Summary
The Gideons International (“Gideons”) was founded in 1899 and serves as an extended missionary arm of the church. It is the oldest association of Christian business and professional men in the United States of America.
With the emergence of more than 2,000,000 readers in the world each week, there is now an unprecedented need for reading material. This offers a challenge, and an opportunity, for Christians to fill the void by making available God’s Word. That is a primary function of The Gideons—placing and distributing Bibles and New Testaments in the human traffic lanes and streams of life.
Being laymen, Gideons serve as “missionaries” of the local church—seeking to go to the far corners of the world to win others for Christ.
This association is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Contact Information: [ Back to top ]
| Mailing Address: | 50 Century Boulevard
Nashville, TN
37214-2509 |
| Website: | www.gideons.org |
| Phone: | (615) 564-5000 |
| Email: | You need to enable javascript to see the email |
Organization Details [ Back to top ]
EIN: 362270051
| CEO/President: |
Mr. Craig Warner (Executive Director) |
Tax Deductible: |
Yes |
| Chairman: |
|
Fiscal Year End: |
May 31 |
| Board Size: |
22 |
Financial info from: |
Audit |
| Founder: |
Samuel Hill, John Nicholson, William Knights |
Member of ECFA: |
No |
| Year Founded: |
1899 |
Member of ECFA since: |
|
The Gideons International (“Gideons”), founded in 1899, serves as an extended missionary arm of the church. It is the oldest association of Christian business and professional men in the United States of America. A board of distinguished Christian laymen, international in makeup, supervises the worldwide Gideon ministry, ensuring an efficient, economical operation. The association takes its name from the mighty warrior, Gideon, in the sixth and seventh chapters of Judges in the Bible.
The association has almost 300,000 members, located in over 193 countries of the world. They are united in carrying out the same program, using the same methods, to accomplish the one objective of winning others to Christ.
With the emergence of more than 2,000,000 readers in the world each week, there is now an unprecedented need for reading material. This offers a challenge, and an opportunity, for Christians to fill the void by making available God’s Word. That is a primary function of The Gideons—placing and distributing Bibles and New Testaments in the human traffic lanes and streams of life.
Being laymen, Gideons serve as “missionaries” of the local church—seeking to go to the far corners of the world to win others for Christ.
This association is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Gideons International expresses its mission as follows:
To win others for the Lord Jesus Christ through:
- Association
- Personal Testimony
- Placing the Bible - God's Holy Word
Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]
The Gideons International annually distributes over 79 million copies of God’s Word (Bibles and New Testaments)—in more than 193 countries and 90+ languages. This equates to more than two copies of God’s Word distributed every second of every day.
Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]
The Gideons International is a nondenominational association. Membership consists of business and professional men, except clergymen, who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, have received Him as their personal savior, endeavor to follow Him in their daily life, and who are members in good standing of an evangelical or protestant church, congregation, or assembly.
In the autumn of the year 1898, John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, came to the Central Hotel at Boscobel, Wisconsin, for the night. The hotel being crowded, it was suggested that he take a bed in a double room with Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin. The two men soon discovered that both were Christians, and that John Nicholson, as a 12-year-old boy, had promised his dying mother that he would read God's Word and pray daily. It had been his custom for many years to read the Bible before retiring for the night. 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, they met at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and concluded to band together Christian commercial travelers for mutual recognition, personal evangelism, and united service for the Lord. They decided to call a meeting in Janesville, Wisconsin on July 1, 1899, in the Y.M.C.A.
Only three men were present at that meeting: John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and Will J. Knights. They organized with Hill as president, Knights as vice president, and Nicholson as secretary and treasurer. Much thought was given to what the name of the association should be, 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 the reason for adopting that name.
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 Gideon association 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.
In view of the fact that almost all of the Gideons in the early years of the association were traveling men, the question quite naturally arose regarding how they might be more effective witnesses in the hotels where they were forced to spend so much of their time. One suggestion was that a Bible might be placed at the reception desk in each hotel so that the patrons would have the privilege of borrowing it if they wished. It also occurred to these men that this would be a silent witness remaining in these hotels when they were elsewhere.
This question of advanced activities, as they called them, was carefully considered in the Cabinet meeting held in Chicago, October 19, 1907. 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 was adopted by the convention at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1908.
