Founded in 1809, the Bible Society of Maine has been committed to making the Word of God available to all people – in a language and format that each can understand, and at a price that each can afford – that they might know Jesus Christ as Savior and follow Him as Lord.  For nearly 200 years, individuals and churches have contributed time, money and effort to spreading the Gospel through the Bible Society of Maine. We carry a broad selection of foreign language Bibles – in a city where the immigrant population is large and varied.  It is heartening to see the smile on the face of a person when they see the Word of God written in their native language!   Among the groups with whom we work are Habitat for Humanity,  Prison Ministries, Seafarer’s Friend, institutional chaplains, school and public libraries, college and youth outreach, and local churches. We also have what is probably the largest hand-written Bible in the world.The project, initiated in 1923 by then Superintendent of the Bible Society, Edmund T Garland, involved distributing pages from an old Bible along with large (21’x28’) blank sheets. Individuals from across the State each copied a page using pen and ink. The desire was for a broad cross-section of citizens to participate.  The oldest was Aunt Mary, a 91-year-old Quaker from Brunswick; the youngest was a 6-year-old who wrote, "Jesus wept”. One page was written by a millionaire, one by a pauper.  One copyist was a college president; another was a man whose whole school life consisted of only a few weeks.  Another was written by then Gov. Percival Baxter, and yet another by a prisoner serving a life term. A Jewish Rabbi and a Greek Catholic Priest did their pages with equal grace, and the Book of Ruth was copied by girls named Ruth. Many of the copyists were students at secondary schools or colleges, including a student from Cuba. Each signed their name at the bottom of the page. There are also beautifully ink-drawn, full-page illustrations.  As we enter the 21st Century, we continue to be committed to goal of our founders, even as we re-evaluate how to best carry out that mission in a world so radically changed. We invite you to be a part of the ongoing work of the Bible Society of Maine.

The Bible Society of Maine is a 501(3)c non-profit corporation. Our Board of Directors
represents a cross-section of denominations and theological viewpoints, and includes
clergy, lay and religious persons. Our work in funded entirely by the donations of
members and friends, past and present.