Why the name Gideon?
The choice of the name derives from the biblical character Gideon (The Bible, Book of Judges, Chapter 6 and 7), the leader who, with a small group of men consecrated to God, managed to accomplish great and memorable feats. The founders of the organization let themselves be guided by the Lord in choosing the name for the Association and saw in the figure of Gideon the right qualities to pursue in carrying out their precious mission. Like him, they had to completely rely on God without trusting in their own strength, aware that with Him they would do great things. Gideon was one of the judges whom God used during the domination of the Midianites. He was a young man from the humblest family of the tribe of Manasseh, and he himself was the youngest in his father’s house. When the Lord appeared to him, he struggled to believe that he was chosen to save his people, so he repeatedly asked God for a sign. The Lord accommodated Gideon’s disbelief and provided evidence according to the young man’s requests, confirming that it was indeed He who called him and that with His help, he would deliver Israel.
How was the association born?
In the fall of 1898, John H. Nicholson, a traveling salesman from Janesville, Wisconsin, USA, arrived at the Central Hotel in Boscobel, also in Wisconsin, to spend the night. Since the hotel was full, he was suggested to share a double room with Samuel E. Hill from Beloit. John Nicholson had the habit of reading the Word of God and praying every day, as he had promised to his dying mother at the age of twelve, and that evening he planned to read the Bible before going to bed. Seeing this, Samuel Hill revealed that he too was a Christian, and they began praying together. During one of their evening prayers while kneeling before God, the two men had the idea that would later become an association.
On May 31, 1899, meeting in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, they decided to bring together Christian traveling salesmen so they could know each other, engage in personal evangelization, and provide unified service to the Lord. They organized a meeting in Janesville at the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) headquarters.
Only three people were present: John H. Nicholson, Samuel E. Hill, and Will J. Knights. They organized with Hill as president, Knights as vice president, and Nicholson as secretary and treasurer. After praying specifically for God to guide them in choosing the right name for the Association, Knights stood up and said, “We will call ourselves Gideons.” He read chapters 6 and 7 of Judges and explained the reasons for adopting that name.
Gideon was a man willing to precisely fulfill the will of God, regardless of his personal opinions and plans or the results. The key components of his character were humility, faith, and obedience. This is the standard that the Gideons International seeks to maintain among all its members, so that each one is ready to do God’s will, guided by the Holy Spirit. Since almost all Gideons in the early years of the association were travelers, the initiative arose spontaneously to be able to testify more effectively in the hotels where they were forced to spend most of their time.