Become a
Gideon
Gideons are members who personally witness and provide New Testaments to people they come across in their daily lives. They also place Bibles in places like schools, hotels, prisons and doctor rooms.
Members of Gideons
- Our members witness personally and provide New Testaments to people they come across in their daily lives.
- Our members personally distribute Bibles and New Testaments to, for example, the following people and areas: Grade 8 learners, tertiary students, police officers, members of the armed forces, prisoners, as well as at hotels, guest houses, doctors’ and lawyers’ rooms, pregnancy centres and old age homes with a clinic. We have distributed more than 44 million Bibles and New Testaments since the establishment of The Gideons International in South Africa in 1950.
Having a Bible (God’s Word) can lead people to faith in Christ and new Christians can grow by studying God’s Word and may use it to share their faith with others. Distributing copies of God’s Word:
- Plants powerful seeds that God can use in His timing (I Corinthians 3:6).
- Allows people to read the truth for themselves (John 8:32).
- Provides a continuing witness when the Gideon is no longer present (Hebrews 4:12).
- Makes it easier for the people we reach, to, in turn, reach others with the truth about Jesus (II Timothy 2:2).
- Makes it possible for new Christians to learn and to grow through personal Bible study (II Timothy 2:15).
The membership consists of Christian business and professional men aged 21 and older, who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, have received Him as their personal Saviour and endeavour to follow Him in their daily lives and who are members in good standing of an Evangelical or Protestant church, congregation or assembly. Clergymen are excluded as they have already been called to a specific ministry.
Spouses of Gideons are encouraged to join the Gideons’ Wives. They strive side by side with their husbands for the faith of the Gospel. They participate in activities and focus on the objective of winning others to the Lord Jesus Christ. Membership is subject to approval from the membership committee.
Spiritual qualification: A person who intends to join The Gideons International in South Africa must:
- Believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God (II Timothy 3: 16).
- Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God (John 3:16).
- Have received the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Saviour (Romans 10:9).
- Endeavour to follow Christ in his/her daily life (Romans 12:12).
- Believe in the endless lake of fire for the unsaved (Revelation 20:10-15).
- Be a member in good standing of a local Protestant or Evangelical church.
- Be a layman, not a clergyman or to be recognised as one.
Annual Membership fee 2024 /2025:
Gideons: R1 300 per year
Gideons’ Wives: R650 per year
Having God’s Word can lead people to faith in Christ and new Christians can grow by studying the Bible (God’s Word) and may use it to share their faith with others.
Our members personally distribute Bibles and New Testaments to, for example, the following people and areas: Learners, tertiary students, police officers, members of the armed forces, prisoners, as well as at hotels, guest houses, doctors’ and lawyers’ rooms, pregnancy centres and old age homes with a clinic. We have distributed more than 42 million Bibles and New Testaments since the establishment of The Gideons International in South Africa in 1950.

Want to become a Gideon?
Are you ready to personally witness and share New Testaments to people you come across in your daily life? Fill in the form and we will get in touch.
