About Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK)

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is the biggest independent Christian publisher in the UK and a UK-based Christian charity patronised by the royal family since Queen Anne in 1865. His Majesty King Charles continued our longstanding and treasured relationship with the royal family by becoming our charity's royal patron in 2024. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, we have worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and worldwide.

A recognised market-leader in the areas of Theology, Christian Spirituality, Christian Children's Books and Children's Bibles, we publish bestselling Christian authors such as Tom Wright, John Mark Comer, Paula Gooder, Alister McGrath and John Polkinghorne. From popular books, bestselling and award-winning Bibles, to academic titles, we publish a variety of Bibles and books that are for all who want to understand and live in the Christian faith. SPCK continues to gather recognition in other genres too, including History, Self Help, and Leadership books written for people of all backgrounds, proudly representing authors such as Terry Waite, Melvyn Bragg, Janina Ramirez and Katie Piper. Our varied and much loved imprints, like Lion Cub Books (formerly Lion Children's Books), enable us to reach and inspire both children and adults in the Christian faith.

More than a publisher. More than a charity.

Paul Chandler, Former CEO of Traidcraft, Fellow at St Chad's College, Durham, and a member of SPCK, says it best - SPCK is 'More than a publisher. More than a charity.'

We are a small charity with a big impact, reaching across boundaries – whether geographical, social, cultural or linguistic – to meet people where they are and transform lives.

'We strive to be relevant and transformative, reflecting the depth and breadth of Christian thought and theology in a changing world. As Christians we know someone and something that is life-changing.' - Stephen East, Chair of SPCK Group

SPCK's Vision, Mission and Values:

SPCK's Vision: To create conversations between Christianity and culture.
SPCK's Mission: To publish great Christian books around the world.
SPCK's Values:

	We strive for our products to help people of all ages and from all nations to know Jesus better.
	We bring enthusiasm and pride to every project and partnership, focusing relentlessly on achieving great quality and great outcomes.
	We encourage everyone to have the freedom to innovate and be bold in their ideas so that our products can stand out in a competitive marketplace.
	We are experts in our fields and use our expertise and skills to build trust with our customers, authors and colleagues to deliver the best results.

Over 300 Years of Incredible History:

SPCK has been helping people find out more about the Christian faith for over 300 years. Our founder Thomas Bray was committed to tackling the problem of ‘religious ignorance’ in the seventeenth century. Long before His Majesty King Charles became our Royal Patron, there have been relationships between royalty and SPCK. Links between the Society and the Crown go back to the time of Queen Anne who in 1695, while still a Princess, subscribed £44 to support Thomas Bray's scheme for sending books to encourage learning and religion in the American colonies. This project led to the foundation of the SPCK a few years later.

Learn more about our amazing history and royal patronage here.

Our priority to help people find out more about the Christian faith remains the same - especially as the UK becomes ever more secular:

attendance in the Church of England has halved in 50 years;
church membership is predicted to fall to 8.4 per cent of the population by 2025;
over half the people in the UK say that they do not have a faith.

Here at SPCK, we are passionate about turning the tide of secularization.

With the loyal support of our partners and members, we aim to ensure that Christianity remains relevant in these uncertain times and that it is accessible to everyone.

Everyone includes individual Christians whom we encourage in their faith and empower them to talk about Christ with others.
Everyone includes people on the edge of faith whom we inspire to explore the Bible and ask how God works in their lives.
Everyone includes vulnerable and marginalized communities whom we welcome to the Christian family.

SPCK is, at heart, a Christian mission that operates through publishing to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

We reach out to a huge number of people through our charitable programmes!

Diffusion transforms the lives of prisoners throughout the UK by providing free easy-to-read books to prison reading groups.

