“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 ESV

At its heart, Christianity is a free gift of God’s grace. It’s this simple truth that drives the ministry and philanthropy of American Bible Society financial partner and former employee Bruce Hoeger.

“Christianity is the present,” Bruce says. “We’re just trying to create a wrapping that is attractive to people!”

Bruce comes from a family of showmen—his brother is an acrobatic stuntman who trains Hollywood actors how to play the superhero Spiderman—and Bruce has a knack for creative evangelism that grabs the attention of a culture that might otherwise ignore the call of Christ.

Exhibit A: the “Bible Mobile.”

Bruce recently refurbished a classic 1952 MG automobile. He’s proud that the car’s color scheme matches the red, white, and blue of American Bible Society. More than that, Bruce is proud to faithfully use his one-of-a-kind car to further the mission of American Bible Society—doing his very best to ensure that his Bay Area neighbors have an opportunity to experience God’s love for them through the Scriptures.

“I’m trying to change the whole perception of Christianity,” Bruce says. “Christianity has a negative connotation now. We’re classified as stodgy, judgmental people. Most Americans are aware of Jesus and his teachings, but that’s about it. And most people where I live are unchurched.”

If you visit an In-N-Out hamburger joint on a sunny California afternoon, you just might see Bruce in the parking lot, showing off his beautiful Bible Mobile to a crowd of fascinated passersby. He’ll even hand you a free Bible and a custom-made coffee mug with these words emblazoned on it:

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
John 13:34b GNT

“If that’s not a summary of the gospel in 20 words or less, I don’t know what is!” Bruce says. “I’ll hand out the mugs and ask people if they know who said these words. They usually don’t know. That’s exactly why I give the mugs away.”

Bruce says that young people respond particularly well to his fun and creative brand of street evangelism. Delight, he says, is the reaction he’s looking for…and the reaction he gets! He’s given away about 2,000 mugs and only had a handful of negative responses.

“When you throw seed, you want to find fertile ground,” he explains. “Young kids and teenagers are incredibly grateful for a 15-dollar mug when they’re only making 10 to 15 dollars an hour. Like our faith, it’s a free gift, and people appreciate that.”

Although Bruce sees signs of spiritual decay in our society, he is hopeful that sharing the good news of God’s Word can bring about the revival he—and all of American Bible Society’s faithful partners—are praying for.

“I think we’re a materialistic country right now. I’d like to transform America again,” he says. “I want to be a part of making that happen.”

Bruce can trace this can-do spirit all the way back to his time as a gifted wrestler at the University of Washington. He even placed third in his region’s Olympic trials.

“To be a collegiate athlete, you have to be energetic, engaged, and passionate,” Bruce laughs. “And that’s how I’d still describe myself today.”

He eventually brought this energetic spirit into the seminary classroom, where he first discovered the ministry of American Bible Society.

“When I was going to seminary, all of my textbooks were so expensive. But there was one huge book the size of three catalogues—a Greek to English New Testament. It should have cost 125 dollars, but only cost five,” Bruce recalls. “It was published by American Bible Society. I was so impressed by that generous provision of God’s Word.”

Bruce was so impressed, in fact, that he joined American Bible Society as a regional representative in the Los Angeles area back when the organization had a vast network of staff and volunteers stationed in key cities throughout the country.

“I just loved what they did!” Bruce says. “When you talk about social service organizations or nonprofits that are trying to help people, American Bible Society and Christianity are the root of the tree.” Bruce has vivid memories of handing out Bible tracts in the beach towns of Southern California. Although he didn’t know it then, this activity would become a precursor to his Bible Mobile outreach many years later.

Bruce eventually left vocational ministry to become a successful businessman. But his gospel priorities haven’t budged one inch.

“I started selling real estate. Then I started buying it. Now I own and manage a whole lot of properties,” Bruce says. “I like to make money. But my ministry is more important to me than making money. Money is simply what enables me to do the ministry.”

In addition to his own street evangelism, Bruce is a longtime financial partner—an active volunteer, as he puts it—of American Bible Society, most recently making a gift to send Bibles into rural Chinese communities.

“As I become older, and I’m experiencing a greater sense of my mortality, I have a greater desire to do something for God’s Kingdom,” Bruce says. “Like I said, I’m in search of fertile ground for the seeds of God’s Word!”

And while his seed-sowing might sometimes involve creative costumes, custom coffee mugs, and classic cars, Bruce wants to make one thing abundantly clear:

“It’s not about putting a spotlight on me,” he says. “It’s about putting a spotlight on Jesus!”

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Bruce is always eager to meet other passionate partners of American Bible Society in the California Bay Area. He can be reached by email at gentle.man@comcast.net