Gideons

Three traveling salesmen in the U.S.A. felt led by God in 1899 to form an association of Christian commercial travelers for the purpose of mutual recognition, personal evangelism and united service for the Lord Jesus Christ. They chose to name their association after Gideon, an Old Testament leader who did a great work for God with a few chosen men.

In 1911, Canadian Gideon members established their own national association, having organized local chapters (camps) in Toronto and Hamilton. In 1925 the wives of the Toronto Gideons met together to pray for their husbands, and so the first Auxiliary was born. God has blessed this association and today there are 3400 Gideons and 2300 Auxiliary members in 313 camps across Canada. These men and women are part of an international organization of over 230,000 members who give of their time to distribute God's Word at their own expense.