This is part of a series of staff spotlights at American Bible Society. We hope you enjoy getting to know our staff members, who are using their gifts to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

Today, meet Kim Carter, who serves as American Bible Society’s direct response content manager. In this role, Kim uses her 30 years of fundraising and marketing experience to share stories of how God’s Word is changing lives around the world.

Tell us a little about yourself!

I gave my life to Christ when I was 19 years old. Ever since then, my life goal has always been to follow the Lord and serve him wherever he directs. Along the way, I’ve had wonderful life experiences serving him.

Before I knew the Lord, my goal was to be a photographer for National Geographic. When I committed my life to Christ, I asked God, “What do you want me to do?” He very clearly spoke to my heart and said, “North Central Bible College.” I didn’t want to go! But I was obedient and followed his will.

My time in Bible college helped me get solidly rooted in the Word. After that, I went to Regent University for my Master of Communication degree, where I learned how to communicate well. I also gained experience traveling the world. During my time at Bible college, I did summer mission work in Alaska. Then, while earning my graduate degree, I did an independent study in Africa.

My entire career has been in fundraising and marketing. It’s my passion! I’ve worked for four faith-based nonprofit organizations as well as a Christian marketing agency serving both nonprofit and for-profit corporations. I was blessed to work for the Christian Broadcasting Network for eight years. I also managed the fundraising program for a Christian TV network in Pittsburgh for 12 years. In that position, I not only oversaw all their fundraising, but I also developed and produced many TV programs. I marketed the world’s first video Bible (the WatchWord Bible). And I worked for a Christian marketing agency, where I wrote the marketing plans for the country of Israel for three years with record-breaking results.

For the past 12 years, I’ve helped American Bible Society raise the funds we need to provide Bibles around the world.

Can you describe your role at American Bible Society?

I always tell people I have the best job at American Bible Society! I’m so blessed to be responsible for gathering a large percentage of the testimonies, stories, and photos we need for our fundraising efforts. I see first-hand the miracles the Lord is doing around the world through ABS.

My 30 years of experience in many facets of direct response marketing finds a perfect culmination in my current role. I develop and implement our annual storytelling content plan. Part of my role is overseeing the content for our Good News Newsletter, Bible-A-Month reports, and monthly appeal letters, which keep our donors up to date on where their gifts are making a difference. I help plan our donor conference calls, which require lengthy scripts and reach thousands of donors.

In addition, I work with internal departments and external ministry partners to ensure that content is curated efficiently and effectively. We always want the strongest storytelling resources to undergird our fundraising and programs.

Finally, I train our Bible Society partners around the world in gathering effective testimonies and photos from their individual ministry contexts. Before the pandemic, I would travel to new places about once every year to train Bible Society staff and gather story content to share with our donors. During this season, I’ve been able to switch to Zoom, which has worked really well! I do a two-hour training on how to get the best stories and photos. In general, a good testimony has three parts: life challenges before receiving the Bible; what it felt like to receive the Bible; and how the Bible has changed that person’s life. In addition to this training, I’ve developed questionnaires for Bible Societies to use as they interview people and ask them about how the Bible changed their lives. When we can capture the joy people feel when they receive God’s Word, we can tell the most powerful stories!

I’m so thankful for our Bible Society partners—we can’t tell these stories of life change through God’s Word without them! They’re the ones doing the hard work. Often, they put their lives at risk to spread the gospel. It’s my honor to spend time with them and support their ministry. I’m so passionate about helping to fund what they do.

What are some of your favorite stories you’ve helped gather from around the world?

It’s hard to choose! I love to travel and have been able to visit many different places through my job at American Bible Society. I have so many amazing memories from the trips I’ve taken over the past 12 years.

I traveled to Haiti after that major earthquake hit the island in 2010, and I interviewed earthquake victims who had received the Bible. I visited 10 orphanages in Bolivia and photographed Bible distributions. In what felt like a National Geographic moment, I helped carry Bibles to cave churches at the top of a mountain in China. I visited a prison in Guatemala, where young gang members were finding new life in the Bibles our donors helped provide. I traveled to Mexico and photographed an entire town receiving their newly translated Bible—my first translation launch! It was a joy to witness the excitement of people receiving that brand-new Bible. I visited some of the poorest slums in India, where we gathered testimonies and photos and saw firsthand how effective our Bible ministry outreach is. And I saw the joy on children’s faces in Ghana as they received brand-new Braille Bibles.

Every story is powerful, but there are some that definitely stay with you. I traveled to the Congo and witnessed a former child soldier share his heart-breaking story of being captured and then forced to kill people. While there, I helped a team produce a television documentary on how our Bible-based trauma healing ministry changed his life. It was incredible to hear his story. He and the other children who were forced to engage in warfare were traumatized by horrific circumstances. But the Lord brought them on an incredible healing journey through the trauma healing program. It was truly an amazing testimony.

Another experience I’ll never forget was visiting an orphan named Mercy in Kenya. She had received a Bible provided by American Bible Society donors five years earlier. I got to travel to Kenya and speak with Mercy, and I heard all about how that Bible changed her life and sparked her relationship with Jesus Christ.

What would you want American Bible Society donors to know about the work they help support?

One of the questions we ask on our questionnaire is, “If you had not received this Bible, what do you think your life would be like?” So many people share the dark places their life could have gone if God had not provided his Word through our generous donors. I would want our donors to know that they really are changing lives. We often can’t share every story, or even every detail of every story. I’m sometimes one of the only people who gets to see the whole picture. But I think if our donors knew the fullness of what they provide, they would be incredibly blessed and want to keep giving more and more. They’re helping to reach those who are unreached with the gospel! They’re helping to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ. And I know someday they’ll learn in heaven what they helped to do on earth.

What is your favorite part about working at American Bible Society?

The staff here are just amazing. I think everyone I work with is brilliant, passionate about their work, and really good at what they do. It’s a gift for us to hear the testimonies of changed lives. Almost no one else gets such a view of how God is changing lives around the world through the work our donors make possible. I have been so blessed by what I do here at American Bible Society. I wouldn’t want to do anything else!

Would you share your favorite Bible verse with us?

My life Scripture verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): “Trust in the Lord with your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” The Lord has been so faithful to direct my path and lead me throughout my life to where he knows I should be.