We are now collaborating with other charities working in prison ministry to bring hope to people in prison, their families and communities.
Thanks to your donations and funding from trusts, we have supported reading groups in 80% of prisons in the UK and have sent out over 32,000 books since launching Diffusion in 2010.
In 2022, we donated our stock of Diffusion books to Junction42 – a Christian charity delivering services to prisons in Scotland and the North of England. We continue to respond to every prisoner request for a book by sending a set of all 13 Diffusion titles to a named person via the prison library. Our hope is that the books are read and shared.
2025 and beyond, we continue to get feedback from people in prison about the impact of receiving and reading a Diffusion book. We are now developing new partnerships with business, charities and authors who have a heart for prison ministry. This includes our new charity partnership with Prison Fellowship. Click here to learn more about plans to support Prison Fellowship with our inspirational Diffusion books.

Assemblies is the go-to online resource for teachers wishing to provide a thought-provoking time of spiritual reflection in the busy school day.

It is a bank of more than 1,600 assembly scripts that’s being added to every month!
All these resources are free to access, free to download and free to use.
SPCK was instrumental in setting up Church of England primary schools in the UK and it is still making a difference in schools today!

Homegroups supports the mission and growth of the church by providing a hub of free resources and reflections written by theological and subject experts.

Supports the mission and growth of the church providing a hub of free resources and reflections written by theological and subject experts.
By creating a reliable bank of study materials, we empower leaders of all denominations regardless of training, to lead inspiring Bible studies with confidence.

We publish great Christian books and resources under nine imprints.

	SPCK Publishing Publishing great Christian books around the world SPCK is a recognised market-leader in the areas of Theology and Christian Spirituality, publishing authors such as Tom Wright, John Mark Comer, Rowan Williams, Paula Gooder and Alister McGrath. From popular books to academic titles, we publish a variety of books that are for all who want to understand and live in the Christian faith. SPCK continues to gather recognition in other genres, including History, Self Help, and Leadership books written for people of all backgrounds, proudly representing authors such as Terry Waite, Melvyn Bragg, Janina Ramirez and Katie Piper.
	Lion Books Illustrated books that stimulate the mind and nourish the soul Written for readers of any religious background, Lion Books includes the multi-million selling Lion Handbook to the Bible, alongside other colour-illustrated works on science, Christianity, history, and aspects of prayer and spirituality. Other bestselling titles include: Lion Atlas of Bible History, #Niteblessings, The Lion Graphic Bible, and God and Stephen Hawking.
	Lion Cub Books Formerly known as Lion Children's Books Introducing the Christian faith to children and celebrating their Christian journey Spark and develop children’s interest in the Bible and the Christian faith! Lion Cub Books, formerly known as Lion Children's Books, include enganging children's books, appealing to 0-12-year-olds. Our children's books focus mainly on Bible retellings for each age range with activities, prayers and gifts. As well as, informative non-fiction and gift books for special occasions. Trusted Classics published in languages throughout the world. Introductory books do not assume a Christian faith and are suitable for schools. Classic and bestselling children's books titles include: The Lion Children's Bible, The Lion Storyteller Bible, The Lion First Bible, My Baptism Book, The Children's Bible in 365 Stories: A story for each day of the year.
