The formation of the Bible Society movement was inspired by the plight of one Mary Jones, a Welsh girl who longed for a Bible in her own language, but these were scarce and expensive.
In 1800, the 16-year-old barefooted Mary walked about 40km to find a Bible.
She ultimately bought it from the Religious Tract Society in 1802.
Subsequently, more Bibles were available at affordable prices throughout Wales.
But
one of the distributors, Joseph Hughes, spurred a worldwide reach when
he proclaimed: “If for Wales, why not for the whole world?”
In
South Africa, the society is spread throughout 11 regions. It was
established in 1820 and is affiliated to the United Bible Societies, which comprises 146 Bible societies in 200 countries.
The
society’s Reverend Feli Mokoena – who organised a banquet at the Grace
Bible Church Multipurpose Hall in Pimville, Soweto, at the weekend – said church members nominated representatives to the society’s various regional committees.
Mokoena said the inaugural annual fund-raising banquet in 2009 attracted a paltry 122 attendees.
This grew to a promising 300 in 2013. “We raised R13 000 in 2009 and the income grew gradually to R60 000 in 2013,” Mokoena said. At the weekend, more than R110 000 was raised.
Mokoena said the society was providing affordable Bibles in English, Afrikaans, Tswana, Sotho, Pedi, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swazi, Venda and Tsonga, “so that all may experience the life-giving message of the Word of God”.
The Bible is also available in Braille.
Read more in the Sowetan, October 8, 2014
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International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com
Phone: 010 500 8203 (in South Africa) (Available 3-5pm SAST weekdays)
011 27 10 500 8203 (calling from outside of South Africa) (Available 3-5pm SAST weekdays)
*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6or our presenters or correspondents. Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.
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