Originally published in the Spring 2023 issue of CLC World Magazine:
My name is Jim Pitman. My wife Daniela and I have been working with CLC for the last 26 years.
Both of us grew up overseas as children of missionary parents, Daniela in Nigeria and Togo, and I in Bolivia. Our parents were Bible translators, so we had literature “in our blood” from birth. Daniela and I felt that God was calling us into missions, so we began investigating opportunities. After hearing of CLC and reading the book, Leap of Faith by Norman Grubb, our interest was kindled, and we applied.
It was a step of faith, as we were now faced with waiting on God to supply all of our needs through donations rather than a fixed salary. I’m happy to report that we have seen God faithfully provide for every financial need that has come up over the years. Our God is faithful!
I started out working in our bookstores, while Daniela worked at home teaching our four children. For several years, I managed our CLC bookstore in Miami, Florida, and it was thrilling to see the many people who gave their lives to Christ in our bookstore there. One of the things I have loved about CLC is the wonderful people I have gotten to work with over the years. They make the difference!
We did get some unusual requests, like the customer who wanted to purchase a statue of a saint to bury in their yard so they could sell their house faster. This became a good opportunity to share the Gospel, as we explained that we could offer them something better – we could pray and ask God directly to help them! They were very moved when we took the time to do that with them!
From Miami, we moved to Philadelphia in 2002, when I was asked to take over our mission department including public relations and oversight of CLC’s work in Central Asia. It was a challenge, but I enjoy analyzing and fixing things, including departments and business entities, which became one of my primary roles here at CLC USA.
Over the next years, I found myself tasked with reinvigorating our publishing department (three years) and then overseeing our bookstores for six years until 2016.
One of the regular requests we would get in our bookstores was for Bibles in other languages. “Do you have a Bible in Italian?” a customer might ask. “No,” I would say, “but I know where I can get you one.” I would call Multi-Language Media (MLM) and order a Bible for that customer. “Wow, Multi-Language Media really should be part of CLC,” I thought.
Over the years, when I would see the dear couple who ran MLM, Jay and Jean Krause, I would always mention my interest in keeping it going after their retirement. In 2016, I got the call I had been dreaming of – “We are ready to retire and we would like CLC to take over this ministry.” A few months later, our team was packing up everything and moving it to CLC’s USA headquarters in Fort Washington.
I continue to serve today on CLC USA’s leadership team, and as our four children are now grown and out of the house, Daniela also works in our office in the finance department. It has been an adventure serving with CLC and God continues to grow me into the person he wants me to be.
I am grateful for His guidance and provision, and for all the wonderful co- workers he has given me in CLC!
READ MORE FROM CLC WORLD MAGAZINE