A vicar has been swamped with requests for Bibles after making the kind-hearted gesture to offer to send the holy texts out for free in a viral TikTok clip.
The Reverend at St Thomas Church in Aldridge, Walsall, posted the "little" video online offering up the Book of Books to those who asked, and has since raved about the enthusiastic reception to his long-standing - yet unexpected - project.
He told GB News he was taken by "total surprise" by the sheer quantity of interest he has received over the request - and added there was "no end in sight".
After putting out the unsuspecting post, Mr Sims was flooded with requests for a Bible - and had been viewed tens of thousands of time just overnight.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Consequently, he and his bustling congregation buckled in for a weekly "packing party" every Monday morning.
So far, the group has sent out 3,142 Bibles to eager learners across Britain.
All books are blessed and delivered with a handwritten note to the recipient while they are being packed, Mr Sims added.
Each Bible costs around £3 or £4, he noted - however, he stressed that he wanted each and every recipient to feel "valued".
The congregation of St Thomas's Church in Aldridge has been working together to send out the blessed texts
|ST JOHNS CHURCH/DAVID SIMS
Due to the sheer quantity of Holy Books requested, the local church launched a crowdfunding page which has raised more than £10,500 so far.
The vicar began his social media journey back in lockdown, to reach out to the public and engage in public philosophical debates.
He was particularly enticed online by the "amicable" way those onlines engaged with one another, and wished to be a part of that conversation.
But while he was once a small creator online, the vicar has now since curated an ample following of 24,800 on his TikTok profile under his "TikTok Vicar" persona.
BEST OF BRITAIN - READ MORE:
The popularity of his request took him by 'total surprise', the preacher told GB News
|ST JOHNS CHURCH/DAVID SIMS
Mr Sims has worked to encourage more young individuals into the Church since 2022, encouraging his following to ask whatever they wish, noting there was a gap in the Church for young adults between 15 and 30.
These days, around five per cent of Britons "regularly" attend Church services, declining from 11.8 per cent back in 1980.
However, Mr Sims has brushed the negative statistic aside, and has focused on preaching the Word of God.
The Reverend even livestreams to hundreds of followers every Sunday night in what he has aptly branded as his "TikTok Church".
As such, his online fame has attracted a select few to St Thomas's Church, from all walks of life, including agnostic, atheist and even those on the "spiritual" side of religion.
Last Sunday, he told GB News that four newcomers attended the weekly service - and the West Midlands vicar was enthralled by his impact.
However, when asked whether his online fame has gone to his head, Mr Sims assured the People's Channel his family "keeps him humble at home" as a cheeky aside.
Mr Sims told GB News he was "encouraged" by more people flocking to the Church - and was pleased to hear those receiving the Bibles were grateful for the kind gesture.
One recipient told the vicar the Bible he had sent had arrived on the day of their mother's funeral, which "meant so much" to them.