Gideons International

The Gideons International
Founded	July 1, 1899
Founder	Samuel E. Hill; John H. Nicholson; William J. Knights
Tax ID no.	36-2270051
Location	P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800;
Members	270,000 Gideons and auxiliary members (wives of Gideons) [1]
Key people	Dan Heighway (Executive Director)
Website	www.gideons.org

Last updated July 12, 2019

Gideons International is an evangelical Christian association founded in 1899 in Wisconsin. The Gideons' primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge. This Bible distribution is a global enterprise taking place in some 200 countries, territories and possessions. The association's members focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. These copies are printed in over 100 languages. The association is most widely known for its Bibles placed in lodging rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges, military bases, as well as jails and prisons. The association takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon depicted in Judges 6.

Evangelicalism, evangelical Christianity, or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, trans-denominational movement within Protestant Christianity which maintains the belief that the essence of the Gospel consists of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's atonement. Evangelicals believe in the centrality of the conversion or "born again" experience in receiving salvation, in the authority of the Bible as God's revelation to humanity, and in spreading the Christian message. The movement has had a long presence in the Anglosphere before spreading further afield in the 19th, 20th and early 21st centuries.

Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Its adherents, known as Christians, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and savior of all people, whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament and chronicled in the New Testament. It is the world's largest religion with over 2.4 billion followers.

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The state is divided into 72 counties.

The Gideons began distributing free Bibles, the endeavor for which it is chiefly known, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. Members of The Gideons International currently distribute over 80 million Scriptures annually, and the numbers are growing, especially in places like Brazil, India, and Asia. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International.^[2] In late April 2015, Gideons distributed their historic two billionth Scripture. The distribution of the first one billion Bibles and New Testaments by Gideon members spanned 93 years (1908 to 2001). The second billion was attained in less than 14 years (2002 to 2015).^[3]

Superior is a town in and the county seat of Mineral County, Montana, United States. The population was 812 at the 2010 census.

The headquarters of Gideons International is in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The city is the county seat of Davidson County and is located on the Cumberland River. The city's population ranks 24th in the U.S. According to 2017 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the total consolidated city-county population stood at 691,243. The "balance" population, which excludes semi-independent municipalities within Davidson County, was 667,560 in 2017.

History

The interior of Room 19, Central House Hotel, Boscobel, Wisconsin, kept in the style it was in 1898 when the founders of the Gideons met there Room19.jpg — The interior of Room 19, Central House Hotel, Boscobel, Wisconsin, kept in the style it was in 1898 when the founders of the Gideons met there

The organization began in fall 1898, when two traveling salesmen, John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin, met in a hotel room they shared at the Central House Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin, where they discussed the formation of an association.^[4]^[5] In May 1899, the two met again in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where they decided the goal of their association would be to unite traveling salesmen for evangelism.^[5] In July, 1899, Nicholson, Hill, and Will J. Knights met at the YMCA in Janesville.^[6]^[5] Two of them continued with the distribution of the Bibles.^[7] Gideons began distributing free Bibles, the work they are chiefly known for, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana.^[8]

Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Rock County, and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 63,575.

Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,966.

Central House Hotel is located in Boscobel, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon:

Gideon Character in the biblical Book of Judges

Gideon or Gedeon, also named Jerubbaal, and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in chapters 6 to 8 of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.

Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads.^{[ citation needed ]}

In keeping with this symbolism, the symbol of the Gideons is a two-handled pitcher and torch recalling Gideon's victory over the Midianites as described in Judges, Chapter 7.

In addition to their well-known hotel room Bibles, members of The Gideons International also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, MPs and students. A typical Bible or New Testament from The Gideons International contains:

a short preface;
a pamphlet suggesting Bible verses that may be of assistance in various sorts of trouble;
translations of John 3:16 into a variety of languages and scripts;
the Bible text itself, without notes, references, or any other reference matter other than chapter and verse headings; this can either be the full Bible (typical of the copies placed in hotel rooms), or just the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs (typical of the copies handed out as gifts to individuals);
a short description of the evangelical understanding of salvation, with biblical quotations, and a place for the reader to sign and date their confession of Jesus as their savior (this is especially common in the shorter editions featuring the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs).

