In this 155th Annual Report we record the work of God in making Himself known to the world through His Word. The perfect revelation of God is found in the Person of Jesus Christ, the beloved eternal Son of the eternal Father. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this perfect revelation is fully set forth in the pages of the Bible. By the working of the same Spirit, these precious words are sent out into all the world and are effectually applied to the hearts of individual human readers, leading them to repentance and faith and reformation of life. The Lord Jesus Christ gave bread to His disciples, to distribute it among the hungry multitude. In the same way, He has given His Word into the hands of His disciples, to distribute it among all nations, to those who are in need of spiritual food.
Circulation of over TWO MILLION Bibles and New Testaments
During the past year God has again been graciously pleased to bless the Society with the opportunities and the resources to distribute throughout the world an increased number of copies of the Holy Scriptures, including 326,000 Bibles, 1,728,000 New Testaments, 832,000 Scripture portions, 601,000 Scripture calendars, 1,022,000 Scripture leaflets, and 824,000 text cards. These figures show an increase in every category. Compared with last year there has been an 29% increase in the circulation of complete Bibles and, taken together, the number of Bibles and New Testaments amounts to more than 2,000,000 copies. The large number of New Testaments circulated continues to include the many Portuguese New Testaments which are distributed in Brazil through Gideons International. More than 2,000,000 items of Scripture have been sent out as free grants, and thousands of other copies have been sold at subsidised prices.
The World’s Need for the Word of God
Here it is relevant to pause and consider the needs of the world in which we live. It is estimated that the population of the world is fast approaching a total of five billion people. That is, the Scriptures distributed by the Society last year reached scarcely a thousandth part of the world’s population. It has to be borne in mind that half of the world population has an average income of less than £100 a year. In many countries the full cost of a Bible can represent a whole week’s wages, so that many believers find it difficult to afford their own copy of God’s Word. Those who are living in such poverty need to receive the Scriptures freely or for a merely nominal sum. Further, one third of all adults are unable to read their own language. Before they can begin to use the Bible, they need to be taught how to read. And when they can read, is there a reliable Bible translation in their language? More than two thirds of the world speak languages in which there is no sufficiently reliable translation. But even if a reliable translation is available, is it actually used? It is sadly probable that less than one out of ten professing Christians are regularly using a trustworthy version of the Bible, either because they cannot read, or because they cannot afford it, or because the Scriptures have not been translated in their language, or because the wording of an older translation is not properly understood, or because the available translations are inaccurate and unsound in matters of doctrine, or because the reader has not yet learnt to love God’s Word. Today the work of this Society, in promoting faithful versions of God’s Holy Word, needs to be greatly multiplied. We have a responsibility, in the love of Christ, to provide the Bread of Life to those who have not yet received it.
A Record Level of Expenditure
The audited financial statements show that, through God’s rich provision, the Society’s general income rose to £1,030,000, an increase of £112,000 compared with the previous year. A further £104,000 was raised from the sale of the remainder of the freehold property at Cooden Mount, Sussex, the income from which has been required to be invested, to aid the production and distribution of the “Golden Thoughts” Scripture calendar. Auxiliaries, collections, subscriptions and donations provided £223,000, and legacies rose to £150,000. Contributions receivable for Scriptures supplied rose to £511,000, an increase of almost £100,000 compared with the previous year. Investment income and bank interest amounted to £108,000. For the first time in the Society’s history, the expenditure during the year exceeded one million pounds, reaching a total of £1,058,000 compared with £731,000 in the previous year. The cost of Scriptures sold and granted amounted to £710,000, a 50% increase compared with last year. To this figure must be added distribution and production overhead costs of £224,000, and administrative and other expenditure totalling £124,000. Total expenditure exceeded income to the General Fund by £11,000. While the Society’s reserves are sufficient to cover small deficits of this kind, it is clear that any substantial increase in the number of Scriptures distributed will need to be matched by a corresponding increase of income. Meanwhile the Society has entered the new financial year with a stock of Scriptures valued at £576,000. The cost of work ordered and shortly to be undertaken is expected to be over half a million pounds, and considerable capital expenditure will be required for the extension of the Society’s warehouse facilities and the installation of a computerised accounting system.
Copies of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March, 1986, audited by KMG Thomson McLintock, are available upon request.