Annual Bishop’s Appeal 2017

Annual Bishops Appeal

July 2017

Providing resources for Christian discipleship around the world.

It is that time again. Each year SPCK/USA reaches out to our Bishops appealing for funds that will help us respond to the many requests we have received. These requests come from churches in the Anglican Communion, from other denominations, from independent churches, and even from individuals who have discovered that they can seek a Bible from us when they cannot afford one.

History of SPCK

More than 300 years ago, the Reverend Thomas Bray, an Anglican priest in London, formed the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) to “promote learning in the plantations and abroad and to propagate Christian knowledge at home.”

In 1700, the Bishop of London sent Thomas Bray to “the Colonies.” He crisscrossed the colony on horseback, noting the need for books and resources that would ensure a healthy future for Christianity. He saw wonderful things his newly found agency could do. Within weeks of his return to England, SPCK was preparing libraries for shipment to Maryland, South Carolina, and New York. As time passed, SPCK provided libraries for our first universities and began our public school system.