Our History

Timeline of Major Events

1938 – Dr. M.R. DeHaan begins teaching the “Detroit Bible Class” from a 50-watt radio station

1941 – The ministry headquarters moves to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is renamed the Radio Bible Class.

1956 – The Our Daily Bread devotional is created to provide radio listeners with spiritual encouragement for each day. Seventeen thousand copies are printed during the first month.

1959 – The first office outside of the United States opens in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

1965 – Dr. DeHaan is called home to be with the Lord at the age of 74, and his son Richard assumes leadership of the ministry.

1967 – Our Daily Bread expands beyond the English language to include Portuguese, Hungarian, Spanish, Danish, Japanese,Tamil (India), Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, and Efik/Annang (West Africa).

1968 – Radio Bible Class officially enters the TV era when the first Day of Discovery television program airs on October 6 from Cypress Gardens in Central Florida.

1985 – Mart DeHaan becomes president.

1987 – One million copies of Radio Bible Class study materials are distributed in mainland China.

1988 – Discovery House Publishers is officially launched.

1989 – Discovery House Publishers acquires the rights to Oswald Chambers’ popular devotional My Utmost for His Highest.

1989 – Publication Chretiennes in Quebec begins translating and printing biblical resources in French, including Our Daily Bread, which is sent to 4,500 individuals and 450 churches.

1990 – Ministry centers open in Madras, India, and in Nigeria.

1991 – Discover the Word radio program with hosts Alice Matthews, Haddon Robinson, and Mart DeHaan.

1995 – The ministry name changes to RBC Ministries to reflect the broad nature of the ministry’s outreach.

1995 – RBC Ministries expands its Spanish outreach through Nuestro Pan Diario.

1995 – The RBC Ministries website launches on the Internet.

2002 – On April 8, Our Daily Bread orbits the globe aboard the United States Space Shuttle Atlantis.

2007 – Global offices open in Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, and Russia.

2010 – Rick DeHaan becomes president.

2010 – RBC Ministries joins the world of social media on Facebook and Twitter.

2011 – The Our Daily Bread app is launched.

2015 – The ministry name changes to Our Daily Bread Ministries.