The Pocket Testament League 
The information on this page was last updated 4/24/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We are a collection of people, from across the world, that invite people to meet Jesus with a simple, repeatable method. We simply offer them a Gospel of John, the Word of God. No arguing. Our roots are in the passion and labor of Helen Cadbury, who at age 12, invited her friends to Jesus by inviting them to read God's Word.
Contact information
Mailing address:
The Pocket Testament League
PO Box 800
Lititz, PA 17543
Website: ptl.org
Phone: 844-376-2538
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 221616250
CEO/President: David Collum
Chairman: Robert Kauffman
Board size: 12
Founder: Ms. Helen Cadbury
Ruling year: 1989
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2017
Purpose
Our heart is that every person would be introduced to Christ.
Our path is to personally hand every person in the world a Gospel of John with heartfelt words of encouragement.
Our hope is that every person in the world would come to know Jesus as Lord.
Our passion is to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night thinking about how we can inspire our Members to get the Word of God into the hands of more people through one-to-one encounters with followers of Jesus.
Our vision is to win every person in the world to Christ by simply offering them The Word of God...simple one gospel offered by one person to another... won by one.
Mission statement
Our mission is to carry Scripture with us for two purposes: to read and to share. We make it our goal to Share a portion of God's Word with another person, one-to-one. As an organization, we help Christians to READ, CARRY & SHARE the Word of God.
Statement of faith
Our beliefs are in:
The inspiration and authority of the whole Bible (Old and New Testaments) as the full revelation of God by the Holy Spirit.
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His substitutionary atoning death on the cross, His bodily resurrection and His personal return.
The necessity of the new birth for entering the Kingdom of God (John 3).
The obligation upon all believers to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ and to seek the salvation of others."
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Christian Growth
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 533 of 1118 | 26 of 64 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 843 of 1119 | 45 of 64 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 631 of 1119 | 34 of 64 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 162 of 1118 | 15 of 64 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 9% | 8% | 14% | 12% | 16% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 9% | 8% | 13% | 12% | 16% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 84% | 99% | 99% | 95% | 99% | 97% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 9% | 8% | 15% | 12% | 12% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 16% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 1% | 3% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 81% | 81% | 83% | 77% | 78% | 80% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 100% | 99% | 94% | 91% | 100% | 130% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 82% | 80% | 78% | 69% | 79% | 103% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 0% | 1% | 6% | 9% | 0% | -30% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 0% | 2% | 9% | 14% | -1% | -43% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.03 | 1.75 | 1.39 | 1.28 | 1.18 | 1.55 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.51 | 1.84 | 1.84 | 2.20 | 2.41 | 3.18 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.59 | 3.21 | 2.56 | 2.80 | 2.84 | 4.93 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 11.08 | 11.30 | 6.42 | 7.14 | 21.51 | 4.42 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.55 | 3.40 | 3.95 | 3.68 | 4.03 | 1.88 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 16% | 9% | 11% | 8% | 20% | 18% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 78% | 52% | 64% | 72% | 67% | 53% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $1,335,150 | $835,077 | $919,221 | $851,215 | $352,973 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $181,755 | $646,642 | $325,317 | $268,605 | $426,087 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,516,905 | $1,481,719 | $1,244,538 | $1,119,820 | $779,060 |
| Long-term investments | $1,132,111 | $1,047,956 | $1,308,223 | $1,429,877 | $1,671,818 |
| Fixed assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $651 |
| Other long-term assets | $144,044 | $202,594 | $181,345 | $147,863 | $23,900 |
| Total long-term assets | $1,276,155 | $1,250,550 | $1,489,568 | $1,577,740 | $1,696,369 |
| Total assets | $2,793,060 | $2,732,269 | $2,734,106 | $2,697,560 | $2,475,429 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $134,189 | $182,350 | $137,031 | $36,069 | $176,341 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $48,310 | $37,354 | $16,000 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $134,189 | $230,660 | $174,385 | $52,069 | $176,341 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $114,045 | $64,565 | $52,633 | $498,056 | $275,165 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $114,045 | $64,565 | $52,633 | $498,056 | $275,165 |
| Total liabilities | $248,234 | $295,225 | $227,018 | $550,125 | $451,506 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $2,381,288 | $2,158,972 | $2,276,344 | $1,900,897 | $1,833,025 |
| With donor restrictions | $163,538 | $278,072 | $230,744 | $246,538 | $190,898 |
| Net assets | $2,544,826 | $2,437,044 | $2,507,088 | $2,147,435 | $2,023,923 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $4,878,903 | $3,982,194 | $3,649,687 | $3,129,416 | $2,865,275 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $28,805 | $60,248 | $185,267 | $24,142 | $96,672 |
| Other revenue | $8,054 | ($17,955) | $18,232 | $18,350 | $5,721 |
| Total other revenue | $36,859 | $42,293 | $203,499 | $42,492 | $102,393 |
| Total revenue | $4,915,762 | $4,024,487 | $3,853,186 | $3,171,908 | $2,967,668 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $3,933,491 | $3,152,000 | $2,670,720 | $2,494,948 | $3,057,865 |
| Management and general | $487,938 | $342,409 | $301,565 | $299,782 | $321,115 |
| Fundraising | $454,496 | $303,266 | $518,272 | $388,040 | $464,951 |
| Total expenses | $4,875,925 | $3,797,675 | $3,490,557 | $3,182,770 | $3,843,931 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $39,837 | $226,812 | $362,629 | ($10,862) | ($876,263) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $39,837 | $226,812 | $362,629 | ($10,862) | ($876,263) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| David Collum | President and CEO | $173,466 |
| Richard Wilson | High Compensated Employee | $154,218 |
Compensation data as of: 9/30/2023
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 4/24/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
The Pocket Testament League began in 1893, led by a 12-year old girl. One night, at a meeting, she gave her life to Jesus. She was so excited she went to school and told her best friend that she, last night, had become a Christian!
