COVID -19: Millions will be deprived of Bibles

THE Bible Society is attempting to raise £5-million to help prop up 88 of its floundering branches across the world.

According to this report, the branches that translate and distribute the Bibles may be forced to close because of COVID-19 lockdowns that have impacted negatively on sales of the Big Book of Baloney, as well as on donations.

Bearer of the bad news is Albania-born Oldi Morava, above, Director of International Mission for the Bible Society in England, who said:

Around 1 billion people will not be receiving a new translation or a revision of a translation.

The money made from selling Bibles is normally reinvested in local translation work in minority languages, re-translations or providing access to the Bible.

The charity says the threat of closures globally could mean Bibles would no longer be easily available to millions – and that not having access to the Bible also has a knock-on social impact as the Societies often help people become literate and work with children who don’t have access to education.

In response to the crisis, other Bible Societies and churches around the world are now trying to raise £5 million  to keep struggling branches afloat.

Among the first countries to receive funds will be Gambia, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica.

Morava explained how, apart from financial giving, Christians can help:

Every time someone opens the Bible, whether it is a physical Bible or a digital format, just spend 30 seconds and think about all the effort that has gone into translating that Bible, all the effort that has gone into producing it and all the effort that has gone into distributing, circulating and advocating for it.

And as you think about all that work, I would ask everyone to spend a few seconds to pray for all the similar work that is going on around the world. I think that sense of praying and supporting each other as part of a global church is very significant during this time.

Bible engagement in America plummets

Meanwhile, its reported here that the pandemic has affected Americans’ Bible engagement, with the number of US adults who read Scripture declining drastically amid the outbreak.

According to the State of the Bible 2020 report released by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society, US adults who say they read the Bible daily dropped from 14 percent to 9 percent between early 2019 and 2020.

The study, which looked at 2,010 responses from January and 3,020 responses from June, found that the proportion of Americans who read the Bible daily also fell to fewer than one in 10 (9 percent), the lowest number on record during the 10 years of the State of the Bible research study.

Additionally, those considered “Scripture engaged” by ABS dropped from 28 percent to 22.7 percent between January and June, according to additional data collected by the organisation in June, after months of quarantine, church closures, and limited relational activity due to COVID-19.

A study by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that more than 60 percent of American believers of all faiths feel that the pandemic is a sign that God is telling humanity to change how it’s living.

Additionally, a recent LifeWay Research study documented increased interest in the subject of the End Times during the pandemic. According to the study, nine out of 10 surveyed pastors viewed the End Times prophecies of the Bible as being showcased in current events.

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