	Candle Books Resourcing families and children’s church groups Bright, bold and colourful Christian children’s books at a great value! Includes Bible retellings, novelty, activity, prayers, games and quizzes as fun, interactive resources for families at home, and church youth and children’s groups. Promotes Bible engagement from bath books for babies to reference books for students. Encourages familiarity with the Bible through stories, activities and information, stimulating questions and discussion. Favourite Candle Books titles include: Candle Bible for Toddlers, 99 Prayers for Children, Cheeky Pandas series, Wow! Jesus series, Candle First Bible, and Candle Bible for Kids.
	Starshine Books Formerly Known as SPCK Children's Nurturing faith in kids Books to ignite conversations and to nurture and grow kids’ faith! Supports parents and carer-givers with Christian living at home. Innovative picture books by authors who want to help children and families deepen their faith. Aims to deepen children’s spirituality and engagement with the Christian faith. Favourite Starshine Books include: Bob Hartman's The Rhyming Bible, God's Love in a Nutshell, The Big Bible Storybook and Extraordinary Women of the Bible.
	Form Books that help Christians to cultivate spiritual rhythms and practices in everyday life Form provides books and resources to help you nourish or refresh your relationship with Jesus and become more like him in how you think, pray, and live. Subjects include prayer, meditation and all aspects of spiritual formation. Some of our bestselling authors include Pete Portal, Amy Boucher Pie, Rachael Newham, Brian Heasley, Joshua Luke Smith, Sarah Yardley and John Mark Comer.
	Marylebone House Publishing fiction that invites readers into a deeper story Marylebone House publishes contemporary and historical fiction, short stories, and crime mysteries. Novels with a spiritual dimension that explore themes such as doubt, faith, and love. Books are for both adult and young readers and include bestselling Redeeming Love, Little White Horse, Lindchester Chronicles series and the young adult series Antigone Kingsley.
	IVP True to the Bible, engaged with the world. IVP is the leading evangelical publishing imprint in the UK, publishing acclaimed authors from the UK and overseas including: John Stott, Catherine Campbell, Andy Bannister, Ros Clarke, Phil Knox, and David Gibson. IVP publishes evangelical books for all Christians, thoughtfully written. Evangelical in the global and historical sense, in line with our Basis of Faith. These include classic series; such as, The Bible Speaks Today, Tyndale Old and New Testament Commentaries, and Contours of Christian Theology that have served millions of readers over almost 100 years. Including, bestselling titles such as John Stott's The Cross of Christ and Search the Scriptures Bible reading plan that have become evangelical classics.
	Apollos Evangelically rooted, critically engaged Renowned in the fields of biblical studies and theology. Key titles in church history and ethics/philosophy include Gerald Bray’s History of Christianity in Britain and Ireland, and Oliver O’Donovan’s Magesterial Resurrection and Moral Order. Landmark series include New Studies in Biblical Theology (NSBT) and the Apollos Old Testament Commentary (AOTC).

