As both a supporter and a staff member of American Bible Society, I am drawn to the organization’s rich, long history. After nearly 200 years in faithful ministry, this organization assures me that it is built to last.

The birth of American Bible Society is uniquely tied to the passion and faith of our nation’s Founders. It was in the early 1800s that a small group of men, including John Quincy Adams, Francis Scott Key, Elias Boudinot and several other Founders came together to form American Bible Society. They believed this new young nation began on a blessed land, that we were a people set apart in a very special way, that we came here not in search of riches, but in search of God, and that we would be a free people, living under the law with faith in our maker and in our future. It was with this motivation that on a warm day in May, 1816, American Bible Society was established, laying as its foundation the Scripture found in Habakkuk 2:14, “Just as the water fills the sea, the land will be filled with people who know and honor the LORD” (CEV).

These Founders saw that by linking America to God’s Word, liberty and freedom would endure. To strengthen this foundation, they wanted to make God’s Word available to every citizen, and to people across the world. So, American Bible Society went to work distributing God’s Word across this new land, first in English and then in the first publications in Native American languages.

About the same time (1817), American Bible Society provided the first military Bibles for our armed services, distributing Bibles to our Navy on the USS John Adams, a warship docked in New York Harbor. Since then, American Bible Society has provided Bibles to our men and women in uniform in both peacetime and war. The organization also went to work on foreign language translations. Today, approximately 80 percent of the people in the world who have a Bible in their own language have one because of the work of American Bible Society.

As for me, I am happy that my decision to include American Bible Society in my will follows a long tradition. American Bible Society received its first estate gift in 1822, and started the first Charitable Gift Annuity program in 1843. Plus, it’s significant that American Bible Society has never failed to meet any of its income obligations from gift annuities, even in some very tough times. It’s comforting to know that American Bible Society pioneered many of the planned gifts utilized by many organizations today.

Today, American Bible Society is connected to more than 200 countries and territories around the world through the United Bible Societies fellowship, serving the church through Scripture distribution, translation, humanitarian efforts and tools to help people engage with Scripture in print, digital and online formats.

Personally, I have tremendous peace and assurance that my bequests will be used effectively by American Bible Society. After all, American Bible Society is built to last, and will strive to continue its mission of distributing God’s Word and the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ until that day when Christ returns to take his people home.

Interested in learning more about American Bible Society—and its 199 year history? Visit our “Contact Us” page.