History of ICBM

AT RIGHT: Mike and Barb Smith at ICBM’s South Charleston, West Virginia offices.

After graduating from Kentucky Christian College in spring 1975, Mike relocated to Charleston, West Virginia, where the elders of Boulevard Church of Christ agreed to oversee the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM). The ministry launched with a Braille magazine titled We Would See Jesus, starting with a circulation of 60 readers in 1975. By 2025, its reach had grown to over 700 recipients and continues to expand. Alongside the magazine, ICBM began publishing Braille books, furthering its mission to provide accessible Christian resources to the blind community worldwide.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Mike traveled across the United States, primarily by Greyhound bus, to connect with churches, Restoration Movement gatherings, and blind community events such as the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the National Church Conference of the Blind (NCCB). When Floyd Rhoades was available, he represented the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) at the American Council of the Blind, which often coincided with NFB meetings. After marrying Barb in 1981, Mike was joined by her on these journeys. Barb, accompanied by her successive guide dogs, Yola and later Poppy, traveled alongside Mike, supporting ICBM’s mission to share Christian resources with the blind community.

In 1980, Ned Benton, director of Christian Teaching Services’ audio division, decided to pursue missionary work in Mexico and invited the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) to take over his audio ministry. This marked the launch of ICBM’s audio recording program. To support this new endeavor, ICBM enlisted volunteer readers from the Charleston, West Virginia area, who gathered at Boulevard Church of Christ to record publications like Christian Standard and Lookout magazines onto cassette tapes, expanding the mission’s outreach to provide accessible Christian content for the blind community.

In 1980, Mike met Barbara Turner at the North American Christian Convention in Seattle, Washington. Barbara joined the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) in January 1981, and the couple married in June of that year. Barbara dedicated herself to the mission’s work, serving faithfully until her passing in 2020 due to a heart attack. Remarkably, the night before her death, she was still diligently proofreading a Braille document intended for distribution, reflecting her unwavering commitment to ICBM’s mission of providing accessible Christian resources to the blind community.

AT RIGHT: ICBM’s former office in South Charleston, West Virginia.

In the 1990s, the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) formalized its status as an independent non-profit organization and established a board of directors to provide oversight and guidance. To support the growth of its Braille and audio ministries, ICBM moved to South Charleston, West Virginia, where it acquired a larger facility to meet its operational needs. As demand for its accessible Christian resources for the blind community continued to rise, ICBM expanded its operations to include two buildings in South Charleston, enabling the mission to effectively serve its growing audience.

In 1953, Floyd Rhoades established the Christian Mission to the Sightless, which later evolved into the Christian Mission to the Blind. During the 1980s and 1990s, this mission, alongside the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM), Deaf-Blind Evangelism led by Debbie Kline and Vicky Drummond, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Institute, collaborated to form an organization called Deaf-Blind Evangelism. This group worked together to produce the New Testament in Braille specifically for the deaf-blind community, expanding access to scripture for those with dual sensory impairments.

In 2001, due to health challenges, Floyd Rhoades transferred leadership of the Christian Mission for the Blind and Deaf-Blind Evangelism to the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM), entrusting ICBM with the responsibility to continue and expand these vital ministries for the blind and deaf-blind communities.

In the early 2000s, the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) board, including Mike, began searching for a successor to lead the mission when Mike could no longer serve. After prayerful consideration, the board determined that partnering with a Christian college or university would help identify a suitable candidate. Coincidentally, Kentucky Christian University (KCU), Mike’s alma mater, was eager to host missionaries on campus. In August 2016, ICBM relocated to Grayson, Kentucky, establishing its base on KCU’s campus. There, the mission continued its work while actively seeking an individual for Mike to mentor as a potential successor to carry forward ICBM’s vision.

The International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) received a generous bequest of approximately $500,000, which was used to construct a dedicated building on the Kentucky Christian University (KCU) campus in Grayson, Kentucky. Recognizing that Mike and Barb were unable to maintain the facility themselves, ICBM donated the building to KCU. In exchange, Mike and Barb were provided with student apartments on campus. This move strengthened ICBM’s partnership with KCU, allowing the mission to continue its search for a successor to Mike while also benefiting from the support and involvement of KCU students and staff in its outreach efforts.

ABOVE: ICBM’s new office building being built on the Kentucky Christian University Campus.

Between relocating to Grayson, Kentucky, in 2016 and the completion of the new building on the Kentucky Christian University (KCU) campus in the fall of 2019, the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) operated out of an office provided by the First Church of Christ in Grayson, serving as a temporary base for its ongoing work.

In the summer of 2019, the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM) completed its new Mission Emphasis Building on the Kentucky Christian University (KCU) campus and promptly began relocating. The office, previously housed at the First Church of Christ in Grayson, was transferred to the new facility. Following this initial move, ICBM focused on transferring a large volume of items from storage in West Virginia, primarily Braille books for its lending library. Through sustained effort, the mission successfully organized and settled all materials into their designated places in the new office space.

ABOVE: The completed International Christian Braille Mission Office building on the KCU campus in Grayson, Kentucky.

In 2019, the International Christian Braille Mission (ICBM), founded by Michael Ray Smith in 1975 during his senior year at Kentucky Christian College (now University), began a significant transition to ensure its longevity. Mike, who had led ICBM as its first president from 1975 to 2023, initially operated the mission in Charleston, West Virginia, before moving to South Charleston in the late 1990s. In 2016, driven by the need to find a successor to prevent the mission’s closure-a common fate for ministries led by blind individuals-ICBM relocated to the campus of Kentucky Christian University (KCU) in Grayson, Kentucky.

In the summer of 2019, Mike identified Thomas Allen Bleemel as a potential successor. Over the next four years, Thomas trained under Mike, immersing himself in ICBM’s work and developing a deep passion for its mission to serve the blind and deaf-blind communities with accessible Christian resources. Mike retired in December 2023, confident in Thomas’s ability to lead ICBM forward. Thomas, who became president in January 2024, expressed gratitude for Mike’s mentorship and the opportunity to continue ICBM’s vital work, stating, “I am deeply thankful for Mike’s guidance and the chance to carry on ICBM’s mission. I am passionate about sharing God’s Word with the blind and deaf-blind communities and am committed to advancing this work.” Under Thomas’s leadership, ICBM continues to thrive, building on the foundation Mike established nearly five decades ago.