History of the Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association, Inc.

Pat & Leon Bates, 1970

In 1952, God used a Gospel tract by Dr. John R. Rice to be instrumental in the salvation of Leon Bates. In 1953, Leon and Pat were married. After service in the United States Air Force, Leon attended the Arizona Bible Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Leon worked for 20 years in electronic work in the aero-space field while continuing a ministry of Bible teaching and evangelistic work. Leon and Pat left their secular jobs in 1970 for full time ministry work.

In 1970, the Lord led them to establish the Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association, Inc. as a non-denominational, non-profit religious corporation in Dallas, Texas. The charter purpose of the ministry was to "teach, preach, proclaim, evangelize, publish and distribute by oral, written or other means, the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures of the Christian faith." In 1980, the ministry offices were moved to Sherman, Texas.

Starting in 1992, Leon and Pat worked with other Christians during several summers in Russia, distributing medical supplies, Russian Bibles and Russian Gospel tracts, teaching Bible classes and leading precious Russian people to faith in Christ for their salvation. They also had the joy of working with the Rocky Mountain Bible Church in Frisco, Colorado to establish a Bible church in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Pat loved people. She loved to share the good news about Jesus Christ with people. Pat is here shown giving a Russian Bible and a Russian Bible Map tract to an elderly Russian man in a small village along the Volga River, between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Who can forget the spiritual hunger of the precious Russian people? Pat is in the bus handing Bibles down to a team member, who is pinned against the wall of the bus. As he tries to distribute the free Bibles to the people, they are reaching ... trying to get their hands on a Bible for themselves.

Leon & Ruth Bates, 2002

Now do you understand our JOY in missionary work in Russia?

In 1996, after 3 years of treatments for cancer, Pat "graduated to heaven."

Six years later, God brought Ruth Gross, a Godly Christian widow, into Leon's life and the ministry. Ruth and her late husband, Leo Gross, were long time friends of Leon and Pat.

Leon and Ruth were married in 2002 and now they continue the ministry work together. He took her to Russia on the 10th Anniversary of the St. Petersburg Bible Church to meet the wonderful Christian believers there.

Since 1970, millions of the tracts have been printed in several languages, which can also be downloaded freely worldwide on this website. The ministry materials produced for believers to use for God's glory include class room size poster charts for teaching, Audio CD, Power Point CD and DVD video tools for Bible teaching and evangelism.

The ministry is approved by the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Texas as a non-profit religious organization. Contributions to "Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association, Inc." are income tax deductible and every gift will be acknowledged with a receipt from the BBEA office.

Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association, Inc.
189 Old Perrin Rd.
Sherman, TX, 75092
Phone: 1-(903)893-7787

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