The Pocket Testament League
The Pocket Testament League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1893 that prints and distributes pocket-sized Gospels of John in 15+ languages for individual Christians, churches, ministries, and partner organizations to support personal evangelism.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1893
- HeadquartersLititz, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Pocket Testament League does
The Pocket Testament League (PTL) is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit founded in 1893 and headquartered in Lititz, Pennsylvania, that produces and distributes pocket-sized Gospels of John to support individual evangelism and church-based outreach. Its core product is a printed booklet containing the full Gospel of John, available in 100+ cover designs, major Bible translations (ESV, NIV, KJV, NASB, NLT), and 15+ languages, priced at $0.39 per unit. Supporting offerings include the Read Carry Share® mobile app (iOS/Android, 30M+ downloads), themed Gospel Kits, custom-branded covers for partner ministries, large print and children's editions, a Ready Reference Guide, and a Sponsorship Program that funds free Gospels for recipients.
PTL's business model is a hybrid of low-cost unit sales and donor-funded contribution. Individual Christians, churches, ministries, and corporate partners order Gospels through the PTL member e-commerce site or a print-on-demand model with US/Canada free shipping, while tax-deductible donations and a pay-it-forward sponsorship program (up to 30 sponsored Gospels per recipient every 30 days) cover free distribution. A custom Gospel partnership channel serves organizations such as Bible Study Fellowship, Word of Life, Westminster Theological Seminary, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Ambassador Advisors, and Liebenzell USA, enabling co-branded evangelism materials. The organization reports that over 79% of total operating expenses fund direct evangelism mission work and holds Charity Navigator four-star and ECFA accreditations. Tech infrastructure is modest: a WordPress-based multilingual website, a mobile app, and standard third-party integrations (Venmo, reCAPTCHA, Google Maps, Vimeo, YouTube), with no disclosed AI/ML, API, or proprietary platform beyond the app itself.
The Pocket Testament League firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Pocket Testament League
- Legal name
- The Pocket Testament League
- Website
- https://ptl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1893
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Pocket Testament League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1893 that prints and distributes pocket-sized Gospels of John in 15+ languages for individual Christians, churches, ministries, and partner organizations to support personal evangelism.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Pocket Testament League industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Publishing / Evangelism Resources
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (81311), Books Printing (323117), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210), Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers (424920)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals) (MPAJANAG), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE), Religious & Specialty Publishing Distribution (CRAOALAD)
Keywords
Where The Pocket Testament League is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lititz
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Pocket Testament League business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Gospel Sales: Sale of pocket-sized Gospels of John to individuals, churches, and organizations. Bulk ordering available with quantity discounts. Custom gospel printing services for branded partnerships.
- Donations and Sponsorship: Tax-deductible donations from individual donors and members. Sponsorship program allowing donors to fund Gospels for those who cannot afford them. Multiple giving options including EFT/ACH, stock gifts, and Venmo.
- Custom Gospel Partnerships: Churches and organizations can order custom-branded Gospels with their own branding, messaging, and inside cover content for ministry-specific outreach.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Gospel - 39 cents per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk Gospel Orders |
| Other | Monthly | Sponsorship Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Pocket Testament League product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Pocket Testament League manufactures, prints, and distributes pocket-sized Gospels of John as its core evangelism product, sold to individual Christians, churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations at 39 cents per unit with bulk and custom-branded options. The organization also operates the Read Carry Share® mobile app (30M+ downloads) for digital Scripture sharing and runs a sponsorship program that funds free distribution of Gospels to recipients who cannot afford them.
Product overview
The Pocket Testament League offers a portfolio of evangelism products centered on the pocket-sized Gospel of John as its core offering. The main product line includes over 100 cover designs across 16+ languages, available in major Bible translations (ESV, NIV, KJV, NASB, NLT). Supporting offerings include the Read Carry Share® mobile app (30M+ downloads), themed Gospel Kits, Custom Gospel Covers for organizations, Large Print and Kids versions, and the Ready Reference Guide. The organization also operates a sponsorship program to enable free distribution of Gospels. Products are sold primarily to individual Christians, churches, and ministries for evangelism purposes, with all items shipping from the USA for North American orders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Read Carry Share: A 3-step evangelism method developed by PTL: Read, Carry, Share the Gospel of John.
Products and services
- Pocket-Sized Gospels of John Pocket-sized booklets containing the full Gospel of John text, available in multiple Bible translations (ESV, NIV, KJV, NASB, NLT) and 100+ cover designs across 16+ languages, including large-print and kids editions. Includes QR code linking to additional digital resources. Sold to individual Christians, churches, and ministries at 39 cents per unit with bulk quantity discounts.
- Read Carry Share® Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store that enables users to access the Gospel of John digitally and share faith content with others. Supports PTL's three-step Read Carry Share® evangelism methodology.
- Custom Gospel Covers Custom-branded Gospels of John allowing organizations, churches, and businesses to add their own logos, artwork, messaging, and inside cover content. Used for personalized ministry outreach and partner-specific campaigns (e.g., BSF, Word of Life, FCA, Ambassador Advisors).
- Gospel Kits Curated bundles of pocket Gospels organized by theme, season, or specific audience demographic, designed for targeted outreach campaigns (e.g., seasonal, demographic-specific, or ministry-focused kits).
