BIBLE LITERACY
BIBLE SOCIETY MAKING A GLOBAL IMPACT ABS seeks to open the Bible for the 300 million people for whom
AMERICAN
God’s Word is not yet available in their native language. ■ by James E. Cossey
T
HE FIRST PRESIDENT of the American Bible Society (ABS) was Elias Boudinot, former president of the Continental Congress,
who served from 1816 until 1821. The next two ABS presidents were John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1821-28), and New York City Mayor Richard Varick (1828-31). The president since January 1, 2009, is R. Lamar Vest, who previously served four terms as general overseer of the Church of God. Prior to becoming president of ABS, Vest served first as a member of its board of directors (1991-2006) and as executive vice president of ABS’s Global Scripture Ministries (2006-2008).
Established in New York City in 1816, the ABS has a number of “firsts” in its record: it was the first organization to place Bibles in hotels, the first to estab- lish charitable gift annuities, and the first to provide pocket Bibles for soldiers (during the Civil War). ABS was present as the United States developed, supplying Bibles to the riders of the Pony Express and to the fledgling U.S. Navy as early as 1817. The first translation done by the Bible Society was the development of a Native American language Bible in 1818.
14 EVANGEL • AUG 2010 The acronym M.O.S.T. (Meaning, Out-
reach, Supply, Translation) sums up the focus of ABS.
MEANING: Building Kingdom People
ABS continually advocates for the life- changing message of God’s Word within each rising generation and in America’s military. Working with grassroots partners
America’s Beliefs About the Bible
• 63% of Americans believe the Bible is the Word of God (Pew, Jan. 2010).
• 35% of Americans read the Bible weekly (Pew, Jan. 2010).
• 21% of Americans believe the Bible is a compilation of fables (Gallup, May 2007).
• 66% of Americans believe the Bible holds the answers to “all or most of life’s basic questions” (religious literacy polls: Time, March 22, 2007).
• 41% of Americans read their Bible outside of church (George Barna, 2006).
across the United Bible Societies (UBS) network, ABS helps place God’s Word in China, Africa, India, and particularly among the world’s poor. The UBS is a fellowship of 147 national Bible societies that the ABS was instrumental in found- ing in 1946. The UBS cooperates with all Christian churches and church-related organizations for Bible outreach in more than 200 countries and territories.
OUTREACH: Broken Lives Restored
Providing Bible ministry alongside critical care for people struggling in crisis, disaster, poverty, and injustice, ABS con- tinually seeks to pioneer ways of provid- ing God’s Word for the people around the world who need it most. Pioneering online Bible tools, Bible-based music and films, and Bible exploration experiences, ABS leaders believe that new ways must continue to be opened up for the sharing of the timeless message of God’s Word to come alive for new generations.
SUPPLY: God’s Word to the Streets
Placing the Bible into the hands and hearts of people restricted by geography or illiteracy is a passion of ABS. Working
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