The Bible, or parts of it, is translated in more than 2,200 languages and dialects. The complete Bible is available in over 370 languages; the New Testament is published in 960 languages. Ninety-six per cent of the world population can read the Bible.
In French we have a wide range of versions, from the much appreciated J. N. Darby’s literal translation to the modern speech editions. However, do you know there are as many Christian books published in English as in all the other languages combined?
We estimate there are approximately 125 million francophones around the world—in Europe, Canada, West Indies, Africa and Asia. Sixteen countries in Africa have French as the official language. In the latter, French is the everyday language of the better educated class. Nevertheless, there are twenty percent more francophones in Africa than in the rest of the world.
The writer has been involved in the publication and distribution of French Christian literature for half a century in Quebec. The beginning of this ministry was very modest, but it has grown steadily. It is now under the management of our son-in-law, Jean-Paul Gosselin, with the help of three co-workers.
We operate a Christian bookstore in a shopping center in Quebec City. A wide selection of Bibles, sound commentaries, Sunday school material, selected books on various topics, etc., are on display. We serve believers from different horizons. Sometimes non-Christians give us the opportunity to present the gospel. About fifteen people have been saved, baptized and received in assembly fellowship as a result of the bookstore ministry.
About two thirds of the sales are made through correspondence, in the province of Quebec and the neighboring provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario, and elsewhere, even the U. S. A. We have distributors of our own publications in Europe and also send parcels to Africa and Haiti.
A Christian bookstore is a light in a dark world. We could tell you many stories of people who had their life and destiny changed by the grace of God through Christian literature. People who would never go to a gospel meeting may look at books on display, ask questions and accept a piece of literature.
We have published many gospel tracts and over twenty books and booklets which are distributed by bookstores wherever French is spoken. Some of them are translated into other languages as well. Our book on worship is to be translated and published in the local language of Tadzhikistan.
We also import from Switzerland, Finland, and Belgium books which are not published in Quebec. As general distributors of the Geneva Bible Society (publishers of the French Scofield Bible), we serve bookstores all through Canada and U. S. A.
This short account of our French literature ministry is a call for prayer. We need wisdom to select the best available literature, honoring the Lord and true to His Word. We wish to see more non-Christians visiting the bookstore. Also, may the Lord give wisdom to the staff to know how to answer everyone asking questions. “A word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (Prov. 15:23).