Membership

Membership is limited to current or retired business or professional men aged 21 or older who are members in good standing of an evangelical or Protestant church.^[9] Wives of Gideons may join the Gideons International Auxiliary.

Colors of Testaments distributed

The covers of the New Testaments distributed by Gideons are color-coded based on which groups they are meant for:

Orange: given in sidewalk distribution^[10]
Green: for college/university students
Red: for in-school distribution to Middle/High school students
Digital Camouflage/Desert Camouflage: for the military^[10]
Dark blue: printed in a language other than English^[10]
White: for medical professionals
Light blue: for distribution by the Auxiliary only^[10]
Brown: for facilities distributions, (for witnessing in prisons and jails by Gideons)^[10]
Burgundy: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by Gideons)^[10]
Periwinkle: personal worker's testaments (for individual witnessing by the Auxiliary)

During World War II there were Military Issued New Testaments, brown for Army and blue for Navy distributed by the Gideons. In addition to the Desert Camouflage and the Digital Camouflage, there are also Woodland Camouflage editions for the Military.^[11]

Distribution of Bibles during school hours

The distribution of Bibles on school grounds has been an issue because of the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of the Establishment Clause in the Constitution. Five Supreme Court cases discuss this issue: Everson, McCollum, Zorach, Engel, and Schempp.^[12]

In 2008, Americans United for Separation of Church and State brought suit against the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri for allowing the Gideons to distribute Bibles during class time.^[13] In 2009, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld a lower court ruling that found the South Iron district's distribution of Bibles to the schoolchildren in their classrooms was unconstitutional. An "attorney representing the South Iron School District in Annapolis, Mo., said the decision allows a new policy to finally be implemented, one that allows any group to hand out literature at the rural district, including information on how children can obtain Bibles."^[14]^[15]

The Gideons International continues to contact youth in America through The Life Book, coordinating with churches and their youth to distribute copies of the Bible in high schools.^[16] The Alliance Defending Freedom, as of 2013, maintains that there are "constitutionally permissible ways in which Gideons Bibles may be distributed," and attorneys Rory Gray and Jeremy Tedesco write that the Alliance Defending Freedom sent letters to 174 school districts in Kentucky stating: "Federal caselaw overwhelmingly supports the decision to grant religious and non-religious community groups an equal opportunity to provide literature to willing students."^[17] In early 2014, the "Gideons International again distributed Bibles at a public elementary school in Kentucky."^[17]

The tradition of Gideons UK handing out small New Testaments continues in many British secondary schools, although some British schools have banned Gideons.^[18]

Related Research Articles

Middle English Bible translations (1066-1500) covers the age of Middle English, beginning with the Norman conquest and ending about 1500. Aside from Wycliffe's Bible, this was not a fertile time for Bible translation. English literature was limited because French was the preferred language of the elite, and Latin was the preferred literary language in Medieval Western Europe.

The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version (ASV), is a Bible translation into English that was completed in 1901, with the publication of the revision of the Old Testament; the revised New Testament had been released in 1900. It was originally best known by its full name, but soon came to have other names, such as the American Revised Version, the American Standard Revision, the American Standard Revised Bible, and the American Standard Edition. By the time its copyright was renewed in 1929, it had come to be known by its present name, the American Standard Version. Because of its prominence in seminaries, it was sometimes simply called the "Standard Bible" in the United States.

The British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply the Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world.

The New King James Version (NKJV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1982 by Thomas Nelson. The New Testament was published in 1979, the Psalms in 1980, and the full Bible in 1982. It took seven years to complete. The anglicized edition was originally known as the Revised Authorized Version, but the NKJV title is now used universally.

A Bible society is a non-profit organization, usually nondenominational in makeup, devoted to translating, publishing, and distributing the Bible at affordable costs. In recent years they also are increasingly involved in advocating its credibility and trustworthiness in contemporary cultural life. Traditionally Bible society editions contain scripture, without any doctrinal notes or comments, although they may include non-sectarian notes on alternate translations of words, or variations in the different available manuscripts.

