Answers to FAQ
Biblia Global operates in a unique way that is different from other ministries. While we don't think everyone needs to operate according to our method, we do believe God has called us to this unique approach, walking in faith and obedience to Him. Here are some answers to questions we have received recently for those who may be new to our ministry:
Q: Who receives the Bibles you fund?
A: Christians in closed countries who have no other way to receive God's Word. Most of those we serve have one, a combination, or all of the following characteristics in common:
They live in closed countries;
Face persecution from the governing authorities for their Christian faith;
Lack financial resources to purchase a Bible if one were available, and nearly all the time, a Bible is not available for purchase;
Live in very remote areas within a closed country.
We have heard many times from those we serve that their church and larger people group have been praying for decades for a physical copy of God's Word in their heart language.
Q: How does Biblia Global meet that need?
A: We have a network of contacts - indigenous ministry volunteers, western missionaries, and partner organizations - who work with us to get Bibles to those who are asking for a Bible and have already been identified. We cannot share the names of these partners for their safety and the operating methods. We aren't westerners tossing Bibles out the back of trucks to just anyone who wants one; We are working with local pastors and church networks to identify the need and strategically get the Bibles to those who have been waiting and praying for a Bible, some for many decades. In most cases, the need is so great, only one Bible is given per family of 5-9 people.
Q: Do you have paid staff? Do you have offices in the US we can visit?
A: Biblia Global is an all volunteer run organization that doesn't have paid staff or have an office we pay overhead for. All of those who volunteer their time to make the organization run have outside employment or income that pay their family's bills and serve the organization from their homes. This is how we keep out administration costs low. Those administration costs we do have are paid for by those who give to the "General/Where most needed" fund and generally amount to less that 5% of the total expenditures in a given year. 100% of donations given to Bible projects go directly to those designated projects!
Q: How does Biblia Global raise funds?
A: We pray! We ask God to move in the hearts of people and churches to give; and to connect us to new partner churches and donors. We have never solicited new or old donors to donate. We have never employed professional fund raisers. We share project updates, pictures and testimonies of the work so those who give can see how there donations are used and the impact their giving has. We share corresponding giving opportunities to give in this newsletter and on our website as a way to respond to God's movement. A summary of our financial approach can be found here.
Q: If I take the total project expenses for past years and divided it by the number of Bibles you fund in that year, the resulting cost per Bible is less than the $4 - $14.50 you state on your website of what a Bible costs to print and deliver?
A: The discrepancy is simple. The cost to print and deliver a Bible is approximately $4 - $14.50 USD. What we pay to fund for Bible projects each year may be just the printing, just the delivery costs of the Bibles that someone else paid to print, or a just volunteers carrying into a closed country what has already been printed and shipped. Or the project cost is a combination of all three costs! Sometimes we pay for Bibles to be printed at the end of a calendar year and the printing takes 3-4 months so we don't pay for the shipping until the next calendar year, thus further splitting the costs over multiple years.
Rest assured we seek to use the funds God has entrusted to us in the most efficient, cost effective manner, trying to get the most "bang for our buck", while getting believers the actual Bibles they are asking for. If the believers want the words slightly larger so they can read the print easier? We work to make that happen. Do they want the words of Christ in Red? We will pay the extra for that cost. And again, 100% given to a Bible project goes to that Bible project.
Q: Why don't you share more about your organizations leadership and board of directors on your website?
A: We work in a highly sensitive security environment. While we desire to be as transparent as possible with our organization there is a good amount we cannot share publicly. This is to protect the individuals and their families who serve our organization, our methods of operation, our contacts and the indigenous believers we serve.
We hope you understand we cannot answer some sensitive questions so we can keep getting God's Word to God's people! While westerners may ask what they think are benign questions, we don't know who is behind a keyboard or even an initial personal interaction, if that person is safe, working at the behest of a foreign intelligence agency, or would use the information given to tear down the work. Please help us keep this important kingdom work safe by not sharing sensitive information publicly!