'A divine purpose'
By SONJA GLEATON, T&D Staff Writer | Sunday, August 26, 2007
 
In many places worldwide, 10 or more seminary students share a single Bible. And Sunday school teachers at newly organized churches teach children about Jesus without the aid of lesson books.
 
There is a huge demand for Christian literature and resources across the globe, and Edwin L. Hodges Ministries in Decatur, Ala., is working hard to bridge the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots."
 
St. George Baptist Church members Linnie and Annette Sutcliffe of Norway are involved locally with the ministry, which recycles church literature and ships it to missionaries, pastors, church planters, Bible students and libraries in 146 countries on six continents.
 
"You may have a cache lying around collecting dust that missionaries, church planters and pastors greatly need for their ministries," Annette Sutcliffe said.
 
Her husband said all sorts of Christian publications -- Bibles, Bible commentaries, Sunday school lesson books, resource kits, missions magazines, etc. -- are sorted, labeled and delivered to the ELHM warehouse before being shipped to meet needs globally.
 
As a local collection site for ELHM, St. George volunteers process the donated items before they are transported, in person, to Alabama.
 
"Driving to Decatur takes us approximately seven hours," Linnie Sutcliffe said. "We usually spend a few days working at the warehouse.
 
"From assisting with sorting boxes and filling huge shipping crates, to repairing worn, tattered covers on books and Bibles, there is much work to be done, and all the processing is done by volunteers."
 
The Rev. Edwin L. Hodges founded the ministry in 1994 as a way to help meet the demand for Christian literature by missionaries serving in foreign countries. Hodges says the need for Bibles and other teaching resources has continued to increase since that time.
 
"During the year 2006, a total of 1,212,114 pounds of literature was distributed to 40 different countries." he said. "And we receive new orders for Christian literature on a daily basis.
 
"Many of the requests come from discipleship and Bible teaching schools that train the nationals. We also provide materials to newly converted Christians who are hungry to grow in the knowledge of Jesus."
 
St. George Baptist Church got involved in Hodges' ministry four years ago, after a group of church members went on a mission trip to Taiwan. While there, the group discovered that one Bible was being shared by 20 students at a seminary, and libraries only had a few Bibles on-hand.
 
Church member Gail Fogle said the experience awakened her heart to a need many Americans take for granted.
 
"We learned that many people in Taiwan spoke English, and others were studying English as a second language. But there weren't many Christian publications for them to read, and even Bibles were scarce," Fogle said. "We thought about the countless books and other Christian resources that were being discarded in our home churches, and this realization opened the door to recycling for us."
 
At first, Fogle said, St. George attempted to ship the literature themselves. But while the church had an abundance of magazines, Sunday school books and so forth to donate, the overseas shipping process proved to be cost prohibitive.
 
"That's when Edwin L. Hodges Ministries came to mind," she said. "I first learned about the ministry at Rivelon Baptist Church. A telephone call to them put me in touch with Mr. Hodges, who agreed to come to St. George Baptist and help us form a partnership. Linnie and Annette Sutcliffe have worked faithfully with the ministry ever since."
 
According to Hodges, the literature recycling ministry is beneficial to both the giver and the recipient.
 
"Pastors in the United States have reported to me how much it distressed them to have Sunday school and other teaching materials left over," he said. "Not knowing what to do with the books and magazines, and reluctant to throw Christian literature in the trash, stacks of books, magazines and other materials accumulated. But in many parts of the world, there was a shortage of Bibles and other Christian publications for missions work, evangelism and teaching.
 
"God planted the seed and raised up Edwin L. Hodges Ministries to help meet those needs, and the ministry took off like a rocket."
 
As word of the ELHM Christian literature recycling ministry spreads, Orangeburg area churches grow eager to participate, Annette Sutcliffe said.
 
"A number of local churches bring us leftover vacation Bible school materials and Sunday school resource kits that contain bea.jpgul color pictures that can be used for teaching Bible stories," she said. "Missions magazines for all ages and hymnals are being recycled.
 
"Because these materials are shipped to places such as Kenya and Peru, churches have the opportunity to participate in a foreign missions project without having to travel out of the country."
 
In addition to the literature, monetary donations are accepted to help cover shipping costs. The materials are provided free of charge to those requesting them.
 
"God has a divine purpose for our leftover literature," Hodges said. "Most pastors in India will preach and live their lives without ever owning a Bible concordance or commentary, and gifts such as these are greatly appreciated.
 
"There is not a language on Earth, apart from English, that has enough Christian books to supply a library for a Bible school."
 
To learn more about the ministry at St. George Baptist Church, call 803-534-3790. For more information about Edwin L. Hodges Ministries, call 1-888-604-3004 or visit www. elhm.org.
 
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