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The Gideons are a Christian organization that distributes Bibles to hotels and engages in other evangelical work worldwide. Membership is restricted to Christian men over 21. They emphasize personal testimony and use a decentralized system to reach areas where evangelism is difficult. Gideons appreciate any opportunity to discuss Christianity and leave people with lasting food for thought.
The Gideons are members of the Gideon Society, a worldwide evangelical Christian organization. While the Gideons are probably most famous for distributing copies of the Bible to hotels, as they have done since the 1930s, the organization also engages in other evangelical work around the world. Membership in the Gedeon Society is restricted to Christian men over the age of 21 who are of good spiritual character.
This organization was founded in 1899 in Wisconsin with the explicit goal of spreading the word of God to people who are not of the Christian faith. The Gideons refer to their work as “rescuing the lost,” reflecting the idea that many Christians believe that people who are not Christians are lost in God’s eyes, but can be saved through conversion and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior. A key aspect of the organization’s work from the outset has been the distribution of Bibles, which allows people who are not Christians to access the Bible so they can read it and think about the Christian faith.
Gideoni also places a strong emphasis on personal testimony. Individual members of the organization participate in outreach programs, speaking directly to the people they are trying to influence and educate. In addition to distributing Bibles, the Gideons are always happy to talk about the Bible with curious people and to conduct prayer meetings and workshops that explore the nature of faith.
Gideons members work in their local communities and the organization encourages a highly decentralized organizational system. By using local Gideons instead of importing missionaries, the company saves money, but it also increases access. Individual Gideons are familiar with local customs, customs, and laws, and can navigate complex cultural situations much more easily than foreign missionaries. They may also be able to reach areas where Christian evangelism is frowned upon, dangerous, or even prohibited.
In the Bible, Gideon is a man who serves God even when his orders seem contradictory or strange. Likewise, Gideons are dedicated to serving God and bearing witness as Christians wherever they go. Anything from a casual conversation on an airplane to a mass distribution of Bibles to members of the military is an act of witnessing, and Gideons appreciates any opportunity to discuss Christianity with interested individuals. By providing copies of the Bible, the Gideons also leave people with lasting food for thought.
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