This is what Bible Society says about its vision for this extraordinary book.
“We live in a world where too many people don’t engage with the Bible.
In some parts of the world, the Scriptures are difficult to access or are simply unavailable. In this country, the Bible is readily available but has lost its significance and its value is unrecognised by millions.
We’re working hard here at home and across the world to change this. We take the Bible and find ways to translate and distribute it, create digital formats, advocate for its place in society and help people relate to and make sense of it in their everyday lives.
All our efforts are driven by one conviction: we believe that when people engage with the Bible, lives can change – for good.
Back in 1804, when our founders laid the foundations of Bible Society, they asked a question that would change the world. Affordable printed Bibles had just arrived for Welsh speakers, but why stop there? If for Wales, why not for the whole of the United Kingdom? And if for the UK, why not for the world?
This was the moment our global mission was born, and as part of United Bible Societies, we’re now active in over 200 countries and regions. Through our translation work, we make the Bible available in new spoken and signed languages, as well as revising existing Bibles to bring the language up-to-date. To meet the individual needs and demands of the millions wanting the Scriptures, our production facilities not only print physical copies but also produce visual, audio and digital forms.
Here’s a remarkable statistic: Over 1 million new Christians are coming to faith in China every year.
Our distribution network takes the Bible to places it might otherwise be hard to come by, and we improve literacy by empowering people to read, using the Book as a reference. We also work to affirm the place of the Bible in society, challenging ill-informed thinking and demonstrating that the Bible can be a force for positive change in today’s world. A significant proportion of our international work focuses on three areas which all have different needs and challenges and where Christianity is growing fast: China, Africa and The Middle East.