Gideons International

Gideons International is an evangelical Christian association founded in Wisconsin in 1899 and best known for distributing free copies of the Bible. Its work began among traveling business and professional men who sought to support evangelism while traveling. The organization took its name from Gideon, a biblical figure in the Book of Judges, whose story represents humility, faith, obedience, and willingness to act according to a divine calling. Its emblem, a pitcher and torch, also refers to the account of Gideon's victory over the Midianites. The association's most recognizable practice is placing complete Bibles in hotel and lodging rooms. This program began in 1908, when members placed copies in rooms at the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. Over time, distribution expanded to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, universities, military facilities, jails, prisons, and other settings. Gideons also provide copies directly to individuals, including members of the armed forces, students, medical patients, prisoners, and people encountered through personal evangelism. Its publications have been distributed in more than 100 languages and across more than 100 countries and territories. Gideons generally distributes either complete Bibles or shorter editions containing the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Editions commonly include a brief introduction, selected passages for different personal circumstances, multilingual presentations of John 3:16, the biblical text, and an evangelical explanation of salvation. The format varies by audience and setting. Hotel editions are commonly complete Bibles, while copies intended for personal distribution are often smaller New Testaments or New Testaments combined with Psalms and Proverbs. Cover colors and patterns have historically helped identify editions intended for students, military personnel, medical settings, prisons, or particular languages. The organization is structured primarily around male members who are current or retired business or professional people. Membership generally requires being at least 21 years old, belonging to an evangelical or Protestant church, and affirming the association's spiritual principles. Clergy are excluded from regular membership. Women do not join as Gideons but may participate through the Auxiliary of The Gideons International, which supports Bible distribution and related outreach. Gideons' scale is reflected in its reported distribution totals. The organization has stated that it distributes more than 70 million Bibles or biblical portions annually and that its cumulative distribution exceeded 2.5 billion copies by April 2015. In 2025, it reported approximately 269,500 members in 190 countries and territories. These figures describe the association's own reported activity and membership rather than commercial sales, since its publications are provided without charge and supported by donations and member networks. The organization has also been involved in public debates over religious literature in government schools. U.S. constitutional decisions permit some forms of equal-access distribution while restricting school-sponsored religious activity. A 2008 lawsuit concerning Bible distribution during class time in Missouri resulted in a 2009 federal appellate ruling that found the South Iron school district's practice unconstitutional. Gideons subsequently continued youth outreach through church-coordinated programs such as The Life Book and through distribution arrangements designed to provide equal access and avoid school endorsement. Today, Gideons International remains an active, global nonprofit ministry whose identity is closely associated with hotel Bibles, personal evangelism, and large-scale scripture distribution.

The origins of Gideons International date to the autumn of 1898, when traveling salesmen John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin, met while sharing a room at the Central House Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin. They discussed creating an association that would unite traveling salesmen for Christian evangelism. In May 1899, the two men met again in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and clarified their intention to form such an organization. In July of that year, Nicholson, Hill, and Will J. Knights met at the YMCA in Janesville. The association was formally established in 1899. The new organization initially centered on fellowship, evangelistic purpose, and mutual support among business and professional men who traveled frequently. Its name referred to Gideon, the biblical judge described in the Book of Judges. Gideons interpreted his story as a model of humility, faith, obedience, and readiness to follow God's direction. The association adopted a pitcher-and-torch emblem based on the weapons and symbolism associated with Gideon's biblical campaign against the Midianites. The defining transition from a fellowship of traveling men to a worldwide Bible-distribution ministry came in 1908. Members placed the first Gideon Bibles in rooms at the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. The hotel-room practice became the organization's signature activity and was later extended to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, military bases, prisons, jails, and other institutions. Gideons distributed both complete Bibles and shorter portions, adapting formats and languages for particular audiences. Distribution was supported by donations, members, churches, and local Gideon networks rather than by conventional retail sales. Gideon publications were designed for direct reading and evangelistic use. Typical copies contain the biblical text with limited supplementary material, selected passages for readers facing different problems, and an evangelical explanation of salvation. Complete Bibles have generally been associated with lodging rooms, while smaller editions containing the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs have been widely used for personal and institutional outreach. The organization has also used cover colors and camouflage patterns to distinguish copies intended for students, medical personnel, military members, prisoners, foreign-language readers, and individual witnesses. In English, its editions formerly relied on the New King James Version and later moved to a lightly modified English Standard Version. As its distribution network expanded, Gideons became an international organization. It has reported work in more than 100 languages and more than 100 countries and territories. The organization reported distributing more than 70 million Bibles or biblical portions per year and exceeding 2.5 billion cumulative copies by April 2015. By 2025, it reported approximately 269,500 members in 190 countries and territories. Its membership model remains centered on current or retired business and professional men aged 21 or older who belong to qualifying evangelical or Protestant churches. Clergy are not regular members, while women participate through the separate Auxiliary. Bible distribution in public schools has periodically generated legal and political controversy in the United States. Constitutional law distinguishes private, voluntary access to religious literature from distribution conducted during class time or in a manner suggesting government sponsorship. In 2008, Americans United for Separation of Church and State brought a case involving the South Iron R-1 School District in Missouri. In 2009, the Eighth Circuit affirmed that Bible distribution to children in classrooms during school time was unconstitutional, while the decision permitted an equal-access policy under which religious and nonreligious groups could seek to distribute literature on comparable terms. Gideons subsequently emphasized youth outreach models such as The Life Book, coordinated through churches and young people, and continued to pursue distribution arrangements intended to respect constitutional limits. With its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, Gideons International remains an active evangelical association. Its brand identity is inseparable from the hotel Bible, but its wider mission includes military, medical, educational, correctional, multilingual, and personal distribution. The organization continues to present free scripture distribution as an evangelistic service rather than a commercial publishing business.

