As early as 1881, literature of the Bible Students was being handed out free of charge near the churches—not right at the church doors but nearby so that people who were religiously inclined would receive it. Many of the Bible Students gave such literature to acquaintances or sent it out by mail. By 1903 the Watch Tower recommended that they endeavor to reach everyone by house-to-house distribution of the tracts, instead of concentrating on church attenders. Not all Bible Students did this, but many responded with real zeal. It was reported, for example, that in a number of the large cities in the United States, as well as in their suburbs for ten miles [16 km] or more in every direction, practically every house was visited. Millions upon millions of tracts, or booklets, were put out in this way. At that time most Bible Students who had a share in spreading the good news did it by some kind of free distribution of tracts and other literature.

Others of the Bible Students—more limited in number—served as colporteur evangelists, using a considerable portion of their time exclusively for this work.

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Tens of millions of these tracts were distributed, free of charge, near the churches, from house to house, and by mail