Victor Premasagar was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar with major contribution to the Old Testament and to the field of Theology. Premasagar's articles have appeared in the Expository Times (1966), the Vetus Testamentum (1966), the International Review of Mission (1972), the Indian Journal of Theology (1974), and cited in major works relating to the theme of Promise in the Bible and critical works on Psalms LXXX and the Hebrew word HOQ in the Tanakh.

Bibles for America (BfA) is a non-profit, religious organization dedicated to distributing free copies of the New Testament Recovery Version study Bible and Christian books by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS) is a conservative nonprofit organization that promotes the use of its 300-page Bible curriculum, The Bible in History and Literature, in schools throughout the United States.

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Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States considered a school district allowing students to leave school for part of the day to receive religious instruction.

Scottish Bible Society (SBS), founded in 1809 as the Edinburgh Bible Society, amalgamated in 1861 with the Glasgow Bible Society to form the National Bible Society of Scotland, is a Scottish Christian charity that exists to make the Bible available throughout the world.

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Bible Society Australia is an Australian non-profit, non-denominational, Christian organisation. It is part of a worldwide network of Bible Societies.Bible Society Australia maintains that the Bible is a significant historic text which has deeply influenced society and culture and is still relevant today.The organisation is involved in translating, publishing, and distributing the Christian Bible, from print, to audio, to digital versions. Bible Society Australia is also involved in Bible advocacy, the publication of Bible reading materials, and the provision of literacy support, both in Australia and overseas.

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References

↑ About Us. Gideons International.
↑ "Worldwide Impact" . Retrieved April 1, 2016.
↑ "Gideons distribute historic 2 billionth Bible". The Gideons International. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
↑ Edward E. Hindson, Daniel R. Mitchell. The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History: The People, Places, and Events That Shaped Christianity. Harvest House Publishers, 2013, p. 156.
1 2 3 The Gideons International. About Us.
↑ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 962
↑ Cornerstone of Religious Freedom in America
↑ "Christianity in the News". Workersforjesus.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
↑ Gideons International. Frequently Asked Questions
1 2 3 4 5 6 Hersh, Iris (March 19, 2009). "Gideons celebrate a century of evangelism". Chambersburg Public Opinion. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014. The deep blue cover means it was printed in a language other than English; brown testaments are given to someone personally; orange testaments are given to a stranger on the sidewalk; testaments with camouflage or dark green covers are intended for the military; and the auxiliary gives out light blue testaments.
↑ "The Gideons International". The Churchman. Churchman Company. 155. 1941. Distribution to the United States Army and Navy of a million copies of a vest-pocket size New Testament and Psalms, in a service edition, is planned for this year by Gideon's International. The book, which is published by the National Bible Press, Philadelphia, includes the Lord's prayer, a selection of national anthems and hymns, and sixteen pages of special help. It is bound with "Fabrikoid" pyroxylin-coated fabric in brown for army use, in blue for the navy, and in white for Hawaiian forces.
↑ The five cases are Everson v. Board of Education Ewing Township, 330 U.S. 1 (1947); Illinois ex rel. McCollum v. Board of Education 330 U.S. 203 (1948); Zorach v. Clauson 343 U.S. 306 (1952); Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962); and Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963). Kevin M. Schultz, "Favoritism Cannot Be Tolerated": Challenging Protestantism in America's Public Schools and Promoting the Neutral State", American Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 3, (Sep 2007), pp. 565-591.
↑ "Missouri Public School Must Stop Distribution of Bibles To Fifth-Graders, AU Tells Court". Retrieved on September 5, 2008.
↑ Jim Salter (July 17, 2009). "State News: Injunction upheld in Iron County Bibles case; both sides claim victory". Southeast Missourian . seMissourian.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
↑ McKee, Duncan O. (1954). "The Public Schools and the Bible". Duke Bar Journal. 4 (2): 127–131. doi:10.2307/1370845. JSTOR 1370845.
↑ Beth Patch, "No High School Student Left Behind - 'The Life Book' Movement", Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
1 2 Weber, Katherine (May 14, 2014). "ACLU Says School District's Bible Distribution Steps Onto 'Shaky Constitutional Ground'". The Christian Post . Retrieved June 22, 2014. In response, the Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom sent its own letter to the school districts, disagreeing with the ACLU's claims that the Bible distribution was unconstitutional. "We write to correct several misrepresentations made in the ACLU's letter and to inform you that allowing religious community groups, like the Gideons, to distribute literature at tables in the school hallways or by the entrances and exits on an equal basis with their secular counterparts fully complies with the Establishment Clause," the letter read. "Indeed, banning only religious community groups from distributing literature at public schools is clearly forbidden by the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment." The Gideons International again distributed Bibles at a public elementary school in Kentucky earlier this year.
↑ "Anger as schools ban Gideon Bibles to avoid upsetting other faiths". Dailymail.co.uk. March 31, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.

