Celebrating 85 Years of Crossway’s Tracts Ministry

The First Good News Tracts

After Clyde and Muriel Dennis were married in 1937, Clyde worked for six months in many of the finest print shops in Minneapolis, taking any available work. He also obtained excellent training, sometimes working as many as seven consecutive shifts.

One day, he met Harry Lund, owner of Lund-Craft Printing. “Come work for me tonight,” said Lund.

“I would like that very much,” replied Clyde, “but I'm working tonight. I can come during the day if you wish.”

Lund agreed and gave him a chance. As Clyde left the shop the first day, Lund asked him to take a permanent position with the company.

Sometime later, Clyde stood before Lund's office door. He paused, then went in. “Mr. Lund,” he said, “I know you are a good businessman. What would you think about allowing me to use some of your equipment to print some Christian folders?”

“You realize what you're asking,” he replied.

Of course, Clyde knew. Printing equipment is costly. Who would dare to allow a young man to work alone at night in his plant?

The hard-bitten Norwegian leaned back on his chair and said, “Clyde, I have a lot of respect for you, but what you're asking is unheard of. I don't see how I can possibly . . .”

Then he sat straight up in his chair, looked Clyde right in the eye, and said, “I don't understand why I'm agreeing, but I'll let you do it.”

The first Good News tracts rolled off Lund's presses in 1938. The money for the printing came from what could be saved from the couple's income after their tithe. Twenty dollars bought two hundred pounds of paper, which equated to forty thousand tracts.

Once they were printed, the tracts began to pile up in the couple's back bedroom. Since the Brethren assemblies were instrumental in providing encouragement to the young couple, they became the first market for Good News tracts. A mailing list of assemblies was secured, and a mailing was prepared with the warm fellowship and cooperation of the Christians in Northeast Gospel Chapel, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A momentous day came when they received orders from their first mailing—not just one or two orders for tracts, but a flood. When they reached the Post Office, Clyde had barely closed the door when Muriel cried, “Hurry, Clyde, the box is full of letters!”

Clyde took the key from his pocket and opened box number 322. He pulled out handfuls of letters as Muriel looked over his shoulder. This simple experience was the birth of Good News Publishers.¹

Clyde and Muriel moved their home and business to Chicago in the winter of 1940, and the ministry of Good News Publishers continued to grow. Within a few years, Good News was distributing more than 50 million tracts each year.

Good News’ Tracts Ministry Today

Since these humble beginnings in the 1930s, Crossway has published over a billion tracts translated into over thirty-five languages and distributed in over 100 countries. Clyde’s vision for tract publishing was marked by three distinctives: 1) beautiful gospel presentation, 2) high-quality design, and 3) global reach. Now, over eighty years later, we want to be faithful to Clyde’s original vision as we seek to make the gospel of Jesus Christ known to the lost.

2023 marks the 85th anniversary of the birth of Good News Publishers, and Crossway is casting a vision for its tracts ministry for the future. As our culture accelerates in its denial of God and his truth, the need for evangelism is becoming all the more urgent. In light of this need, the heart behind this renewed tracts vision is for Crossway to continue to serve as a trusted source for biblically faithful, beautifully produced evangelism resources. In line with Crossway’s mission statement, these resources will equip the church to “by God’s grace, bring men, women, and children to Christ as their Lord and Savior.” We give thanks to God for his faithfulness over 85 years, and pray that he would be glorified through our tracts publishing program for years to come.

Notes:

Portions of this article are adapted from Where There Is a Vision: The Inspiring Story of God's Faithfulness Through Fifty Years of Publishing the Good News (Wheaton: Crossway, 1988).

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