Her best friend said, "I'm a Christian, I go to church." Helen is said to have responded, "I don't think going to church makes you a Christian." She must have said it with kindness. The next day Helen brought her Bible to school, and the two of them read it. Helen's friend read a little more at home and prayed to receive Jesus.
The two of them set out to invite everyone in their school to read the Bible with them. 80 students accepted Jesus into their hearts.
That Helen, our Helen, was Helen Cadbury, daughter of the president of Cadbury Chocolates. She was so excited about how powerful God's Word was that she organized a group of girls who sewed pockets onto their dresses to carry the small New Testaments her father had provided. The girls called their group "The Pocket Testament League." Using small membership cards, they pledged to read a portion of the Bible every day, pray, and to share their faith as God provided opportunity.
That same vision still drives the ministry today. Through its many years, the ministry has enjoyed tremendous moments of victory in reaching people for Christ.
The Early 1900s
In 1904, Helen married evangelist Charles Alexander, who officially organized The League with Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman in Philadelphia, PA in March 1908. Alexander had been associated with the prominent evangelist Dwight L. Moody. His experience in worldwide evangelism gave huge impetus to The League.
In 1914, The Pocket Testament League opened an office in London, and began sharing Gospels as part of its WWI outreach. In October of that year, an evangelism campaign gave out 400,000 New Testaments to soldiers on Salisbury Plain.
Throughout the roaring twenties, Members of The Pocket Testament League formed teams of ministry workers in factories and offices, sharing Christ with their co-workers by handing out Gospels and organizing Bible Studies. During the bleak period of the 1930's known as the Great Depression, Members of The League shared Gospels through the Civilian Conservation Corps in the South and throughout New England. The Corps was a government-organized effort to put jobless men to work on public projects.
Growth Through the War Years
As WW2 roared across Europe, its impact was felt by The League. On December 29, 1941 The League's International Headquarters in Birmingham, England was destroyed by bombs. Throughout the war, League teams visited military camps around the US sharing special editions of the New Testament.
As the war came to a close, The League extended its reach overseas. After a year of careful planning and prayer, an overseas Scripture sharing effort was launched in China using a special Chinese edition of the Gospel of John. A few years later, The League began providing Gospels and New Testaments to Formosa and Japan. General MacArthur asked The League for 10 million copies of God's Word. Members of The Pocket Testament League actually contributed a stunning 11 million Gospels to the nation of Japan through gracious giving and prayer. This is especially remarkable because Gospels in those days were considerably more expensive than they are today, and Members paid for them.
As a result of these Gospels shared in Japan, Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, who had once led the attack on Pearl Harbor, accepted Christ as his Savior. He even worked for The League! Scriptures were also shared in South Korea after the Korean War. Syngman Rhee, president of the Republic of Korea, said "realizing the power of the inspired Word of God as I do, I eagerly welcome the plan of The Pocket Testament League to distribute millions of copies of the Holy Scriptures in our country."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower knew the importance of sharing God's Word. He said "In the highest sense the Bible is...the ultimate and indispensable source of inspiration for America's life in freedom." He publicly acknowledged the efforts of The League, saying that "The Pocket Testament League, and all others engaged in distributing the Bible, have dedicated themselves to a noble work."
During the 1950's, The League's foreign secretary, a man named Glenn Wagner, traveled extensively to encourage leaders to bring their people back to the Bible. Through his influence, many initiatives were developed around the world, and many people came to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by reading God's Word. In Africa alone, more than 5 million Gospels were shared in a number of languages during the 1950's. In 1962, at the height of the Cold War, a youth outreach initiative shared the Gospel in communist areas through 18,000 young people from 137 countries. By the time the cold war ended in 1988, The League had managed to get 100,000 Gospels of John and 15,000 Russian-language Bibles into the Soviet Union.
A radio show called "News in a Different Dimension" featuring Victor Beattie aired in 1963, bringing awareness of The League through 200 radio stations reaching 39 states and 15 foreign countries. Reporting news of "spiritual significance," Beattie would often deliver on-the-scene action accounts of League activities.
Billy Graham was a great encouragement to The League, commenting that "I am completely sold on the work of The Pocket Testament League, and continue to pray for those associated with it."
During the Vietnam War, two and a half million Gospels were shared with servicemen and Vietnamese. Bi-centennial Gospels were shared with all the members of Congress in 1976. Hundreds of thousands of special Olympic covers were shared at a number of Olympic games.
In 1969, Helen Cadbury Alexander went to be with the Lord, but The League and its Members continue sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with enthusiasm. Since its founding through 2018, millions of League Members have invited 130 million people to meet Jesus Christ using a Gospel of John. All because one brave young woman had a vision to bring God's Word to the lost souls around her. She had said,
"If only we could get people to read the Book for themselves it will surely lead them to Christ." - Helen Cadbury