Have you heard of Gideons International?  Most of the people will probably say no. Have you seen one of these Bible in the hotel/motel while travelling in Australia or overseas? Most people will say yes.  A member of Gideons International placed it. Who are the Gideons?

The Gideons International, founded in 1899, is an interdenominational association of Christian business and professional men members of Protestant/evangelical churches. Its members are dedicated to saving the lost through personal witnessing and distributing God’s Word in more than 180 countries worldwide.

So how did it all begin?  In the autumn of 1898, John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, came to the Central Hotel at Boscobel, Wisconsin, for the night. The hotel is crowded; he suggested taking a bed in a double room with Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin. The two men soon discovered that both were Christians. They had their evening devotions together, and on their knees before God, the thoughts were given, which later developed into an association.

On May 31, 1899, the two men met again at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. They concluded to band Christian commercial travellers together for mutual recognition, personal evangelism, and united service for the Lord. In the Y.M.C.A, they decided to call a meeting in Janesville, Wisconsin, on July 1, 1899.

Only three men were present at that meeting: John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and Will J. Knights. They organised with Hill as president, Knights as vice president, and Nicholson as secretary and treasurer. Much thought was given to the association’s name, and after special prayer that God might lead them to select the proper name, Mr Knights arose from his knees and said, “We shall be called Gideons.” He read the sixth and seventh chapters of Judges and showed why he adopted that name.

Because almost all of the Gideons in the early years of the association were travelling men, the question naturally arose regarding how they might be more effective witnesses in the hotels where they spent so much of their time. One trustee went so far as to suggest that The Gideons furnish a Bible for each bedroom of the hotels in the United States. He commented, “In my opinion, this would not only stimulate the activities of the rank and file of the membership but would be a gracious act, wholly in keeping with the divine mission of the Gideon Association.” This plan, which they called “The Bible Project”, was adopted by the convention at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1908.

Today, Gideons International has more than 280,000 members and an untold number of supporters in more than 185 countries across the globe.  The Scripture distribution has also expanded from hotel/motel to high school and tertiary students, hospital and medical staff, military personnel, police and fire department and prison inmates.  These dedicated individuals give their time and money to make it possible for others to learn about the love of God by giving them access to His Word.