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Letter to the editor

His return to politics thwarted by a higher call

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published May 1, 2005

John A. Grant Jr. of Tampa spent 21 years in the Florida Legislature, seven in the House and 14 in the Senate. These days he's a lobbyist for clients ranging from the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Orchestra to pediatric dentists.

Grant, 61, lives in Carrollwood in northwest Tampa. His house sits on the edge of one congressional district and he can look out his window at a second one. By a rare coincidence, both of those seats in Congress will be vacant next year.

So the veteran pol sized up the idea of getting back in. Two possible districts, two entirely different challenges. "I love politics," Grant told me. "I've been in politics all my life in one form or another."

But as you will see, things worked out slightly differently. The other day Grant announced that he won't be running for Congress after all.

Instead, he'll be traveling around the world handing out Bibles.

Well, okay, not all by himself. But in March, Grant was the first U.S. citizen to be elected chairman of the Americas Board of the global United Bible Societies. Grant now oversees Bible distribution for a quarter of the planet.

The United Bible Societies is the umbrella group for more than 180 national Bible societies around the globe. The group's sole mission is to translate and distribute Bibles.

"To distribute the Scripture without doctrine or comment," is how Grant puts it. So far, the Bible has been translated into well more than 2,000 languages (out of 6,000 worldwide). Last year the group distributed 21-million Bibles.

Grant had not harbored any ambition to achieve this office, nor did he have an elaborate campaign strategy. He had been a longtime trustee of the American Bible Society, and he was asked to serve as the U.S. candidate for the global seat.

Ordinarily the vote for Americas Board chairman is won by someone from Central or South America. But two other candidates split the vote, and Grant won his four-year term by a single vote.

Although the current global organization was founded in 1946, it traces its origins back to 1710 through its predecessors. The American Bible Society was founded in 1816.

Grant told me that at the time of the U.S. group's founding, there had been a shortage of Bibles in the New World because of war with their principal source, Great Britain. Most Bibles coming into the U.S. then were printed in German.

Today's Bible societies distribute not only the written book, but DVDs, CD-ROMs and videos. Grant said some of the longest lines of people waiting for free Bibles are in China, not only because of the content, but because they are bilingual and a good tool for learning English.

Grant's duties will include visiting every country in the Western Hemisphere and also representing the worldwide group elsewhere. Later this year he's cutting the ribbon on a new Bible House in Russia, and also expects to go to China.

"It's certainly not compatible with a political career," he says. "But maybe it's something with which I can make a lasting contribution."

He'll still split his time between Tampa, a house in western North Carolina and his lobbying duties in Tallahassee. Being a serious man, he did not rise to the bait when I teased him about being both a lobbyist and a Bible distributor.

"The God who gave us life gave us liberty, and liberty comes to us through the organized structure of government," Grant replied.

He added that even the Apostle Paul made tents for a living. I was chagrined to be reminded that Paul, whom I like to think of as sort of an early columnist, managed to get some honest work done too.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks. The last time I was gone, some people sent e-mails either rejoicing or fretting that I had gotten myself fired. No such luck.

[Last modified April 30, 2005, 23:58:09]