CBMC began in 1930 as Christian Business Men's Committee in the United States in 1930, when a small group of Christian businessmen coordinated a series of pre-Easter prayer rallies. With the Great Depression in its second year, these men saw an urgent need for spiritual revival and took it upon themselves to plan a six-week evangelistic series of meetings at the Garrick Theater, in the Chicago loop area. Public response to the first gathering on January 6, 1931, was overwhelming, as more than 800 packed into the 800-seat facility for all six sessions. As the meetings were drawing to a close, the downtown Chicago business community wanted to continue the gatherings as more and more men were experiencing life change through their newfound relationship with Christ.

Similar groups were soon popping all over the nation: Atlanta, Washington, DC, Orange County, California, and many other large, medium, and small cities began staging their own version of these outreaches. The ministry moved its Support Center from Chicago to Chattanooga in the 1970’s. As the years passed, the work spread across the United States to fulfill an insatiable need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The decade of the 70’s also saw the first release of a remarkable tool, known as Operation Timothy. There was a felt need for a discipleship tool to help men ignite their walk with Christ. OT was designed to be used for one-on-one applications where a mentor (whom we call a Paul, sits down with someone wishing to know more (a Timothy) and together they embark upon a transformational journey of exploring Christ’s word.

In the 1990’s, CBMC officially changed its name to Christian Business Men’s Connection, but no matter what the name, there have been tens of thousands of intentional businessmen that have made this ministry thrive. These businessmen embraced two core beliefs: share the gospel with those who don’t know the Good News and then go and make disciples: Be intentional about carrying out The Great Commission. (Matthew 28:19).

In the past few years, Operation Timothy has gone digital; likewise Living Proof, a reality-based video series was created to help share the gospel in a natural, caring, and Bible-centered lifestyle now called Living Proof Adventure. Find these tools here.