• 2025

  Membership reported in 190 countries and territories

  [1]The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Gideons reported approximately 269,500 members across 190 countries and territories.

• 2015

  Cumulative distribution exceeds 2.5 billion copies

  [1]The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The organization reported that it had distributed more than 2.5 billion Bibles by April 2015.

• 1908

  First hotel-room Bibles distributed

  [1]The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The first Bibles associated with the Gideon hotel-room program were placed at the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana.

• 1899

  Association established in Wisconsin

  [1]The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Nicholson, Hill, and Will J. Knights met in Janesville and established the organization that became Gideons International.

• 1898

  Initial meeting of the founders

  [1]The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  John H. Nicholson and Samuel E. Hill met at a hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin, and discussed forming an association for Christian evangelism among traveling salesmen.

Faith-based nonprofit organization focused on evangelism through free Bible distribution

• Scripture distribution

  Complete Bibles

  Complete Bible editions are the format most strongly associated with Gideons International's hotel and lodging-room program. They generally present the biblical text without extensive study notes or commentary, accompanied by introductory and evangelistic material. Copies may be produced in different languages for international lodging markets and other settings where visitors may come from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

• Scripture distribution

  New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs

  Compact editions containing the New Testament together with Psalms and Proverbs are commonly used for personal and institutional outreach. They are distributed to individuals, students, military personnel, prisoners, and others who may receive a copy directly. In addition to the biblical text, these editions often include selected passages for difficult circumstances and an evangelical presentation of salvation.

• Targeted outreach editions

  Audience-specific New Testaments

  Gideons uses distinct editions for particular audiences and environments. Historical cover conventions include orange copies for sidewalk distribution, green for university students, red for middle- and high-school distribution, white for medical professionals, brown for correctional facilities, and camouflage patterns for military personnel. Other colors identify foreign-language, Auxiliary, personal-worker, or Friends editions.

• Military outreach

  Military Testaments

  Military editions are compact New Testaments or related scripture portions prepared for service members. Historical versions included separate colors for Army and Navy copies during World War II, while later editions used woodland, desert, or digital camouflage covers. Distribution has taken place among military personnel in multiple countries.

• 2013The Life Book

  United States high schools

  The Life Book is a youth outreach model coordinated with churches and young people to distribute Bible-based copies to high-school students. It was presented as an alternative to school practices that could imply institutional endorsement of religion.

  Outcome. The program allowed Gideon-linked youth outreach to continue through church and student participation while addressing constitutional concerns around public-school distribution.

  Source
• Hotel Bible distribution

  Worldwide lodging and hospitality locations

  Gideons' signature outreach program places complete Bibles in hotel and lodging rooms. The practice began in 1908 and became the association's most recognizable public-facing activity.

  Outcome. The program established the hotel Bible as the organization's defining brand association and helped extend its distribution network internationally.

  Source
• Institutional Bible distribution

  Hospitals · Nursing homes · Schools · Military facilities · Jails · Prisons

  Members distribute complete Bibles or biblical portions through institutional partnerships and personal outreach to patients, students, service members, and incarcerated people.

  Outcome. The campaign broadened Gideons' work beyond hotels and created audience-specific distribution programs.

  Source

• 2009

  Adapt distribution practices after the South Iron school rulingStrategy

  Background

  A federal appellate court found Bible distribution to children in classrooms during instructional time at a Missouri public school unconstitutional.

  Action taken

  Gideons continued to support constitutionally permissible access models, including equal-access policies and church-coordinated youth programs such as The Life Book.

  Aftermath

  The ruling reinforced the distinction between voluntary literature access and school-sponsored or classroom-time religious distribution.

  Source

• Change the primary English Bible translation used in distributionGeneration change

  Background

  Gideons historically used the New King James Version for many English-language copies.

  Action taken

  The organization moved to a lightly modified English Standard Version for its typical English-language editions.

  Aftermath

  The change updated the wording of English distributions while preserving the organization's compact, evangelistic format.

  Source

1. 1The Gideons Internationalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of Gideons Internationalgideons.org