External links

The Gideons International official site
"Profile of Gideons International". MinistryWatch.com. 2012. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[1] About Us. Gideons International.

[2] "Worldwide Impact" . Retrieved April 1, 2016.

[3] "Gideons distribute historic 2 billionth Bible". The Gideons International. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

[4] Edward E. Hindson, Daniel R. Mitchell. The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History: The People, Places, and Events That Shaped Christianity. Harvest House Publishers, 2013, p. 156.

[about-5] 1 2 3 The Gideons International. About Us.

[6] George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 962

[7] Cornerstone of Religious Freedom in America

[8] "Christianity in the News". Workersforjesus.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.

[9] Gideons International. Frequently Asked Questions

[Hersh-10] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hersh, Iris (March 19, 2009). "Gideons celebrate a century of evangelism". Chambersburg Public Opinion. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014. The deep blue cover means it was printed in a language other than English; brown testaments are given to someone personally; orange testaments are given to a stranger on the sidewalk; testaments with camouflage or dark green covers are intended for the military; and the auxiliary gives out light blue testaments.

[11] "The Gideons International". The Churchman. Churchman Company. 155. 1941. Distribution to the United States Army and Navy of a million copies of a vest-pocket size New Testament and Psalms, in a service edition, is planned for this year by Gideon's International. The book, which is published by the National Bible Press, Philadelphia, includes the Lord's prayer, a selection of national anthems and hymns, and sixteen pages of special help. It is bound with "Fabrikoid" pyroxylin-coated fabric in brown for army use, in blue for the navy, and in white for Hawaiian forces.

[12] The five cases are Everson v. Board of Education Ewing Township, 330 U.S. 1 (1947); Illinois ex rel. McCollum v. Board of Education 330 U.S. 203 (1948); Zorach v. Clauson 343 U.S. 306 (1952); Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962); and Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963). Kevin M. Schultz, "Favoritism Cannot Be Tolerated": Challenging Protestantism in America's Public Schools and Promoting the Neutral State", American Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 3, (Sep 2007), pp. 565-591.

[13] "Missouri Public School Must Stop Distribution of Bibles To Fifth-Graders, AU Tells Court". Retrieved on September 5, 2008.

[14] Jim Salter (July 17, 2009). "State News: Injunction upheld in Iron County Bibles case; both sides claim victory". Southeast Missourian . seMissourian.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved November 10, 2011.

[15] McKee, Duncan O. (1954). "The Public Schools and the Bible". Duke Bar Journal. 4 (2): 127–131. doi:10.2307/1370845. JSTOR 1370845.

[16] Beth Patch, "No High School Student Left Behind - 'The Life Book' Movement", Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved December 4, 2013.

[Weber-17] 1 2 Weber, Katherine (May 14, 2014). "ACLU Says School District's Bible Distribution Steps Onto 'Shaky Constitutional Ground'". The Christian Post . Retrieved June 22, 2014. In response, the Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom sent its own letter to the school districts, disagreeing with the ACLU's claims that the Bible distribution was unconstitutional. "We write to correct several misrepresentations made in the ACLU's letter and to inform you that allowing religious community groups, like the Gideons, to distribute literature at tables in the school hallways or by the entrances and exits on an equal basis with their secular counterparts fully complies with the Establishment Clause," the letter read. "Indeed, banning only religious community groups from distributing literature at public schools is clearly forbidden by the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment." The Gideons International again distributed Bibles at a public elementary school in Kentucky earlier this year.

[18] "Anger as schools ban Gideon Bibles to avoid upsetting other faiths". Dailymail.co.uk. March 31, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.