CCM was incorporated in 1969. It was known as Inland Christian Laymen. As a result of Elmer's vision, CCM began a literature ministry in 1971 with bookstores at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. These were not church supply stores, but people stores. Because of his prior experience in this kind of ministry in Annapolis, Maryland, College Park, Maryland, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jim Wilson helped open these two stores in Pullman and Moscow.
Since then we have had personal ministry stores in Laramie, Wyoming; Tempe, Arizona; Provo, Utah; Logan, Utah; Boise, Idaho; Annapolis, Maryland; Republic, Washington; and Gunnison, Colorado. With the exception of Republic, Washington, all of these towns are college towns. Two of these ministries are no longer part of CCM but have their own locally run ministries. They are Quo Vadis in Tempe, Arizona, which Elmer and Jean Heibert started, and Cornerstone Books in Boise, Idaho, which Steve Barry began.
Our current literature/personal ministry centers are:
- The Brushfire at Western State State College in Gunnison, CO. Our man there is Laine Dobson. Click here for more information.
- Oasis Books at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Our team there is made up of Brad Scheelke and Eldon Peterson. Checkout their blog for recent activities: www.OasisBooks.blogspot.com
- One Way Books at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Tom Opsal is our man there.
- The Nuart Theatre at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho. Eric Engerbretson runs this location. For more information, checkout there website: www.TheNuart.org
- International Student Ministry in Moscow, Idaho. David and Gale Williams are committed full-time to the ministry of students.
- Barbara Friedman is a personal evangelist full-time here in Moscow.
- Community Christian Ministries offices are on the 2nd floor of the Nuart Theatre. Staff are: Jim Wilson, pastor/evangelist; Matt Meyer, director in training, and Naomi Adams, administrative assistant, and Lisa Just, accounting assistant. What happens out there is writing, publishing, counseling, email, mail order distribution of books.
The other ministries, some of which ran for 20 years, were closed because of lack of staff and sometimes no location. In the future, we will be presenting a more expanded history of each of these ministries.
Here are our objectives according to our bylaws:
The purpose of Community Christian Ministries is to provide and promote a Christian witness by any ethical, moral, and Biblical means. The objectives are evangelism of non-believers, edification and unity of believers. A detailed policy statement of the means of CCM shall be kept current.