The ministry, XXXchurch, approved a tentative deal with NavPress publishers to distribute the copies at three pornography conventions, said Craig Gross, one of the two pastors who started the ministry in 2002.
The Bibles will be given to attendees at Erotica LA in June, Gay Erotica NY in October, and the Adult Video News Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas next January.
The deal comes after the American Bible Society backed out of an arrangement with XXXchurch after negotiations on the cover proved unfruitful. The ABS said the cover was inappropriate, although it supported the ministry's goals.
When the ABS decision was reported in the Los Angeles Times in early April, major publishers NavPress, Zondervan and Thomas Nelson offered to work with the ministry, said Gross. Cost and logistics proved to be major factors in choosing NavPress, he added.
Kent Wilson, NavPress executive publisher, said the company was thrilled to work with XXXchurch, "but our excitement quickly gave way to surprise when Craig mentioned that he wanted the cover of the Bible to say, `Jesus Loves Porn Stars."'
After the initial shock, "Our minds flashed back to the words of Jesus himself, and we quickly realized that Jesus probably would have loved that phrase," Wilson said. Peterson also agreed to the specialized publication.
The pocket-sized edition will include a brief introduction, part of which will read, "Does Jesus really love porn stars? Absolutely. Now that may go against what you thought about Jesus but it is true. You see, Jesus loves porn stars as much as he loves pastors, soccer moms, liars, thieves, and prostitutes. In his eyes, we are all the same. We're all just people in need of a savior who can come into our world and fix our messed-up lives."
Gross, 30, and minister Mike Foster, 35, founded the ministry to help people struggling with pornography. Since that time, they have begun an outreach to the porn industry. The pastors have attended previous conventions at which they have handed out thousands of Bibles and "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" stickers. "We've always run out," Gross said.
The ministry is no stranger to controversy. An ad on MTV was pulled because it featured a dwarf and included the line, "Porn stunts your growth." The group Little People of America was not amused and protested.
They have been criticized for their relationships with people in the industry, but Gross responds that Jesus tended to spend his time with people others considered unsavory.
