The 150th Anniversary Meeting of the Trinitarian Bible Society took place at Westminster Chapel, London on 30th May 1981. Nearly 700 people gathered for the occasion to give thanks to God for His blessing and provision in the past and to seek His continuing guidance and help in maintaining the work and testimony of the Society in the future. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr A.J. Levell spoke of the considerable growth of the Society’s work in recent years, mentioning that the total number of Bibles circulated during the last 25 years was seven times as many as in the previous 125 years. Mr J.C. Fraser, Toronto conveyed greetings from the Canadian Committee and referred to the tenfold increase in financial support since the organisation of the Canadian branch in 1968.
The sermon was preached by Dr. P.M. Rowell, a member of the Committee, on Acts 1.8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. The words spoken to the Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ shortly before His ascension into heaven expressed His concern for the extension of His kingdom, and that His disciples should be witnesses unto Him among all nations. That concern He maintains in heaven. The same concern was manifested when He encouraged men to begin the work of this Society 150 years ago, and the same concern has ensured its continuance. Enduing His people with the gift of the Holy Spirit, He gives them power enabling them to be His witnesses, to be “martyrs” in His cause, to live consistent lives, to maintain a clear and faithful testimony to the omnipotence and sovereignty of God, and to the Son as “God manifest in the flesh”. They faithfully witnessed to the eternal deity and perfect humanity of the Redeemer, to His substitutionary death, to the reality of His resurrection, and to His present intercession in heaven. As faithful witnesses they proclaimed the Gospel which is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”.
In a later age Erasmus and Tyndale both expressed their concern that people in every walk of life should have a Bible in their own tongue that they could read and understand. At the present time the Society, under God’s blessing, has the same concern and responsibility to ensure that the Gospel, which is to be “preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations”, is also printed and widely circulated, in faithful translations so that among all nations people may read and under God’s blessing understand the Word of Truth in their own tongue.
The Secretary, Rev. T.H. Brown, gave in the 150th Annual Report which showed that the circulation had increased from the previous year, as did also the income and expenditure. In more than a hundred countries copies of the Holy Scriptures published by the Society have been made available in many tongues. The Secretary mentioned that greetings had been received by the Society on its 150th Anniversary from various organisations and from the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In concluding his Report he said, “We give thanks to God for the blessings of the past, and look to Him for His provision and guidance in the future, as the Society continues to produce and propagate faithful versions of the Word of God, trusting that there will be spiritual fruit according to His promise”.