Association distributes 75m copies of the Bible

The Gideons International, an association of Christian business and professional people preaching and distributing bibles worldwide, on Sunday said it has distributed 74.6 million Bibles in Nigeria since 1964.

The Gideon’s International representative in Nigeria, Mike Itegboje, gave the figure at the Foursquare Gospel Church, Cement Zonal Headquarters in Lagos.

Mr Itegboje, while soliciting the church’s support, shared several testimonies of people whose lives had been transformed through its efforts in making bibles available in churches and many public places.

He shared the story of an old man who travelled on foot for seven days searching for the “blue book that speaks about Jesus’’ and stressed the need to make more copies easily available.

“We are the Gideon’s, what we do is that we place bibles and God uses it to save people.

Mr Itegboje said that there were over seven billion people who needed to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He added the group had distributed 2.07 billion Bibles globally, but declined comment on the cost of production of the Bibles saying “it is a lot of money”.

The international representative disclosed that the association in Nigeria did not pay for production but usually make the budget for clearing and distribution.

He said that in 2019, N290 million was budgeted for clearing and distribution.

“The money we raise is more for distribution because we cannot buy the Bibles because America gives us the Bibles free.

“What we pay for is duties for bringing them in and then the transportation to different camps because if we are to buy we will not have the money in Nigeria,’’ Itegboje stressed.

He stressed that a lot of people are getting saved and were being impacted.

Deborah Elias of the Foursquare Church, while delivering a sermon titled, “Marital Enlargement,’’ said God was ready to change the status of those who serve Him.

Reading from Luke Chapter 1:46-52, Mrs Elias said Mary was a woman who was nobody but God changed her story.

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“Mary saw herself as nobody but God chose her to be the mother of Jesus. God visited her and He favoured her because she was righteous,’’ Elias said.

She urged worshippers to give God all the praises due to Him for His goodness in increasing and enlarging families.