The History of International Bible Society since 1809.

Historical Highlights of International Bible Society

International Bible Society (IBS) was founded in 1809 with a commitment to reach the community of New York and the surrounding area with the hope of God's Word. The mission in 1809 read, "... extending the knowledge of the Holy Scripture ... persuaded that a more extensive distribution among persons who are destitute of them will have by the divine blessing more beneficial effects."

While the ministry of IBS has changed much in nearly 200 years, the mission of providing Scriptures to those in need has remained. Throughout the history of the ministry, scores of initiatives have provided the Word of God to more than 400 million people in virtually every cross-section of society worldwide. The following initiatives provide a glimpse of IBS' historic commitment to reach people with God's word:

1810

The Bible Society gave $1,000 for William Carey’s translation work in India.

1810

Distributed 1,941 Scriptures to New York residents, mariners, and pioneers in the Pacific Northwest.

1812

Scriptures given to soldiers and sailors in the war with England and sent to U.S. troops on the frontier.

1815

First translation—a French Bible. 1,543 French Bibles were sent to the Louisiana Bible Society.

1815

Scriptures to prisoners at Blackwell’s Island, NY.

1816

New York Bible Society gave initiative, leaders, printing plates, and Scripture to start The American Bible Society.

1832–
1882

Door-to-door evangelism covered New York City.

1836

Began placing Bibles in hotel rooms; continued until late 1980s.

1861–
1865

Gave 73,194 New Testaments to Civil War soldiers on both sides.

1874

Rev. William G. Jones began a 55-year career as Marine Agent for the Bible Society.

1890

Ellis Island opened with a New York Bible Society station where agents distributed an average of 160,000 Scriptures in 65 languages for each of 60 years.

1909

4.9 million Scriptures distributed in IBS’ first century.

1917

100,000 Scriptures given to converts and inquirers at Billy Sunday’s New York crusade.

1920

8.5 million Scriptures distributed to date.

1924

First bilingual Scriptures published—Gospel of John in English/Italian and English/German.

1928–
1930

Byrd Antarctic Expedition explorers read Bibles given by the Bible Society before their long isolation.

1937

10th anniversary commemorative Bible presented to Charles Lindbergh.

1940–
1945

Filled every request WW II soldiers made for Bibles or New Testaments.

1951

Began placing Scripture posters in New York subways.

1952

Gave 100,000 Scriptures to converts at Billy Graham’s New York crusade.

1959–
1978

Family-to- Family evangelistic campaign to every home in New York City. Contacted more than 21 million people and distributed more than 5 million Scriptures in 29 languages.

1960

More than 43 million Scriptures distributed to date.

1960–
1998

Published 1,286 Scripture editions in 507 languages for Wycliffe Bible
Translators.

1961

Began Dial-A-Phone program to make daily inspirational Scripture readings available 24 hours a day.

1962

Presented a Bible to Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn.

1968

Sponsored the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version (NIV).

1969

Helped establish Scriptures Unlimited as a missionary arm for publishing Wycliffe translations.

1970

Began radio and television Scripturereading broadcasts on networks in America

1971

Supplied 5 million Scriptures for “Evangelism-In-Depth” campaign in Mexico

1973

Released New International Version (NIV) New Testament.

1978

Released NIV Bible.

1979

108 million Scriptures distributed to date.

1989–
1991

4 million Russian New Testaments distributed in 15 Republics of the former Soviet Union.

1990

300 million Scriptures distributed in 450 languages to date.

1993

Launched My First Bible storybook for children in Eastern Europe.

1997

India School Project began providing Gospels of Mark to hundreds of thousands of students. Let There Be Light initiative began providing millions of Scripture tools to evangelism teams around the world.

1995

Started distributing Scripture via the internet.

1998

More than 1 million Scripture resources provided to refugees of the conflicts in Sudan and the Balkans since 1998.

1999

Released Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) Spanish Bible for Latin America.

2001

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, IBS donated 800,000 of their disaster related Scriptures to agencies and churches.

2002

Released Today’s New International Version (TNIV) New Testament to provide the classic translation in today’s English.

2005

Released Today's New International Version full Bible.

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Historical Timeline of IBS since 1809

“You have both the right and the power to exercise the right of reading the Word of God in your newly adopted country, no one can prevent you.”
—Rev. Stephen Smyth, Principal Emigrant Agent, January 1855

“I felt amply repaid for my whole day’s labor today, in the pleasure it gave me to present a poor German a Bible. He seemed to feel that he had received a rich treasure, and in his gratitude the tears started to his eyes and he grasped me warmly by the hand and thanked me on behalf of his family as well as himself.”
—John Patton, Bible Society City Agent, 1866

Jeremiah McCauley accepted salvation after reading Scripture given to him in prison by the Bible Society. After release, McCauley began McCauley Water Street Mission in New York City in 1864, the first rescue mission in America.

The New International Version (NIV) Bible

1973
The initial press run of 1.2 million NIV Bibles sold out before printing. With 150 million copies in print, the NIV continues to be the most widely read English version.

Helping in Crisis

Cross Roads
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, IBS donated 800,000 disaster-related Scriptures to agencies and churches.

Since the War of 1812

IBS Camo Bible
Since 1812, U.S. military personnel in every war, and during peace, have received Scriptures from the Bible Society.

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