130 Years of Moody Publishers

Moody Publishers is celebrating our 130th anniversary! Since 1894, we have sought to resource the church with affordable, truth-filled Christian books. As we reflect on our 130 years of publishing Christian books, we are grateful for the Lord's faithfulness in our ministry. When you purchase a book from Moody Publishers, 100% of the profits benefit the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, which exists to educate and equip students for Christian ministry.

1894 1890s-1930s 1940s-1960s 1970s-1980s 1990s-2000s 2010-Today

The Beginning: 1894

Eight years after Dwight L. Moody founded Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, he noticed an alarming lack of Christian books for young people. While preaching in Madison, Wisconsin, Moody surveyed local bookstores and found nothing suitable, so he started his own company in the fall of 1894. If contemporary publishers could produce cheap “dime novels” for the masses, Moody figured he could do the same with his new venture, which he called the Bible Institute Colportage Association (BICA). Charles Spurgeon and Moody wrote the first two books, released in March 1895.

The Early Years: 1890s-1930s

D. L. Moody introduced an innovative distribution system, employing college students (colporteurs) who traveled by horse-drawn wagon to small towns. Other customers bought the books on annual subscription, with a new title mailed every two weeks. The company grew quickly as the product line diversified into Christian fiction, family books, and basic Bible reference works. Millions of copies were distributed free of charge in prisons, tenement houses, and rural schools, financed entirely by donations. The colportage idea continued through the 1930s, operated by traveling evangelists in custom Ford trucks.

The Name You Can Trust: 1940s-1960s

BICA became Moody Press in 1941, and legally merged with Moody Bible Institute. As a nonprofit publisher, Moody’s profits directly support the tuition-paid education of MBI students. In 1950, Moody Press became a charter member of the Christian Booksellers Association, hosted its first meetings, and provided office space for the organization. A new textbook program eventually produced 150 influential titles. Moody became known as “The Name You Can Trust” for Bible study, theology, Christian education, missions, and practical Christian work.

Issues and Answers: 1970s-1980s

In an era marked by turmoil and controversy, customers came to Moody Press for solid answers. New authors offered biblical advice on marriage, family, money, and ministry issues. Many titles became recognized as classics and remained in Moody’s catalog for decades to come. Hundreds were translated to foreign languages. By the mid-1980s, Christian bookstores reached their peak in the U.S., with more than three thousand stores generating $1 billion in revenue. Moody Press continued to give its profits directly to student scholarships at Moody Bible Institute.

The Era of New Media: 1990s-2000s

Moody Press celebrated its one hundredth birthday by diversifying into new media, including video, audiobooks, and digital formats. Reflecting its new diversity, Moody Press changed its name to Moody Publishers in 2002. This also marked the debut of our website, moodypublishers.com. The digital transformation changed the way we sell books, as retail sales shifted from Christian bookstores to online retailers. By 2009, The 5 Love Languages had reached number one on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Meeting Needs Today: 2010s-Current Day

Since its founding in 1894, Moody Publishers has distributed more than 300 million books in 70 languages and 130 countries around the world. In 2014, Moody Publishers acquired Wingspread Publications, which led to the addition of the vast majority of A.W. Tozer’s works into our catalog. A few years later in 2018, Moody Publishers moved into the newly built Chapman Center, just a few steps away from our first office on the campus of Moody Bible Institute. Our location in the heart of Chicago hasn’t changed, and our mission hasn’t, either. While Moody Publishers values its reputation as an industry leader, our real passion is for our founder’s vision—making affordable Christian books for everyone.