The Mission

For many years, Berea Baptist Church has been providing New Living Translation Study Bibles to incarcerated individuals in the United States. Although our primary mission field is Montana, we have sent Bibles to inmates all over the country. Thousands of Bibles have been distributed by our tiny congregation and we have received countless letters thanking the church for providing the gift of God's word to those who are lost in despair.

How did we choose this ministry?

In the 1990's, a family member of one of our congregants found himself in jail, again. When he asked for help, his brother told him, "I can send you a Bible." When the Bible was accepted, he began to read it. When he was eventually released from prison, the brother found his way to our church and became a member. 

While he was still in prison, other inmates saw "Jim" (we've changed his name for this article) and began to ask questions. Eventually, they contacted our church and asked if we could send them a Bible as well. Those Bible's led to more and more requests until we realized we had found a way to serve God by sending his word into jails and prisons.

The Results

Among the thousands of men and women who have received Bibles, many have started Bible studies while incarcerated. Those Bible studies have continued to this day, and as inmates are moved from facility to facility while serving out their sentences, those who have been a part of a Bible study in one prison have gone on to start another at their new location. It is impossible for us to know how many people this mission has reached by now. It really has become a picture of the heart of Christianity; one man shared God's word with another, who shared it with another, etc. So many seeds have been planted and the harvest has been abundant. 

How can you help?

The congregation of Berea Baptist Church is faithful to giving financially to support this ministry. We buy cases of Bibles every month, as many as we have the money to purchase. While the requests continue to pour in, God has blessed us with the ability to supply a Bible to all who ask.

By clicking here and making a donation to the Bible ministry, you are allowing us to buy even more Bibles to distribute. These funds are completely dedicated to this mission and not one penny of your donation will be spent on other expenses.

Of course, if you are interested in helping our little church keep the lights on and the cisterns filled, you can support the general operational budget by making a one time offering or providing an ongoing monthly gift by clicking here.

We are continually amazed by God's awesome power and by the way he has turned a small gesture into a decades long outreach program, and we are humbled to be able to be his faithful stewards in this ministry.