduced pricing and many times donating resources, and our ministry partners who have helped distribute them,” states CIO Board Chair Ray Hendrickson.
CIO is the not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable arm of Christianbook. CIO’s mission is to distribute books to international Christian leaders and theological schools, and Bibles to those without access to them. These efforts began informally through Christianbook in 2008, with CIO established in 2021 to formalize and accelerate the distribution of more resources to the global church.
“Christianbook is committed to supporting the ministry efforts of Christianbook International Outreach,” Christianbook President and CEO Michelle Carrara states. “We believe that the work CIO is doing is of paramount importance. We deeply appreciate the generosity of our publishing and ministry partners for their contributions to CIO. Our dedicated partners have enabled CIO to make a meaningful impact in the lives and communities of so many people globally.”
Hendrickson, who was one of the two brothers that started Christianbook, says it was during a 2018 trip to Uganda and hearing from leaders there that reenforced his lifelong heart for missions: “What we believed up to that point we believe even stronger now. The church is growing exponentially around the world, but resources like books and Bibles are often hardest to obtain where they are needed most.”
Pastor J from Uganda, a CIO partnership recipient, sums it up for many. In a country where over 70 percent of pastors have no theological training, he shares, “In the midst of our difficult reality, hope is rising among many untrained pastors. Already, over 133 of our pastors have received training in theology and leadership—training that was made possible by CIO. In addition, we have seen visible shifts and improvements in the ministry practice and preaching culture because of the high utility of the context-sensitive book resources we have received from CIO. We could not be more grateful.”
Additionally, Pastor J highlights the city’s only Pastors and Leaders Library, which was established with the help of CIO and its partners. “It has provided a study place where all our pastors can go and learn any topic of interest that is relevant to their dreams or current struggles. This space has helped greatly in grounding pastors in theology,” he states.
While a U.S.-based pastor might not imagine preparing a sermon with no resources, not even a study Bible, that is the reality faced by many pastors around the world each week. “We are looking to change that so that international pastors are well-equipped to preach the gospel,” Hendrickson says. “We are grateful for—and dependent upon—our partners in this outreach. With new and continued support we can ensure millions more essential resources reach the global church. The need is great and it’s urgent.”
For more information and partnership opportunities, please contact Craig Stoll, Managing Director, Christianbook International Outreach, 405-596-9154, or cstoll@ChristianbookOutreach.org. Visit our website at christianbookoutreach.org.