It is interesting to note that the practice of the churches contributing to the support of the Gideon Scripture program originated with a pastor. Just two months after the 1908 Louisville Convention, a state convention convened in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. National Secretary Frank Garlick and Mr. A. B. T. Moore attended a meeting of the Ministerial Union, and after their program they asked if Brother Garlick could address the ministers on the work of the Gideon Association. He spoke of the needed Bible distribution, and at the close of his 10-minute address, Mr. Moore's own pastor, Dr. E. R. Burkhalter, First Presbyterian Church, arose and moved, "...that Gideon Bibles be placed in all local hotels and that the Union be responsible for the funds." The motion was unanimously carried and a committee appointed to apportion the cost to the churches, according to their strength.
Thus the idea of the Gideon ministry as an "extended arm" of the church came into being, and the church took an initial stand to give financial support to the Bible placement program. The Gideon association praised God for the revelation of His plan whereby the local church would supply the needed funds.
The Gideons International uses the following to express its ministry needs:
This ministry is generously supported by pastors and churches, who realize that presenting people with the gospel message is an indispensable element in winning people to Christ. Every dollar contributed by members of the churches is used to make it possible for others to have their very own copy of God's Word.
There are several ways in which Christians can provide the Word of God through The Gideons. These include cash gifts, securities, life insurance, Memorial Bibles, or a bequest through a will or Revocable Trust.
The program of The Gideons International offers a practical opportunity for Christians to invest their funds in a spiritual work and thus lay up treasures in heaven. Gifts to The Gideons automatically utilizes the specialized efforts of thousands of Christians who volunteer their time and services in distributing the Holy Scriptures in more than 193 countries of the world. Your gift to The Gideons International to provide God's Word is surely a means of investing in eternity.
Research Analysis
Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]
| Transparency Grade of : A |
| Criteria category | Grade | Other Comments |
| Timeliness: | 100 | 10/21/2011 7:32:47 PM: Organization made financial information available less than 5 ½ months after their fiscal year end. |
| Financial Information: | 100 | 10/21/2011 7:32:53 PM: Organization provided all financial information requested. Information was clear and thorough. |
| Foundational Clarity: | 100 | 10/21/2011 7:33:01 PM: Descriptive information was abundant and thorough. |
| Level of Cooperation: | 100 | 10/21/2011 7:33:09 PM: Answers to questions were thorough. |
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MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]
| Ranking Category | Rating | Overall Rank | Evangelism Sector |
|---|
| Overall Efficiency Rating |  | 20 of 347 | 1 of 27 |
| Fund Acquisition Decision |  | 43 of 347 | 3 of 27 |
| Resource Allocation Decision | | 19 of 347 | 2 of 27 |
| Asset Utilization Decision | | 87 of 347 | 9 of 27 |
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2011 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list
2010 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list
2006 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list
The Gideons International listed by MinistryWatch.com as a 2011 Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary Ministry.
This ministry is called a ‘Shining Light’ because it is indeed a model of letting their light shine before men, and God is to be glorified in what they are doing. Consequently, we are shining a figurative light on them so that donors may be aware of their good deeds.
Believers are recognizable by their fruit, which includes the services they perform for Him and for others. We see a glimpse of His light and glory in this ministry and if you do too, you should feel very good about giving to it; however, only you can decide for yourself with confidence if a ministry shares your values and with your giving plan.
Inclusion as a Shining Light does not mean it is perfect. No ministry is perfect and any that look long and hard enough may find areas for improvement; as no doubt most legitimate ministries are aware of areas to improve and have their own to-do list for improvement. As far as MinistryWatch.com’s assessment, given the criteria that we followed, this ministry rose among the top.
Identifying a diversity of the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ. MinistryWatch.com’s assessment looked at the following seven areas when considering those to make the list: (1) Transparency, (2) Truth Claims, (3) Values/ Worldview, (4) Sectors/Functions, (5) Resourcefulness, (6) Red Flag Issues, (7) Counsel with others.
A fuller explanation of our evaluation criteria is on the front page of MinistryWatch.com. As is evident, we looked at many factors and as such, a high Financial Efficiency Rating was not a requirement of inclusion on this list, although most do have good ratings. Many factors were reviewed and strengths in other areas can offset weakness in financial efficiency when determining whether a ministry should be of interest to donors seeking to be good stewards of their giving. A foundational premise was to shine a figurative light on those ministries that were "Christian" more than in name only. Ministries were chosen that were not just marketing to Christians as a market segment for "Christian donor money", but ministries that had theological underpinnings and Biblical values that determined their actions. Organizations that relied more on a secular motivation and means were excluded as well as those “ministries” that seem to view the organization as their own vehicle as a business to make money rather than a love to maximize ministry to others and to let their light shine for the glory of God.
MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall giving to Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight those ministries which are exemplary. This ministry is an outstanding example when we consider it through the lens of Philippians 4:8 and weigh and take account of those ministries that are excellent and worthy of praise.
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MinistryWatch.com’s Take
Who Are the Gideons?
Almost everyone has seen a Gideon Bible. These Bibles lie on bedside tables in hotels and hospitals. They are found in schools, military bases, jails, and prisons. Many millions of people have personally been given a Gideon Bible. White, red, or green New Testaments imprinted with the Gideon emblem (a flame atop a jar surrounded by a circle; cf., Judges 7:16-21) are a familiar sight. The Gideons are, seemingly, everywhere. But who are they?
The Gideons International (TGI) is an association of Christian laymen, which exists in order to be a witness to Gospel of Jesus Christ, principally by means of Bible distribution. TGI was founded in 1899. Since that time, Gideon members have distributed more than 1.7 billion Bibles and New Testaments. Gideons distribute Scriptures, free of charge, all over the world. The express intent of this endeavor is to inject the Gospel message into the “streams of life,” i.e., the places where people regularly spend time.
TGI is a membership organization, whose members and leadership is comprised of Christian business and professional men. TGI also has an auxiliary component (wives of TGI members). These members of the Gideon Auxiliary supplement the work of TGI by aiding in the Scripture distribution and by prayer.
The work of the Gideons is promoted by various organization directors and field representatives who maintain regular speaking schedules (primarily at churches). Other Gideon ministries include a prison and jail ministry, and, of course, regular distribution of Bibles. TGI members currently total almost 300,000. Gideons are located in over 193 countries, and distribute more than 79 million Scriptures annually in over 90 languages annually. A board of Christian laymen supervises the worldwide ministry of TGI. Financial statements can be downloaded at the ministry’s website.
An Evangelistic Enterprise
The primary purpose of TGI is to win others for Jesus Christ. The Gideons do this by means of association (of Christian laymen), personal testimony (speaking and personally handing out Scriptures), and Bible and New Testament placement, (in hotels, hospitals, schools, dentist’s offices, colleges and universities, jails and prisons, military bases, and emergency worker stations).
TGI members associate at the local level via “Camps,” which conduct monthly meetings, prayer breakfasts, and banquets. Local associations also serve the purpose of recruiting and training new members. The goals of recruitment and association have been summarized by the following expression: “More members= more funds= more Scriptures= more souls saved!” The primary large gatherings of TGI and Auxiliary members (wives of Gideons) are the annual National Conventions and the International Convention. The latter regularly draws members from around the world. These associations provide forums for discussing goals, training, listening to and sharing testimonies and messages, mutual encouragement, and general fellowship. TGI claims that its members are “united in carrying out the same program using the same methods to accomplish the one objective of winning others to Christ.”
TGI members are not mere passive distributors of literature. Gideons are devout Christian laypersons who work for no pay, seeking to win souls for Christ. The personal testimony of a Gideon can be an important component of the overall mission. TGI members have opportunities to share their testimonies and to present the ministry’s mission in a variety of venues, including churches, schools, and prisons.
Of course, the key work of TGI is providing and distributing God's Word. TGI provides both whole Bibles (Old and New Testaments) and pocketsize New Testaments (with Psalms and Proverbs appended).
A Scripture distributed by TGI Bible features “Bible Helps” sections in the front and back of the volume. These are short catalogues of Bible passages grouped according to subject matter, the purpose of which is to help the reader find Scripture verses, which deal with a particular topic of interest. The major divisions of the Bible Helps are: (1) Help in Time of Need (e.g., “lonely,” “depressed,” “tempted”), (2) Suggested Readings (e.g., historical highlights, major doctrines, precepts for living), and (3) Practical Teachings (e.g., dealing with trials, avoiding sin, building character). Each TGI Bible includes a simple Gospel invitation, featuring Scripture verses, which go step-by-step through the plan of salvation and the first steps of new life in Christ.
Summary
TGI is an organization of Christian laymen who associate for the purpose winning people for Christ. Gideons practice evangelism via personal testimony and especially by providing and distributing New Testaments. The effectiveness of this strategy of Christian outreach might be difficult to measure, but one indication of the impact of the Gideon’s work in the lives of people was provided by a Fodor’s poll taken in 1997. According to this poll, 23 percent of travelers read from the Gideon Bible placed in their hotel room. This translates into millions of people, most of them probably not regular Bible readers, who have spent time with God’s Word because of the efforts of The Gideons.