Anguilla’s Chief Minister. The Honourable Victor F. Banks, has been presented with a special commemorative edition of the Bible by The Gideons International to mark the historic milestone reached in 2015 of the distribution of the Two Billionth Scripture worldwide by The Gideons. The presentation was made by Timothy Hodge, President of the Anguilla Camp of The Gideons, on behalf of International President Dr. William E G Thomas.
In his letter to Mr. Banks, Dr. Thomas stated:
“Dear Esteemed Leader,
We thank you that through your country’s support and through God’s blessings, The Gideons International will be distributing the Two Billionth Scripture worldwide this year. To mark this milestone and to express our sincere appreciation to you, we are delighted to present you, and the Heads of State in all the 200 countries in which The Gideons International is active, with a special commemorative edition of the Bible and trust that you will enjoy reading it.
The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional men and their wives who are united in achieving our sole purpose of bringing men, women, and young people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Gideon members represent Christian churches in countries all around the world, and provide Scriptures in schools, colleges, hotels, hospitals, prisons, and also to the military, police, fire, and rescue personnel.
God in His grace has orchestrated amazing growth for the ministry of The Gideons International. The first one billion Scriptures were distributed over 93 years from 1908 to 2001. The distribution of this second billion Scriptures was accomplished in less than 14 years, from 2002 to 2015. Many of these 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments have already been placed in your country, and for that we are most grateful. We cherish your ongoing favour as we continue our work.
The world is hungry for the good news that is found in God’s Word, and every Scripture that we share has the potential to change a person’s life. As God says in His Word:
So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)
May God richly bless you and the people of your country as you lead them forward.”
The Gideons International opened a branch (called a Camp) in Anguilla in 2013, and has shipped to the island over 4,000 Scriptures including Bibles, pocket-sized New Testaments, Spanish and Spanish-English Scriptures, and tri-lingual Bibles. According to the President of the Anguilla Camp, Mr. Timothy Hodge, many of these have been distributed, with recipients including school children, the Hospital, Her Majesty’s Prison, and hotels. However, much work remains to be done, and there is a need both for Members and for contributions from churches to support the local and worldwide work of the Gideons International.
Mr. Banks, in accepting the commemorative edition of the Bible, expressed his deep appreciation, and that of his government, to the Gideons for the tremendous work that they have done and are doing both internationally and in Anguilla. He stated that he was grateful for the Gideons’ gift which he will certainly treasure and use, and wished the Gideons continued success as they play a vital role in the pursuit of the “Great Commission”.
