While much of the world grows increasingly secular, there is a renewed hunger for truth. Across Eastern Europe, millions are encountering the Bible for the very first time—thanks to the work of a ministry committed to spreading God’s Word: Eastern European Mission (EEM).
In 2024 alone, EEM distributed over two million Bibles and biblical literature in 36 nations and 32 languages in Eastern Europe and other nearby countries – all free of charge.
At the helm of this extraordinary mission is Bob Burckle, President and CEO of EEM and a board member of Patriot Mobile. This remarkable ministry publishes, prints, and distributes literature through a vast network of partner churches and organizations in order to share God’s Word with people of Eastern Europe and beyond and seeks to educate and inspire God’s servants in this work.
Bob grew up in Louisville, KY where he was involved in amateur radio. This was during the Cold War era before the Berlin Wall fell and he found it interesting conversing with citizens who were isolated from the philosophy, ideals, and religious freedom of ordinary Americans. Bob went on to get his Bachelor’s and Master’s in electrical engineering and also an MBA degree. Yet he always thought about being able to provide hope and a moral/ethical ethos to those living under a communist dictatorship. What can one person do?
In 2000, Bob and two other friends from church started a non-profit ministry called Character for Kids. Its purpose is to teach Bible-based character and ethics to students in pedagogical schools who would graduate to become school teachers. Since children are the future of this world, they need to be trained with a core system of values that can be applied to solve problems in homes, schools, and the workplace. This program has grown steadily with thousands of teachers trained and it continues to impact tens of thousands of students in Ukraine, Lithuania, Croatia, and Russia. It also has been the beneficiary of EEM’s free literature.
In 2015, Bob was asked to take a leadership position at EEM. This organization started over 60+ years ago to deliver Bibles to persecuted Christians in Eastern Europe. Even with strong opposition, it was not possible to shut down the Great Commission. From meager beginnings of only a few hundred books a year, EEM has now and is continuing to deliver millions of Bibles, New Testaments, and biblical books to individuals, families, youth camps, public schools, prisons, orphanages, and hospitals in this region. For example, about 75% of Ukrainian public schools have Bibles donated by EEM. Over 1 million Bibles have been given to children in Croatia and over 400,000 in Macedonia.
EEM’s tagline encapsulates its vision: “The Bible, We Want Everyone to Get It!” We want to get it in their hands, then read it to get it into their minds, and then to get it into their hearts to share with others.
Just as Bible sales in the U.S. grew in 2024 with more people looking for sources of hope and strength in these challenging times, individuals throughout Eastern Europe and the surrounding regions – especially those impacted by the war in Ukraine – have similarly turned to faith as the only sure foundation in an unsteady world. EEM shares reports of growing church attendance and an openness to Bible education in public schools alongside stories of lives changed as hearts are exposed to God’s Word, often for the very first time in their own language. This is transformation for both individuals and nations. In 2025, EEM will be delivering millions more printed Bibles to adults, teens, and children.
Worldwide, there are countless children who have never even read or owned a Bible. This is difficult for us to fathom in the West when we’ve never known any scarcity of God’s Word. EEM’s goal is to gift as many Bibles as they can to these little ones, bringing hope, joy, transformation and salvation to these innocents, desperate for these gifts.
As a Christian company, Patriot Mobile is proud to contribute to the evangelistic ministry of EEM. To learn more, donate, or find out how you or your church can get involved—whether by requesting literature or offering support—visit EEM.org or call 817-849-2355.