Our Trustees

	Stephen East (Chair) Elected 2022 After graduating from Loughborough University, Stephen trained as a chartered accountant before joining Redland, an international building materials business, where he went on to run their tax, treasury and insurance operations worldwide. He has subsequently been Finance Director of businesses in the property and retail sectors, Chairman/Non-executive Director of a number of listed businesses and past President of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He now spends his time on a number of commercial and charitable roles and, together with his wife Heather, is an active member of Christ Church Tunbridge Wells.
	The Rt Revd Dr Michael Beasley (Vice-Chair) Elected 2017 Combining his skills in ministry and science, Michael has had a wide-ranging career in both areas. After study at Imperial College London and at the universities of Oxford and Durham, he was ordained in 1999 and went on to work at Westcott House Theological College in Cambridge and also at Imperial’s Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology.  He describes both roles as ‘a calling to put at God’s service the gifts that he has given me’.  Following his appointment in 2010 as Director of Mission for the diocese of Oxford, Michael was then consecrated as Bishop of Hertford in the Diocese of St Albans in 2015. In 2022, Michael became Bishop of Bath and Wells. Michael is a keen gardener and lives in Somerset with his wife Lizzie and their two children.
	Elspeth McKinnon Elected 2025 Ellie has worked in the pensions industry for more than thirty years. With a background in the legal sector, Ellie has a strong focus on governance, investment and funding issues and is passionate about clear, focused and accessible communications in every context. She first became involved with SPCK to provide some support in the pensions context. She then became a member and has been increasingly inspired by SPCK’s mission and the wide variety of publications available. As a member of her local church, Ellie supports the parish through hosting social events and playing for services when there is no one better skilled available.
	Kate Parkin Elected 2025 After graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in music, Kate embarked on a career that has involved most of the UK’s major publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, where she ran the Cornerstone publishing division, Hachette and, most recently, Bonnier Books UK, where she founded the adult publishing division. Since 2023, she has been working as a consultant for a range of clients across the media industry. Kate has an MA in Psychotherapy from Goldsmiths University, specialising in grief and bereavement counselling.
	Eric Thompson Elected 2015 Eric has had a diverse and lengthy career in finance with Barclays Bank, culminating in his appointment as Operations Director of the Business Assignment Management Team until his departure in 2004. Since then, he has been Director of the Deo Gloria Trust and Company Secretary of Outreach Properties and Pauline Ltd. He is an active member of his church, St John the Baptist Southbourne. With his finance and HR background, Eric brings valuable insight into his role as member of the Audit Committee and trustee with oversight for staff and HR. He is a cellist in his spare time, both at church and with the Chichester Symphony Orchestra, and he and his wife Tina have two children and five grandchildren.
	Paul Burrage (Chair, Audit Committee) Elected 2017 After graduating in metallurgy from Newcastle University, Paul became a chartered accountant, a career which saw him take on finance roles in the airfreight sector, responsible for and travelling to sectors in North America, South Africa, Scandinavia and the Middle East. Paul’s international experience made him ideally placed to turn his skills to the third sector; posts at the Red Cross and the Refugee Council preceded a role at the National Church Institutions, where, until his retirement in 2017, he worked with the Archbishops’ Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board. He is married to Jean and has two children and four grandchildren. He has recently become engrossed in astronomy.
	Professor Sue Vaux Halliday (retired) (Chair, IVP Publishing Board) Elected 2019 A highly experienced marketing specialist, Sue graduated in history from the University of Cambridge. She went on to complete an MBA at the London Business School, while working for the John Lewis Partnership, and later a PhD in marketing, while working as a lecturer. Sue has extensive skills and knowledge in industry and academia, and has been Professor of Marketing at both the University of Hertfordshire and Anglia Ruskin University. Published widely in a range of marketing and management journals, Sue is also a Fellow at KLC, a research institute that focuses on Christian ethics. She has been involved with IVP for many years as a trustee, and now serves as Chair of its Publishing Board. She is married to church worker and art historian Nigel (retired); they recently celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary and have three children. Sue likes to take a silent retreat each year and loves to write poetry in the contemplative space this provides.
	Dr Sanjee Perera Elected 2021 Sanjee obtained both her BA and her PhD at the University of Liverpool and is now Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham.  She is currently Archbishops’ Adviser on Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns. Before transferring her degree to the UK, Sanjee studied Psychology, Sociology and Theology, including Aboriginal religions, in Western Australia. Later on, her doctoral research included moral development and ethno-centric identity in societies in violent conflict. Sanjee is also Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Durham; Research Fellow at William Temple Foundation; Associate Fellow at the Open University School of Law; Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University; and Honorary Research Fellow in Theology and Religious Studies, University of Chester. She is an avid gardener, a choral singer and a church crawler with a passion for stained glass.
	The Revd Mark Nam Elected 2022 Mark is British-born Chinese who originally trained as a solicitor and is now an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Bristol and founder of The Teahouse, which seeks to increase the visibility and participation of Chinese-heritage clergy in the Church of England. He is a member of the College of Archbishops’ Evangelists, a Minority Ethnic Champion for the Diocese of Bristol and a core member of Campaign Against Racism Group (CARG), a policy- and strategy-orientated group. Before training for ordination, Mark was a pastor at The Vine Church in Hong Kong where he lived and worked for more than ten years. He is a guest lecturer at Trinity College in Bristol, Emmanuel Theological College in Chester, and the St Padarn’s Institute in South Wales. The title of his MA was ‘What Can the Church of England Learn from East Asian Theology in Terms of Contextualising the Gospel?’ Mark is a regular contributor to BBC Radio and UCB Radio,  and has written for The Church Times, A Rocha, Preach magazine and The Preacher. Mark is married to Kayi and they have three young children.