Bible Centered Ministries International is a global non-denominational ministry dedicated to Reaching Children and Developing Churches worldwide. BCM has more than 700 missionaries serving in over 50 countries across five continents as well as Pacific and Caribbean islands. We are committed to making disciples of all age groups for the Lord Jesus Christ through evangelism, teaching and training so that churches are established and the Church strengthened.

BCM ministers through evangelism, church planting, discipleship, leadership training and publishing Bible curriculum and teaching materials. Children’s ministries such as Bible clubs, released-time classes, and camps are central to all BCM fields. BCM is also involved in compassion ministries such as disaster relief, community health care and development, and counseling.

BCM International was founded in 1936 as the Bible Club Movement when a returning American missionary, Miss Bessie Traber, listened to the pleading of Philadelphia youth to give them Bible clubs like those she’d organized in the Philippines. Over the next decades the Bible Club Movement spread into Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. As children’s ministries expanded to Christian camping, church planting, leadership training, publishing Bible curriculum and teaching materials, and a variety of compassion and counseling ministries, BCM modified its name to reflect its ever-widening focus.

Today Bible Centered Ministries International has more than 700 missionaries representing five different continents serving in more than 50 countries around the world. BCM regional headquarters train and commission missionaries and church leadership in North America, Canada, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

With half the developing world under 21, children’s ministries remain a key focus. Over 1.3 million children hear God’s Word in Bible Clubs and released-time classes around the world, and BCM camping programs have been established in more than 25 fields. As families and whole communities have been impacted, more than 17,000 churches have been planted worldwide.

Disaster relief, health clinics, aid to orphans, widows and handicapped, HIV/AIDS education and micro-enterprise programs are meeting physical as well as spiritual needs. BCM’s Bible curriculum Footsteps of Faith and Tiny Steps of Faith and other publications, along with its teacher training course, In Step with the Master Teacher, are equipping churches around the world to disciple children in God’s word.

Key partnerships with other international organizations, such as Handi*Vangelism Ministries International, New Hope International, Mainland China Mission International, Comfort Foundation (Vologda, Russia) and Life Change Ministries International (Hyderabad, India) allow strategic multiplication of BCM’s global impact.

In the summer of 1936, Miss Bessie Traber was seeking the Lord’s direction. She had been a missionary in the Philippines. At a Labor Day Conference in Philadelphia, Miss Traber told how God blessed her Bible Clubs in the Philippines. After her presentation, many young people asked her, “Why can’t we have Bible Clubs like that in Philadelphia?” Bible Club Movement was born!

As other Christians were stirred to see the spiritual needs of children and young people, the work expanded, spreading to other cities and states. In order to facilitate Bible teaching, a complete visualized Bible study course for children and young teens was written. The course was called Footsteps of Faith. This and other BCM publications have been written and produced in many languages and are used today around the world by churches and other mission organizations.

Over the years God has greatly expanded BCM’s worldwide ministries and we now have approximately more than 700 full-time missionaries serving in 50 different countries. Since we have diversified - community, compassion and church ministries - we are now known as Bible Centered Ministries.