- Ready Reference Guide A compact folding Bible verse reference guide covering key topics including how to become a Christian, answering objections, strengthening faith, and major prophecies. Designed to accompany pocket Gospel distribution for evangelism support.
- Sponsorship Program Program allowing donors to sponsor Gospels for individuals who cannot afford them, with members able to request up to 30 in-stock Gospels via sponsorship once every 30 days (max 60 products total). Enables broader global evangelism reach through donor-supported free distribution.
Quantifiable outcome
- 130+ million people have received the Gospel of John through PTL materials
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Pocket Testament League
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Pocket Testament League technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature4 records
The Pocket Testament League partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)coreBible Study Fellowship partnered with PTL to create a custom Gospel cover that boldly proclaims true hope can be found in Jesus. The cover encourages seekers to connect with BSF classes to continue their faith journey. Includes plan of salvation and decision page with QR code.
- Word of LifecoreWord of Life partnered with PTL to create a custom Gospel cover for their 21-Day Challenge evangelism initiative. The inside cover contains information about Word of Life's mission and values with an invitation to join their challenge.
- Westminster Theological SeminaryminorCustom Gospel created for Westminster Theological Seminary's Gospel Initiative, which seeks to equip the Westminster community for evangelism. Learn more at wts.edu/gospel.
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)minorCustom Gospel cover for FCA Equestrian ministry, enabling athletes to share their faith through equestrian outreach programs.
- Ambassador AdvisorsminorCustom Gospel created in partnership with Ambassador Advisors featuring content on biblical financial stewardship, encouraging readers to Dream More, Plan More, Do More within a biblical context.
- Liebenzell USAminorCustom Gospel cover for Liebenzell USA ministry outreach programs.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Pocket Testament League competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Biblica (formerly International Bible Society): Bible translation and publishing non-profit offering Scripture in many languages, with outreach programs similar to PTL's pocket Gospel distribution and translation licensing model. Comparable on publishing of Scripture in multiple translations and languages.
- American Bible Society: Non-profit scripture publisher and distributor of Bibles and Scripture portions, operating since 1816 with similar mission, evangelical reach, and Bible Society network. Directly comparable to PTL's core activity of publishing and distributing Scripture booklets globally.
- Gideons International: Faith-based non-profit distributing free Bibles and New Testaments globally through institutional channels (hotels, schools, healthcare). Directly comparable on Bible distribution model, non-profit funding, and evangelical ministry positioning.
- Bible Society (UK): UK-registered charity distributing Bibles and portions of Scripture internationally. Directly comparable as a scripture-focused non-profit publisher and distributor; PTL operates in similar but US-centric geography.
Broad incumbents
- Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Large evangelical Christian ministry focused on evangelism and discipleship globally. While much broader than PTL, Cru uses Scripture distribution as part of its outreach and competes for the same evangelical donor base.
- Operation Mobilisation: International evangelical mission organization distributing Scripture and engaging in evangelism across many countries. Operates a similar Scripture-literature distribution model with global reach, though broader than PTL's Gospel-of-John focus.
- Wycliffe Global Alliance: Bible translation organization focused on rendering Scripture into every language. Comparable on the scripture-publication mission and multilingual coverage, but specializes in translation rather than finished product distribution.
- Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: Major evangelical organization with broad mass-media evangelism mission, including Scripture dissemination and partnerships with local churches. Larger portfolio than PTL but overlapping audience and donor pool.
Emerging players
- Jesus Film Project: Evangelism organization delivering Scripture content via film and digital media globally. Comparable on digital evangelism outreach and mobile distribution; competes with PTL's Read Carry Share app for digital Scripture engagement.
Others
- Crossway Bibles: Bible-focused Christian publisher producing print Bibles (including ESV translation cited by PTL). Adjacent as a Scripture publisher whose content PTL distributes in pocket form.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Pocket Testament League social profiles
Digital presenceThe Pocket Testament League compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
The Pocket Testament League financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Pocket Testament League leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Pocket Testament League funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Pocket Testament League M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Pocket Testament League
What does The Pocket Testament League do?
The Pocket Testament League manufactures, prints, and distributes pocket-sized Gospels of John as its core evangelism product, sold to individual Christians, churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations at 39 cents per unit with bulk and custom-branded options. The organization also operates the Read Carry Share® mobile app (30M+ downloads) for digital Scripture sharing and runs a sponsorship program that funds free distribution of Gospels to recipients who cannot afford them.
Is The Pocket Testament League a public or private company?
The Pocket Testament League is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Pocket Testament League founded?
The Pocket Testament League was founded in 1893. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Pocket Testament League based?
The Pocket Testament League is headquartered in Lititz, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Pocket Testament League make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Gospel Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorship and custom Gospel Partnerships.
Who are The Pocket Testament League's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Biblica (formerly International Bible Society), American Bible Society, Gideons International and Bible Society (UK). Broad incumbents are Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ), Operation Mobilisation, Wycliffe Global Alliance and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Jesus Film Project is listed as an emerging player. Crossway Bibles is listed as an others.
Does The Pocket Testament League have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Pocket Testament League.
What industry is The Pocket Testament League in?
The Pocket Testament League's product category is Religious Publishing / Evangelism Resources. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAA, Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras), with a secondary code of MPAJANAG, Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals). Its NAICS code is 81311 and its SIC code is 2731.