1997 OCTOBER BIBLE DRIVE REPORT
The Bible Foundation 6th Annual October Bible Drive in joint co-operation with KPDQ, K-LOVE Radio, KKPZ & KKSL, KHPE, Christian News Northwest, Mission Portland, Promise Keepers, Christian Supply, Christian Marketplace, Emmanuel Gospel Supply, and Higher Ground Christian Resource Center was a big success. October through December saw 3,825 Bibles NT's, etc. come in, bringing the total for the year to 5,087, just in the northwest. Hundreds of churches, organizations, and individuals in the northwest got involved and interest is spreading around the country.
One bookstore collection center has been receiving a substantial amount of donated Bibles, involving many hundreds. When discussing it with the owner, he said he thought that over 90 percent were being brought in by one man. He said since they were accepting the Bibles for needy people around the world, this man took it on as a personal mission to go round up as many as he possibly could. He would go to garage sales, thrift stores, book stores, churches, wherever he could think to look. Much he would get free and some he would purchase. He would even climb into dumpsters to salvage discarded Bibles.
Most of the Bibles have been coming from the greater Portland, Oregon area including Vancouver, Washington. Many of the outlying areas have also been getting involved with various folks arranging to have the Bible brought to one of the collection points. One thing always seems to lead to another with this ministry. A need for a collection center in Medford lead us to the Salvation Army there which agreed to not only accept Bibles dropped off there but in their Ashland and Grants Pass thrift stores also.
K-Love Radio this year did an interview and used it to produce a number of spots to promote the drive. They proceeded with the publicity and ran it also in California and Arizona. This brought in a number of calls showing the possibility of expanding the October Bible drive to areas where participants must provide shipping to collection centers. Over the years collection centers have been arranged in MI, WI, SC, GA, AZ, CA, and OR. This is developing toward the long time dream of a nation wide Bible drive.
Our friend in Saint Louis reported that over 1000 Bibles, Testaments, etc. have been collected there in 1997. A lady in Louisiana led her 50 member children's choir in a production related to the need for Bibles around the world. They raised several hundred dollars and collected many Bibles and presented the great need to many.
English is becoming the dominant world language. Bibles are sent to over 30 countries besides the United States and go to evangelistic ministries, hospitals, nursing homes, inner city churches & ministries, rescue missions, ship ministries, prison & jail ministries, homeless shelters, street ministries, ethnic neighborhood ministries, migrant camps, and individual ministries.
Countries served include:
ANTIGUA, AUSTRALIA, BARBADOS, BELARUS, BENIN, CAMEROON, ESTONIA, ETHIOPIA, GHANA, GUINEA BISSAU, INDIA, IVORY COAST, JAMAICA, KENYA, LIBYA, MALAWI, MALAYSIA, MYANMAR (BURMA), NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, PERU, PHILIPPINES, SAINT LUCIA, SENEGAL, SIERRA LEONE, SOUTH AFRICA, SRI LANKA, TANZANIA, TRINIDAD, UGANDA, ZAMBIA, ZIMBABWE.
Jerry Kingery
BIBLE FOUNDATION PO Box 908 Newberg, Oregon 97132 (503) 538-4897 http://www.bf.org bf@bf.org
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