Sardar Mushtaq Gill Calls for a New Standard in Bible Distribution: “A Bible Must Be Read, Not Simply Distributed”

LEAD Ministries Founder Appeals to Bible Societies, Printing Agencies, Missions, and Donors to Prioritize Readability, Quality, and Responsible Stewardship

By Sardar Mushtaq Gill, Founder of LEAD Ministries

There is an important issue within Bible distribution that deserves greater attention: the readability and practical usefulness of the Bibles and Christian literature being distributed around the world.

I write this open letter with respect for the many Bible societies, Christian organizations, missionaries, churches, donors, and volunteers who work tirelessly to make the Word of God available to people who might otherwise have limited access to it.

Their work is valuable. Their mission is important. The financial sacrifices made by donors deserve our highest respect.

But precisely because these resources are precious, we must also ask whether we are using them as effectively as possible.

A Bible Should Be Readable

When a Bible is printed for distribution, the first consideration should not simply be how many copies can be produced for a particular amount of money.

We should also ask a more fundamental question:

Can the person receiving this Bible comfortably read it?

If the print is unnecessarily small, the Bible may become difficult or even impractical for many readers. This can particularly affect older people and those with visual difficulties, but readability is important for everyone.

A Bible is not valuable merely because it has been printed and distributed.

Its purpose is fulfilled when people can open it, read it, study it, return to it, and keep it as part of their lives.

When Saving Money Becomes a False Economy

Christian organizations understandably have to manage limited financial resources. Printing Bibles in large quantities can be expensive, particularly when publications must be transported across borders and distributed in remote or economically disadvantaged communities.

There is nothing wrong with seeking economical and efficient ways to print and distribute Scripture.

However, cost reduction should not undermine the usefulness of the final product.

Reducing the physical size of a Bible may require less paper, occupy less storage space, and sometimes reduce transportation costs. But if reducing the size of the publication also results in unnecessarily tiny text, organizations should carefully consider whether they have achieved a genuine saving—or simply produced a publication that many recipients may find difficult to use.

The cheapest Bible is not necessarily the most effective Bible.

True stewardship means finding the right balance between affordability, quality, durability, readability, and usefulness.

Distribution Numbers Are Not the Whole Story

Bible ministries often report the number of Bibles and Christian publications they distribute. Such figures can demonstrate the scale and reach of their work.

But distribution figures alone cannot tell the complete story.

We should also consider what happens after a Bible has been distributed.

Does the recipient read it?

Does the family keep it in the home?

Can an older person read the text comfortably?

Does the recipient use it for prayer and Bible study?

Does the publication become a lasting resource rather than something that is put away and forgotten?

These questions do not diminish the importance of Bible distribution. Instead, they can help ministries understand whether their efforts are producing the intended long-term benefit.

Special Consideration for Older Readers

One of the concerns I wish to highlight is the practical difficulty that small print can create for older readers and people with reduced vision.

A Bible may be complete and beautifully produced, yet still be difficult for someone to read because of its typography and font size.

This is particularly important when publications are intended for broad public distribution.

A ministry cannot assume that every person receiving a Bible has the same eyesight, reading conditions, or ability to handle very small text.

A Bible read under bright conditions at a desk is different from a Bible read at home, in a church, during a Bible study, or in a community where adequate lighting may not always be available.

Readability is therefore not merely a matter of appearance. It is a matter of practical access.

Quality and Quantity Should Work Together

This appeal is not an argument against producing Bibles economically or distributing them in large numbers.

Rather, it is a call for quality and quantity to work together.

A ministry may be able to distribute more copies by making a publication smaller and reducing production costs. But if the resulting Bible is difficult to read, the ministry should carefully consider whether increasing the number of copies is truly the best use of its resources.

A smaller number of high-quality, readable Bibles may have greater long-term usefulness than a larger number of publications that recipients find difficult to read.

The objective should not be to choose between quality and quantity.

The objective should be to achieve the greatest possible impact with the resources available.

A Message to Bible Printing Agencies

My appeal also extends to Bible printing agencies and publishers.

Bible printing is a specialized responsibility. Decisions about font size, typography, paper, layout, binding, and overall design can directly affect the experience of the person who eventually receives and reads the Bible.

Printing agencies and publishers should therefore consider the final reader—not simply the specifications of the printing order.

A publication can be technically successful from a production perspective while still being less successful from the reader's perspective.

The person who receives the Bible is the ultimate user.

The user’s ability to read it should remain at the heart of the design.

