In 1975, God stirred the founder of Community Bible Study, Lee Campbell, and a small team to step out in faith and prayerfully begin Community Bible Study with a clear, Christ-centered mission: “to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in our communities through caring, in-depth Bible study, available to all.” The first CBS class gathered in Bethesda, Maryland, to study the Gospel of John. The Lord quickly expanded the work, multiplying classes across the United States and, within a few years, in London, United Kingdom (1979), and Lima, Peru (1980). An international movement of transformative Bible study was born.

Across this decade, the Lord called and equipped countless servant leaders, and through His power, He brought forth a wave of ministry growth. United by the vision of transformed lives through the Word of God, these shepherds established new classes, cared for existing ones, strengthened training, and adapted resources so that children and youth could engage Scripture in age-appropriate ways. As they served, the Lord Jesus touched lives in diverse settings.

As God opened doors, caring, in-depth Bible study became accessible to new communities and contexts. The ministry started reaching those in prison, college students, and professionals, while continuing to invest deeply in children and youth. Responding to requests from numerous countries for study materials in other languages, translation efforts accelerated, and pioneer leaders launched new classes around the world. By 2001, CBS was active in 59 countries with 13,552 participants, growing to 61 countries and 25,885 participants by 2005. The decade concluded with CBS offering 16 courses and celebrating its 25^th anniversary. All glory to God!

During this decade, the Ministry Service Center was established in Colorado Springs to support class leaders and participants around the world. In North America, new ministry expressions took shape, including young adult groups, the Agape Program for adults with intellectual disabilities, Ethnos groups in participants’ primary languages, and after-school studies for children. At the same time, the Lord opened doors in new countries and languages, while more national leaders were trained and equipped to serve their own communities. By 2015, He had spread CBS to 85 countries with 139,220 participants.

Through these years, the Lord expanded the work of CBS in ways never envisioned, as the ministry embraced online capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed countless lives transformed. New initiatives were launched, including Spoken CBS for oral-reliant or oral-preferred learners, and CBS Connect, an innovative online platform for small-group Bible study that can be done anytime, anywhere. Additionally, during this period, CBS collaborated with local churches, denominations, and other ministries worldwide, contributing to a remarkable 439% growth.

By 2025, CBS was serving over 1.1 million participants across 117 countries and in 91 languages–a powerful local and global movement of God’s Word that testifies to His faithfulness over the past 50 years. CBS continues to focus on making disciples of the Lord Jesus for His glory among the nations.