Meet the Founders

William Scott	Joyce Scott
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Testimony of Dr. William Scott

“While in my teens I was seeker of truth and reality, a deep thinker and a voracious reader. I probably could have achieved my goals and become big in the eyes of the world, but that night, when I found Christ, my ambitions changed. I came to know, intimately, the person of Jesus Christ and His love. I was reoriented from the world to Christ and His cause.

At 15 years of age I began to preach with the wisdom the Lord gave me through studying his Word.  A friend and I teamed up and began evangelistic meetings at cinema theatres, roads and market places. The Lord in His grace used us mightily and people began to call me ‘the boy preacher of Ulster ' (Northern Ireland ). Though I was unwilling to consider the call of God to missions, eventually I found myself surrendering completely to God. Soon I joined Bible College and upon finishing, I was convinced to go to India as I have been burdened with the need of India. I knew that, in the fifties India had 1/6th of the world's population and it had only about 1/20th of the total missionary work force.

With advice I went to college for further study after which I went to work in a company as a Cost Accountant. I was trying for a passage on a ship to India and in September that year I got a call from the shipping company informing that there was a cancellation. If I were willing to leave immediately I could have this booking. I had just enough money for the ticket offered and so prepared to sail for India.

In London I met a single lady missionary, Miss Joyce Yost. We arrived in India in October, 1950 and we were married in January 1952. Our first assignment was to a school in Peddapalli, A.P. As I went to the bazaar to distribute tracts, gospels and New Testaments, I would see people with gunny (burlap) sacks selling political books at very low, subsidized prices and even making a profit of 50% from the sale. The New Testaments were being sold at Rs.3.50.

The idea of India Bible Literature started from this to make Bible Literature affordable to anyone at competitive rates.  Selling many New Testament copies at subsidized rates, the vision grew from the small village at Peddapalli spreading to an All-India-programme. The Lord also provided the means through partners from overseas to enable us to reach every home in India.

Joyce and I after ten years of work in A.P. moved to Madras, in Tamil Nadu as it offered better facilities to spread the gospel literature on an all- India level. The next two decades saw significant increase in the number of Bibles that we placed in Indian homes, in partnership with World Home Bible League. Our moving to Madras in 1975 helped us with publishing, warehousing and shipping as part of the great challenge and growth in the dissemination of Scripture materials.

My role as Honorary Director of World Home League for India, partnership with the American Baptist Home League and the Literacy International, U.S.A. enhanced us in moving forward in the area of literature and later to literacy work. The Adult Literacy programs soon covered many states of India and eventually established Literacy India Trust as a registered social organization within I.B.L.

Demand of literature from other ministries further made us grow in several respects. Regional offices were set up in Guntur (South India Bible Literature, Faridabad (North India Bible Literature) and Kolkata (East India Bible Literature) and in Bombay (Central India Bible Literature. Besides, we started I.B.L. Book Depot in Bangalore.

The growth and achievement of IBL truly is a story of the Lord’s guidance and provision, the committed work of IBL Directors, staff and partners.   The future of I.B.L. is as bright as the promises of God. He has promised to supply all our need according to His riches in glory through Christ. We truly believe that. To God be the glory”!

Testimony of Dr. (Mrs.) Joyce M. Scott

“I was challenged to give my life for full time service of God while I was in my last year of my high school. As I had planned to go into medical research in cells and tissues, there was a struggle inside me when the Lord wanted me for his ministry.

After much struggles, I accepted the challenge and joined B.A. in Biblical Education at the Columbia Bible College in South Carolina where I also did Teacher's Training. After I attended a Student Foreign Mission Conference where Pat Major spoke about India and my heart opened to the needs of this country. That was in 1942 and the challenge about 392 million people in India had struck me and burdened my heart.

My Church in York, Pennsylvania, stood with my decision to come to India, though it was the time of World War II. After four years of being in various kinds of Christian work, I finally sailed for India in 1950. I, met William Scott in the ship and we came to Secunderabad via Bombay and started our language study there.

After two years of language study with a Brahmin Pundit, we were assigned a school in Peddapalli, A.P. After five years of work, we saw the standard of the school coming up and the Government recognizing the school before our first furlough.

After ten years in 1961, we joined the C.S.I. Dornakal Diocese accepting various responsibilities. While I was the Supervisor of the hospital laboratory, Bill was the Business Manager at the same hospital in Karimnagar.  Later in 1965, we were invited to join the American Baptists at the Clough Memorial Hospital, in Ongole, A.P. and served there for the next ten years. All along Bill was involved, with the literature ministry.

We have always had the desire to train and turn over to train and move on. That is the one reason that India Bible Literature grew and is continuing to grow because we continually accept the challenge that comes within the purposes of Christian literature evangelism and scripture distribution”.