Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council presented with Gideon Bible

Stratford-on-Avon District Council Chairman, Councillor Christopher Kettle, has been presented with a copy of the Gideon Bible by Keith Harrison, Branch Chaplain of the South Warwickshire and Redditch Gideons.

The presentation took place at Elizabeth House in Councillor Kettle's Office.  

Many people will have encountered the Gideon Bible through hotel stays as the book is a common feature of hotel rooms across the world. The practice of distributing Gideon Bibles in this way has a long and interesting history.  

The idea of disseminating Bibles in hotel rooms was first discussed by the Gideons in 1903, however it was not until 1908 - five years later - that the practice was formally adopted by them at a national convention. It was originally agreed that placing Bibles in hotel rooms was a way for Gideons to be an 'extended arm' of the church and so they agreed to distribute them throughout the United States [1].  

They can now be found in hotel rooms outside the USA and have become so common that many now regard them as part of the furniture. As well as this, the Gideons now also produce copies for organisations such as Guides, Boys Brigade, Armed Forces, Sports Clubs and Football Clubs and other organisations with a personalised identity. These particular versions are personalised with the group's crest or emblem.  

Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Cllr Christopher Kettle said on receiving the Gideon Bible: "Firstly I would like to pay tribute to the Gideon International organisation which has, in 110 years, distributed over two billion bibles in 201 countries and in 107 different languages.  And of those two billion, one billion have been distributed since 2002. That it itself is a fantastic achievement.  That the distribution is achievement for no charge is even more remarkable and relies on 270,000 volunteers across the globe.  My congratulations and best wishes to the organisation."

[1] http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-31/bonus-section-who-put-gideon-bible-in-your-hotel-room.html