Many Christians in the foreign field do not own a Bible. We have known of congregations with only one Bible, where the pastor was required to ask permission from the church in order to carry the Bible with him during missionary journeys to other villages. Our strategy for Bible distribution is as follows:
- We purchase Bibles at a bulk rate in order to lower the cost.
- We purchase Bibles inside the country of distribution in order to avoid problems with shipping and customs.
- We purchase hardback or vinyl Bibles with pages that are glued and sewn together. Paperback Bibles with glued pages are cheaper, but will not last.
- Our Bibles contain both the Old and New Testaments and a concordance. The concordance will be the only study tool that many believers will ever own.
- Most often we sell our Bibles at a discount rate rather than giving them away for free. We take great pains to ensure that no genuine believer leaves without a Bible, but we do require that something of value is given. We have given Scripture in return for chickens, fish, coffee beans, etc. By purchasing the Bible instead of receiving it as a charity, the believer’s personal dignity and sense of responsibility remain intact. The believer’s offering (if monetary) is used to purchase more Bibles for other believers.
