The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is the oldest Anglican mission organization. It was founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray (an Anglican priest) and a small group of friends. Today, the SPCK is most widely known for its publishing of Christian books and publications. The Society was founded to encourage Christian education and the production and distribution of Christian literature. The SPCK has always sought to find ways to communicate the basic principles of the Christian faith to a wider audience, both in Britain and overseas. Thomas Bray believed passionately in the power of the printed word and from its earliest days the SPCK commissioned tracts and pamphlets, making it the third oldest publishing house in England. Throughout the eighteenth century, the SPCK was by far the largest producer of Christian literature in Britain.