70 years of Bible placement
CHICAGO—In Zimbabwe, where the inflation rate
has surpassed 100,000 percent and unemployment hovers
at more than 80 percent, tens of thousands of people
struggle through daily hunger pangs. A church leader
shares, “The only constant meal in my house is
the Word of God. Thanks to Bible League, we are
having healthy, spiritual meals each day.” The
Bible provides faith-building nourishment for millions
of desperate people like this man worldwide.
William A. Chapman, Bible League’s founder,
and his wife, Betty, first established a Bible placement
ministry for Bible-less people in Walkerton, Indiana.
But in 1938, the Chapmans could not have imagined the
scenario in Zimbabwe or elsewhere—seven decades
later and thousands of miles away.
On April 15, 2008, Bible League celebrates its 70th
anniversary. Staff and volunteers in more than 60 nations
of current ministry will give praise to God for an
expansion from humble beginnings.
In the early years, the Chapmans’ Chicago-area
basement was the first office space for the ministry,
recalls William’s son, Herman Chapman. “It
was a family project, so it was automatic that when
the Bibles were delivered it was my job to put them
in the basement,” says Herman.
The ministry grew and was first incorporated in 1942. “People
criticized him [my dad] for being so ambitious to call
it American Home Bible League when he was in a little ‘podunk’ neighborhood,” says
Herman. “But there was a vision there, which
enlarged when we went overseas.”
In 1950, one of the first international Bible League affiliates was created in India, and within the first year more than 52,300 Scriptures were placed there. Over the past 70 years, the ministry has provided more than 730 million Scriptures worldwide, currently working in approximately 120 languages.
“We’ve stuck with the vision,” says
Herman. Through the years—and several name changes
to reflect growth—Bible League has looked prayerfully
to the future.
God has inspired an ambitious new vision for the ministry
in which Bible League will endeavor to train 10 million
nationals to engage 100 million people in the study
of God’s Word through the placement of Bibles
and New Testaments by the year 2020.
“We do more than place Scriptures,” says
Bob Cole, Bible League’s president. “We
train, empower, develop and disciple believers with
God’s Word. William A. Chapman’s legacy
will inspire us to make an eternal impact for years
to come.”
For more information about the 70th Anniversary call
708-367-8733. We will be happy to schedule an interview
with Bob Cole, Bible League’s president, or with
Herman Chapman, son of Bible League’s founder. |
To find out more about our vision to reach the world. click
here.
To send Bibles around the world, click
here.
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