12,000 Gospels Across North West Tasmania

Since November, Latrobe Baptist Church has coordinated the distribution of 12,000 copies of the Gospel of John across North West Tasmania. Jim Benn, who has helped lead the project, said the original vision was simple: “to distribute testaments around North West Tassie.” The Gospels were imported from the United States and distributed through a range of local networks and partnerships.

The project has included around 1,200 copies provided to school chaplains across the North West and approximately 1,000 distributed through hospitals. Additional copies have also been shared through churches and community connections throughout the region.

What has been encouraging is the emphasis not simply on large-scale distribution, but on personal connection. Jim said the preference has been for copies to be shared “one to one” where possible — creating opportunities for conversation, encouragement, and faith-sharing in everyday settings. 

The project is continuing, with another pallet of 12,000 Gospels expected to arrive soon. Churches and Christian organisations across Tasmania are being invited to participate in the next stage of distribution. Jim said the desire is simply to make the resources widely available: “We’re happy to give them to any Christian organisation in Tasmania who can distribute them.”

While the current focus remains on North West Tasmania, there is also hope that similar initiatives might emerge in other parts of the state over time, with churches exploring how they might participate in their own local communities. Sometimes stories of mission begin with large events. Sometimes they begin more quietly — with a conversation, an invitation, or a Gospel placed into someone’s hands.