A Message to Missionaries and Distribution Ministries

Missionaries and distribution workers are often the people who see firsthand how recipients respond to the materials they receive.

I encourage these workers to communicate honestly with the organizations that supply their Bibles and Christian literature.

If recipients consistently say that particular publications are too small, difficult to read, or impractical, that feedback should be taken seriously.

Field workers can provide valuable information that cannot always be obtained from printing and distribution statistics.

They know whether people are taking the materials home, whether families are reading them, and whether certain formats are more useful than others.

The experience and feedback of the recipient should become part of the decision-making process.

A Message to Donors

Donors also have an important role to play.

People who contribute to Bible distribution are entrusting their resources to ministries because they want to see Scripture reach people.

They should therefore be encouraged to ask organizations responsible for Bible distribution reasonable questions about how those resources are being used.

 Donors may ask:

·         What type of Bible or Christian literature is being printed?

·         Is the text sufficiently readable?

·         Who is the intended audience?

·         How was the format selected?

·         What feedback has been received from recipients?

·         How does the organization measure the effectiveness of its distribution?

·         How is the ministry balancing cost, quality, readability, and usefulness?

Such questions should not automatically be interpreted as criticism.

Responsible questions can lead to responsible ministry.

Transparency, accountability, and good stewardship can strengthen confidence in Bible distribution rather than weaken it.

From Counting Copies to Measuring Impact

The broader message is that Christian organizations should consider moving beyond a single measurement of success.

The number of copies distributed is important, but it is only one indicator.

A more complete evaluation could also consider whether publications are being read, retained, shared, and used over time.

A Bible that remains in a home and is read regularly has achieved something different from a Bible that was merely handed to someone and never opened.

The distinction is important.

Distribution is the beginning of the mission, not necessarily the end of it.

The ultimate hope is that Scripture will enter people's homes, families, conversations, and daily lives.

This Is a Call for Improvement, Not Condemnation

This open letter should be understood as a constructive appeal rather than a condemnation of Bible societies, missionaries, publishers, or distribution ministries.

Around the world, thousands of Christians and Christian organizations dedicate their time, money, and lives to making Scripture available.

Their work deserves recognition and encouragement.

The purpose of raising the issue of readability is to encourage these organizations to examine whether there are areas where Bible distribution can become even more effective.

Every ministry should continually ask how its methods can be improved.

Good ministry does not simply repeat what has always been done. It listens, evaluates, learns, and improves.

The Responsibility Behind Every Donated Dollar

Behind every Bible distributed, there is often a donor who made a sacrifice.

Someone gave money.

Someone prayed.

Someone organized a collection.

Someone helped transport the books.

Someone printed them.

Someone carried them into a community.

And finally, someone received the Bible.

That chain of responsibility means that every stage matters.

When resources are limited, ministries have a duty to use them thoughtfully.

The question should not simply be:

“How many copies can we produce?”

It should also be:

How can we make every copy as useful as possible?”

The Appeal

My appeal to international Bible societies, printing agencies, missions, missionaries, churches, publishers, and donors is therefore straightforward:

Please do not sacrifice readability for the sake of numbers.

Where circumstances allow, Bible distribution programs should prioritize clear typography, comfortable font sizes, durable construction, and formats appropriate for the intended recipients.

Special editions can be designed for particular needs, but general distribution should take into account the broad range of people who may receive and use the Bible.

A Bible should be something people can comfortably hold, open, and read.

A Bible for Every Home—and a Bible People Can Actually Read

The vision behind Bible distribution is a powerful one: that people everywhere should have access to Scripture.

But access should mean more than physical possession.

True access means being able to read the words.

It means being able to engage with the message.

It means having a publication that can be used repeatedly in the home, church, and community.

It means giving people something they are pleased to keep rather than something they find difficult to use.

I therefore conclude this appeal with a challenge to the Christian community worldwide:

Let us continue distributing Bibles—but let us distribute better Bibles.

Let us continue raising funds—but let us use those funds wisely.

Let us continue measuring distribution—but let us also measure usefulness and impact.

Above all:

Let us not simply put Bibles into people’s hands. Let us put readable Bibles into their hands—Bibles they can open, read, keep, and share.

This is not an argument against Bible distribution.

It is an argument for better Bible distribution.

It is a call to respect the donor, respect the recipient, and respect the purpose for which these resources were given.

Because when the objective is to make the Word of God accessible, readability should never be treated as an afterthought.

Sardar Mushtaq Gill

Founder, LEAD Ministries

LEADPAKISTAN2009@GMAIL.COM