The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) declares 2020 as the Year of the Bible. Several activities are lined up throughout the year to enrich the Christian faith and get believers to engage more with the Bible.
Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA, said the year-long initiative aims to have Christians reflect on God’s Word, produce translations of the Bible in different languages and invest in publication to make the Bible accessible to people around the world, reports Premier Christian News.
We will highlight the importance of the Bible as the enduring foundation for fostering unity, freedom, development and quality of life today and for the years to come. —Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance
“We will highlight the importance of the Bible as the enduring foundation for fostering unity, freedom, development and quality of life today and for the years to come,” the cleric said.
The Year of the Bible is a huge collaboration of ministries, including Wycliffe Bible Translators, YWAM, American Bible Society, and Call2All. It will be formally launched in September at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.
The WEA’s US Bible Engagement Advocate Josh Mathew said, “We are excited to empower churches and organizations to address the sharp rise in mental health issues among young people, equipping them to bring preventative measures and support networks to their communities.”
The Table Coalition, another ministry supporting the Year of the Bible, will launch a number of programs this year, according to PR Newswire.
“We need a Bible revival, and I believe millions of young people worldwide will look back at 2020 as the year when the Bible became the foundation for their life,” said Nick Hall, President of the group.
The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages, but Spoken Worldwide aims to make the Bible accessible to oral-based cultures. The international organization works with other ministries in developing oral formats of the Bible, reports Canadian Christian radio station, CHVN Radio.
“I think all 66 books need to be made available to everyone, regardless of their ability to read,” explained President and CEO Ed Weaver. He hopes that with the Year of the Bible, “everyone begins to see that God loves the reader and the nonreader and He wants both of them drawn to Him through His Word.”
Bishop Tendoro has high hopes for the Year of the Bible. It is a call for billions of people to read the Bible and include it in daily conversations.
“We are calling all citizens of the globe, regardless of religious affiliation, to discover the precious and enduring message of the Holy Bible which has profoundly influenced and strengthened communities and nations for many centuries.”