CBMC began as Christian Business Men’s Committee in the United States in 1930, when a group of Christian businessmen coordinated a series of pre-Easter rallies. With the Great Depression in its second year, these men saw a need for a spiritual revival in the Chicago area, and a six week evangelistic crusade was held at the Garrick Theatre, located in downtown Chicago. Public response from the first meeting on January 6, 1931, was overwhelming. Crowds regularly packed out the over 800-seat theater. Apparently, God had greater plans for CBMC than its founders (C.B. Hedstrom, A.H. Leaman, John L. Lincoln, John M. Oury, Frank W. Sheriff, Dr. Ernest Wadsworth, and Edwin G. Zorn) had envisioned.

The noon, weekday meetings soon were extended beyond the scheduled six weeks into six months, then one year. Eventually, the six weeks grew into 26 years as the meetings continued uninterrupted until 1956.

Five men, Charles E. Gremmels, Arnold Grunigen, C.B. Hedstrom, Dr. N.A. Jepson, and R.G. LeTourneau, comprised the steering committee selected to direct the CBMC ministry.

In 1938, the first CBMC international conference was held in Chicago, seeking to bring men from committees around the world into closer fellowship and mutual commitment. Our headquarters was located in Chicago, but not until 1953 did we purchase our first building. During the next 25 years, the administrative center of the ministry was in Chicago. In 1978, the center relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As the years passed, our work spread throughout the world, into Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, India, and more, over 60 nations in all. Truly, men of all cultures have an equal need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We wrote Operation Timothy, a unique program of Bible study designed primarily for one-on-one discipleship, in 1970. It has become a vital tool for helping men along the path to spiritual maturity and equipping them to share their faith and to disciple others.

We underwent a significant reorganization in 1973, with autonomous CBMC organizations being established in individual countries to better deal with linguistic and cultural differences. Although these CBMC bodies have independent governing powers, an International Board of Directors oversees the work around the world, seeking to pool effective strategies and to show how they can be adapted in differing national environments to successfully present the Gospel to non-Christians.

In the 1970s and 80s, we began to recruit full time staff throughout a number of U.S. cities. The grassroots of the ministry continued to flourish with this increased attention and help.

Today, CBMC has grown from a small group of men in Chicago to over 18,000 members in 700 teams across the United States. Worldwide, CBMC is active in over 70 countries with over 50,000 members total. Our methods continue to evolve to reflect the circumstances of modern men, but our purpose remains the same: to evangelize and disciple business and professional men for Christ.

It is my understanding that CBMC came to Indianapolis in 1940, ten years after it began in Chicago.

One of the founders was Harold Haught who was still around in 1973, when I got involved.  At that time, CBMC was having a monthly luncheon which highlighted a businessman who would share his testimony. The luncheons were held at the Atkinson Hotel, and later moved to the Athletic Club.  We were encouraged to invite other businessmen, particularly those who did not know Christ, so that they could hear the gospel. Many men came to Christ through those events, and they were then encouraged to attend the Friday breakfast meeting at the Quality Inn motel across from the State Fair grounds on East 38th Street.

That breakfast started in 1952 when dentist, Dr. George, invited his patient and insurance man, Clay Conner, Jr., to study the Bible with him.  Clay had recently come to Christ and Doc George discipled him. In 1959, Clay led attorney Jack Brown to Christ, and the two of them began regular meetings with Peter Paul John, who owned Advertising Letter Service.  The three of them developed an Operations Manual for CBMC Indianapolis, which they shared with other cities, as they visited them around Indiana. Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Kokomo, Marion, Terre Haute, and other cities started CBMC through the influence of the men in Indianapolis.

The Friday morning breakfast is still meeting, now at Le Peep Restaurant (Fashion Mall Commons) with Clay Conner’s son, Jack, leading it.

On a Saturday morning, in or around 1975, the discipleship material, Operation Timothy, was introduced to the CBMC Indianapolis Board in the screened-in porch of Marshall Samms’ home.  Ethan encouraged each of us to go through Operation Timothy as a “Paul” or as a “Timothy.”  Since then, hundreds of men have been impacted by this transforming experience.

One such man was Mike, a young law school graduate who, around 1985, was new to Indianapolis and who became a regular at the Friday breakfast.  Bill Armstrong, a commercial real estate broker, had the privilege of discipling this young man who would later become Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.

Breakfast Bible studies were started on the southside and northwest side of greater Indianapolis during the 1980’s, and the Greenwood breakfast continues meeting on Wednesdays.  Currently, there is at least one breakfast every weekday somewhere in the Indianapolis area.

The monthly luncheons ceased in the 1990’s, but annual Prayer Breakfasts are held in downtown Indianapolis and in Greenwood.

Operation Timothy is a focal point of the ministry, with 150 people involved each year.  Leadership Coach Training started in 2010 and has trained over 130 coaches.

We currently have a 40-Year Vision, that CBMCers will become known as the guys who come alongside businessmen, right where they are, to help them become the men that God designed them to be.

Eldon Kibbey

Area Director, Emeritus