Kardo Ministries founders David and Denise Glenn share their story of how this ministry began.

David and Denise Glenn, Founders of Kardo Ministries

David and Denise Glenn are the founders of Kardo Ministries and the authors of the Kardo Bible study materials. The ministry first began in 1981 when Denise began a small Bible study group with other young mothers to study God’s Word about marriage and parenting. Following her pastor’s request, she wrote down what she was learning and shared it with other mothers.; and the Super Mom ministry was born, with a name change years later to MotherWise.

Nearly 20 years later while David was still working as a petroleum geophysicist, he wrote companion Bible studies for men; and FatherWise was launched as a ministry to men in the same way MotherWise was a ministry to women. Shortly after FatherWise was formed, David’s job took the Glenns to Jakarta, Indonesia for two years and then later to Perth, Australia for another four years.

While living in these two countries, God opened doors for the Glenns to share the Bible studies to an international audience. It was during those years overseas that God gave a new vision for presenting the Bible studies in the language of the people studying them. Kardo was formed during this time as an “umbrella” nonprofit ministry to print and translate both Motherwise and FatherWise current and future materials, build leadership teams, support various groups across the globe and enable the Glenns to travel and teach at conferences. Kardo now offers 11 Bible studies with translations in 21 languages, including Korean, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.

David has since retired from the oil industry, and he and Denise live in Houston, Texas, where they devote their time serving and leading Kardo Ministries, traveling internationally to speak in churches and lead conferences and spending time with their family.

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Why “Kardo?”

The word Kardo evolves from the Greek word “cardia” meaning “of the heart.” The “cardo” was the center of ancient cities in Israel, the cross roads, where people came to worship, to learn new skills and to obtain the materials they needed for life back at home. This is exactly what we do at Kardo. People come together for worship and to be resourced in their faith-walk and family life. We changed the “c” of the Greek word to a K because K is a universal letter in most languages. Our ministry reaches across the globe to provide resources in the heart languages of those seeking to deepen their faith, strengthen their family, and take the gospel to the nations. Thus Kardo became the perfect name to describe our mission.

Our Vision

God has called Kardo Ministries to reach a unique group of people. He has called us to reach those who want in-depth Bible study requiring total commitment to Christ in the areas of faith and family. Kardo is called to deliver this message not only in the English language but also in the mother-tongue of many nations. Our ministry is designed to reach around the world with trusted biblical materials translated with excellence. Through the process of translation, we are able to express not only words but also to make the cultural adjustments necessary for complete understanding of the biblical principles and practical applications. We edit our materials using local and professional believers, pilot these studies in Bible-believing churches under a pastor’s leadership, re-edit to incorporate the changes and additions, then print and distribute using our own channels among local believers. It is a painstaking process, often requiring several years to complete a single translation. Through the 21 current translations, Kardo has been able to send the gospel message into thousands of homes worldwide.

Our Mission: Strengthening Families

Kardo Ministries is all about hearts surrendered to Jesus and lives transformed by His love, His truth and His power. The mission of Kardo is to equip, educate, embrace and encourage families and individuals around the world with God’s truth and love. We minister to families from all evangelical, Bible-believing, Christ-centered denominations.

We do that through Bible study materials, including workbooks and videos created to lead you deep into God’s Word for the answers you seek about faith and family. You’ll get help on the important relationships in your life, including marriage and parenting. Kardo Bible studies, written by David and Denise Glenn, are designed to be used in small groups, but individuals can study them as well.

They are not only for English speakers in America, but they are translated into more than 20 languages with distribution points in the U.S. and other countries around the world.

Read Kardo's Core Values