(The following extract is taken from the Annual Report by the Administrative Secretary.)
Distribution
As in previous years, the Society continues to supply copies of the Holy Scriptures to ministers, churches, schools, hospitals, prisons and other institutions and individuals in need of the Word of God. The policy of the Society is to supply copies wherever possible, regardless of the ability of the recipients to contribute towards their cost. In many instances Scriptures are sold at a profit, others are sold at cost value or less, and others are granted free of charge. All profits from the sale of Scriptures, together with the generous gifts of the Society’s members and friends, are used to subsidise sales in cases of need and to cover the costs of production and distribution of the Scriptures which are granted. In addition to the many tens of thousands of pounds used to subsidise the cost of sales, over £290,000 of the Society’s income in the past financial year was spent on the cost of Scriptures granted free of charge. To this figure a substantial amount needs to be added to cover the distribution and other costs involved in this important aspect of the Society’s work.
Scriptures in the English Language
In the English language the Society continues to publish only the Authorised (King James) Version. It is now 380 years since this translation of the Holy Scriptures was first published. Throughout its history the Lord’s blessing has rested to a remarkable degree on its use here in the United Kingdom and throughout the English-speaking world. Many testimonies have been received by the Society during the past year of the continuing spiritual fruitfulness of this translation of the Bible in both the conversion and the establishing of the Lord’s people in the Truth of His Word. Although many of the modern versions of the Bible in the English language may contain features which recommend them to a large proportion of the Christian public at the present time, not one of them is of a sufficiently high standard to be considered as a replacement for the Authorised (King James) Version.
The number of Bibles in the English language sold and granted during the financial year was 189,855, an increase on the previous year of 41,544 copies. The number of English New Testaments sold and granted during this period was 41,200, which, together with other items, made a total of 2,046,950 Scriptures distributed in the English language in the year. It is interesting and encouraging to note that for the second year running there has been a substantial increase in the number of copies of the English Bible distributed by the Society both as sales and grants. May the Lord cause this trend to continue.
In addition to the Bibles and New Testaments supplied by the Society, a wide range of other English Scriptures have been distributed and profitably used. These have included Gospels, Scripture Booklets, Calendars, Posters, Leaflets and Text Cards.
Scriptures in Eastern Europe
The need for copies of the Word of God in Eastern Europe is immense. The Lord in His sovereign goodness has opened the door for the free circulation of His Word throughout the countries which a few years ago were behind the “Iron Curtain”. In those lands, and especially in the Soviet Union, multitudes are seeking to obtain copies of the Holy Scriptures and every week the Society receives many requests from men, women and children who are evidently hungering for spiritual reality. During the year the Society sold or granted 180,259 Russian Bibles and 150,575 Russian New Testaments for distribution in the Soviet Union, 51,894 Hungarian Bibles for distribution in Hungary and Romania and 16,089 Polish New Testaments for Poland. The need in these countries where the Scriptures have been virtually unobtainable for so many years will continue to be exceedingly great in the years to come. The Society will, God willing, continue to provide considerable assistance wherever possible for the furtherance of the Gospel throughout Eastern Europe. Although the Society has not yet been able to publish Scriptures in the Romanian language, a project with this aim continues and it is hoped that something will be available in that language in due course. Meanwhile, work continues on the construction commenced earlier in last year of a Bible Depot in Bacau in the North-East of Romania.
Scriptures for the Rest of the World
In addition to supplying copies of the Holy Scriptures in the English language and in some of the languages of Eastern Europe, the Society has supplied many tens of thousands of copies of the Bible and New Testament for distribution in other languages. These have included over 5000 Bibles and New Testaments in the Arabic language, 2500 Gio New Testaments for Liberians now living as refugees in the Ivory Coast, 2000 Pokot New Testaments for Kenya, 20,000 Kisanga Bibles for Zaire, 7500 Telugu New Testaments for India, 5500 Greek Bibles and New Testaments for Greece and Cyprus, 189,000 French Bibles and New Testaments for France and other French-speaking parts of the world, 38,000 Spanish Bibles and New Testaments for the Spanish-speaking world, and (including those distributed by Gideons International) over four million copies of the Portuguese New Testament for Brazil.
Large quantities of the “Golden Thoughts” calendars, Gospels and other Scripture Portions and leaflets in these and other languages have also been despatched to convey the Word of Life to our fellow men throughout the world. It will be the prayerful desire of the Society’s members and friends that these copies of the Word of God may, under the blessing of the Most High, be the means of spiritual profit to those who receive them.
The Society has continued to work on a number of translation projects during the year. One of these, the Kisanga Bible project, was brought to completion; it is hoped that several other projects will be completed during the next 12 months. In conformity with its policy of aiming to supply accurate and reliable translations of the Holy Scriptures based upon the Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Received Text of the Greek, the Society has decided to revise its edition of the French Bible. The prayers of all are sought that the Lord may be pleased to guide and direct all who will be engaged in this and other translation and revision projects which need to be undertaken by the Society.
Our Fellow Helpers
During the year the Society has received the prayerful, financial and practical support of many thousands of individuals and institutions throughout the world, reminding us of the inspired words of the sweet Psalmist of Israel, “The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that published it.” We have valued this fellowship in the Gospel and extend our thanks to all who in various ways have assisted the Society in its work of publishing the Word of God among all nations.