History of Christian Library International
Christian Library International incorporated in March 1996 after Kathleen Skaar received Christ at a women’s retreat in 1995. The Lord used Christian books to help Kathleen know him better and she wanted to help others grow in Christ. The first library began at a local YMCA in Raleigh, North Carolina with 100 books. Within several years, it grew to include a number of other book outreaches.
In 2002, Kathleen’s husband Anders contacted prison chaplains offering extra Christian books that had been donated. The response was overwhelming. Many chaplains exclaimed that CLI “was a real answer to prayer!” That same year, Anders officially joined CLI full time as Mission Director.
CLI began to receive letters from inmates and it soon became obvious that God was working in the prisons. In 2006 CLI refined its mission and began focusing its resources to the prisons where they were dramatically affecting lives. Today, Christian Library International is primarily a prison ministry.