BIBLE VISUALS INTERNATIONAL grew out of the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Eastern Pennsylvania. As CEF Director Helen E Odenwelder (1942-1962) led that organization in an expansion to reach more children, she realized the necessity to produce additional publications which underscored the principles of Christian growth. From Helen's observations, and because the demand for visualized publications continued to increase, Helen developed new children's programs and products emphasizing evangelism, missions, quiet-time, personal devotions, family worship, and witnessing. As the circulation of this literature swelled, requests from children's workers continued to arrive from across the states. In order to meet the demand, the CEF of E PA State Board of Directors took action to form a new organization dedicated to the production of publications - thus - BIBLE VISUALS INTERNATIONAL (BVI).

BVI became incorporated in 1959 and was led by its founder, Helen Odenwelder. In 1962 Helen relinquished her full responsibility as CEF Director to devote herself fully to BVI's literature ministry.

In 1965, while ministering in Banaue, Philippines, during a 3-month assignment with missionaries from SEND International, Helen noted how awkward it was to trek rough mountain trails while balancing a flannelgraph board and easel. And while teaching in open-sided, thatched homes, the wind carried away the flannelgraph figures like leaves in the autumn wind.

It was then that the Lord gave Helen an idea so big that upon her return to the States she organized a team of writers, illustrators and editors to accomplish her vision. In 1967 Helen and her team initiated a new publication---a series of illustrated, bound flashcard books entitled The Visualized Bible Series. The series was designed to convey systematically, the major doctrinal truths of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation - man's fall, God's nature, His plan of redemption in Christ, justification, etc. The teacher's text would exclude American idioms allowing for ease in language translation.

Helen field-tested the early drafts of The Visualized Bible Series in Mexico. Her observations there led to the development of art standards: The illustrations must be simply rendered to be comprehended and accepted in cultures worldwide; skin tones would reflect their mid-East, Bible setting; and illustrations would be printed in a two-colored format for affordability.

Over a period of 25 years, 42 theologians, missionaries, and Christian educators assisted Helen with the development of The Visualized Bible Series. To reflect the focus and growth of BVI's literature ministry, the motto "TRUE TO THE WORD, TRUTH TO THE WORLD" was adopted by the organization in 1975. The 78-volume Visualized Bible Series was completed in 1992.

As missionaries and national Christians in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America began utilizing The Visualized Bible Series and illustrated stories, translation agreements were developed to guide the translation/printing process and to protect the doctrinal integrity of the publications. In some instances, texts were translated and printed to be used with BVI's English volumes. In other situations, both foreign text and illustrations were printed together overseas. BVI asks no royalties from printing projects. In 1992 THRUST 2017 was begun as BVI's new goal to see translations of Visualized Bible volumes and illustrated stories in 120 languages by 2017.

Following Helen's retirement in 1980, and to encourage the translation, printing and distribution of BVI materials overseas, Karen Weitzel, appointed Executive Director of BVI in 1989, developed a Missions Committee and Missions Department in 1993. And in honor of Helen's vision, that same year Karen established the Helen Odenwelder Missions Fund.

Presently BVI publications are being used in over 150 countries by missionaries and nationals in over 70 mission organizations. Translations are available in over 80 languages. In addition to the 78-volume Visualized Bible Series, BVI products include 30 child-appealing visualized stories and 20 visualized hymns of the faith. New products currently in development include: a Christian Education clip-art CD-ROM; a missions education CD-ROM entitled "Adventures in the Muslim World"; three visualized stories: "BE THE ONE, The Todd Beamer Story"; "Until the Letter Came"; and "Forever Changed by the Book."