About

The Gideons

The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional men, who along with their wives are dedicated to telling people about Jesus. Through associating together for service, sharing personal testimony, and providing Bibles and New Testaments to the world we spread the Good News. While we are often recognised for our Bible placements in hotel rooms, we also place and distribute Scriptures in strategic locations so they are available to those who want them, as well as to those who may not know they need them.

Our Vision

The vision comes from Philippians 1:27 and is called Striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel, in One Spirit, One Mind, and One Vision, or simply called One Vision.

One Vision empowers us to effectively and joyfully win over our fellow man to the Lord Jesus Christ. One Vision grounds us on the association’s founding principles, focuses us on the Great Commission, and empowers us to serve in one spirit and one mind.

As members we have been called by God – brothers and sisters in Christ, husbands along with our wives – striving together to effectively and joyfully reach the world with the Good News through associating together for service, personal testimony, personal work and distributing God’s Word.

Bible distribution

Spreading God’s Word, through distributing Bibles, can and does lead people to faith in Christ. New Christians grow by studying their Scriptures and can even use them to share their newly found faith with others.

For this reason, we focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. These copies of God’s Word are printed in more than 109 languages and are either given directly to certain individuals or placed in approved placement areas where large numbers of people, who may be searching for answers, will have the opportunity to encounter the Word of God.

Our Activities

Our Leadership

NATIONAL
PRESIDENT

Jaco Putter

NATIONAL
VICE-PRESIDENT

Corné de Jager

NATIONAL
TREASURER

Jaco Grobbelaar

INTERNATIONAL
TRUSTEE

Pierre le Grange

NATIONAL
SECRETARY

Leon van der Merwe

REGION 1

Piet Spies

REGION 2

Werner Pretoruis

REGION 3

Carl Visagie

REGION 4

Erik Oosthuizen

MEMBER PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Riaan Stoop

CHURCH PROGRAM
COORDINATOR

Tally van Heerden

FAITH FUND PROGRAM
COORDINATOR

Marius Pieters

SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION
PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Renier Kluever

NATIONAL
PRESIDENT

Ané Esterhuizen

NATIONAL
VICE-PRESIDENT

Anita De Jager

NATIONAL
TREASURER/SECRETARY

Esta Putter

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL LEADER

Ettorina Stoop

REGION 1

Marguerite Luttig

REGION 2

Petro Vermeulen

REGION 3

Sarieta Wentzel

REGION 4

Leana Mostert

MEMBER PROGRAM
COORDINATOR

Melanie van Wyk

SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
COORDINATOR

Lida Greyling

Our History

The Beginning

In the autumn of 1898, John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, came to the Central Hotel at Boscobel, Wisconsin, to stay for the night. As the hotel was crowded, it was suggested that he take a bed in a double room with Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin. The two men soon discovered that they were both Christians. As they did their evening prayers together, on their knees before God, God inspired them to make a difference in the lives of other travellers. This inspiration later developed into an association.

The Meeting

On 31 May 1899, the two men met again at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where they concluded the inspiration of an association to bind Christian commercial travellers together for mutual recognition, personal evangelism, and united service for the Lord. Soon after it was decided to call a meeting in Janesville, Wisconsin on 1 July 1899.

Only three men were present at that meeting: John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and Will J. Knights. They organized with Hill as president, Knights as vice-president, and Nicholson as secretary and treasurer. Much thought was given to what the name of the association should be. After special prayer that God might lead them to select the proper name, Mr Knights arose from his knees and said, “We shall be called Gideons.” He read the sixth and seventh chapters of Judges and showed the reason for suggesting that name.

The rest is history

75 years in 2025

The first camps

The first Gideon camp in South Africa was formed at Pietermaritzburg in October 1950. The next camp was formed in Johannesburg and in 1951 two more camps were formed in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. In 1962 camps were established in East London and the West Rand. In 1964 Kimberley and East Rand camps were established.

1950

The first placement of Bibles

The first placement of Bibles in a hotel was in 1952 at the Hotel Edward in Durban, and in 1954 a camp is established in Durban. The first annual general meeting took place at the Carlton hotel in Johannesburg in 1955. In 1958 a camp is established in Pretoria.

1952

National association status

The Gideons in South Africa attained national association status in 1964 and the first annual National Convention was held in Bloemfontein the same year. Since 1950 more than 44 million Bibles have been placed in South Africa.

1964

75 YEARS OF GOD’S WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA