April 2, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

READING, England — The combined national Bible Societies around the world distributed more than 561 million Scriptures last year, according to the United Bible Societies’ (UBS) 1997 Scripture Distribution Report. This includes more than 20 million Bibles in hundreds of languages. The overall total of Scriptures distributed by Societies which are members of the UBS was 561,633,376, which is 30,974,270 more than in 1996, a rise of 5.8%. Scripture distribution can take many forms, from the gift of a Bible or a New Testament to the sale of a Scripture cassette or a Bible story on video.

Comparing the figures with previous years, the 20,035,360 Bibles is the highest total yet distributed by the Bible Societies; 18,553,174 New Testaments is also a record since 1986. However, the totals of Portions (a Portion is a bound book containing at least one book of the Bible, or at least 24 pages) and New Reader Portions distributed are the lowest for ten years.

The statistics sometimes reflect national or regional disasters, economic crises that badly affect people’s purchasing power, or a national Bible Society’s productivity. AFRICA has known its share of wars: the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaïre, suffered civil strife and this was followed by war in neighbouring Congo (Brazzaville). Many more countries suffered setbacks which affected the national Bible Society’s distribution plans.

However, two countries emerging from the aftermath of devastating civil wars, Mozambique and Liberia, where distribution is up by 84% and 297% respectively, demonstrated just how much people need and value the Scriptures, for comfort, for hope, for finding a meaningful way forward.

In ASIA-PACIFIC, the Bible Society in Malaysia achieved 157% more than in 1996 for distribution of Bibles, New Testaments and Portions, while more than 652,000 Bibles and 1.3 million New Testaments were distributed in Indonesia. India also increased their distribution of Bibles to more than 922,000, and 2.1 million Bibles were distributed in China.

The Bible Society of Korea distributed 1.1 million Bibles and 1.3 million New Testaments, both totals higher than for 1996. Japan saw increases for all types of Scriptures distributed, as did Cambodia where more than 13,000 Bibles and New Testaments were distributed, with an overall rise of almost 160%.

Across EUROPE the distribution of Bibles has increased slightly over the previous year while the figure for New Testaments is lower. More specifically, general distribution has risen in the Gulf region (107%) and the Middle East, where Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel all saw increases ranging from 46% to 155%.

Some countries with relatively new Bible Societies are making great strides: in Croatia, almost 23,000 Bibles, New Testaments and Portions were distributed in 1997 representing a 780% increase. Romania saw a 16% increase with almost 158,000 Bibles, New Testaments and Portions distributed.

The most sweeping increases however are to be found in the AMERICAS region where 21 of the 28 Bible Societies saw overall percentage increases vary from 1% to 125%.

Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and Peru all saw distribution of Bibles rise by more than 25,000, and Brazil distributed more than one million Bibles and New Testaments over the 1996 figures. In the United States more than six million more New Testaments were distributed through organisations such as Promise Keepers and Campus Crusade.

A variety of reasons can cause disruption to distribution, from expected stock failing to arrive to a change in the Society’s focus. But an analysis of the statistics fails to tell the story of how a Scripture reaches people, and the effect that God’s Word can have on them. It may be a verse of encouragement printed in a two-page leaflet; it may be the opportunity to read the Genesis story for the first time in one’s own heart language.

“We cannot measure our success or failure by poring over huge statistics such as these,” says the Rev Fergus Macdonald, General Secretary of the UBS. “Such totals have a value, although a limited one, in giving us an idea of the scale of the task that lies before us.

“They also send a very vital message to the modern world that may see religion as an anachronism: some 560 million people did not feel this way in 1997, and these were only the ones reached by Bible Society Scriptures. Others have been reached through other Bible distribution organisations, and many have not received God’s Word because there was not enough to go round.

“In the light of the gap between the funds raised for Scripture work, and the far greater demand that we are barely meeting, we have to look to Christ and his multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and pray that in 1998 there will be more than enough to go round with full baskets left over.”

	Bibles	Testaments	Portions	NR  Portions	Selections	NR Selections
Africa	2,575,101	602,615	1,801,812	824,985	4,911,000	258,346
Americas	8,673,925	9,695,241	5,362,958	6,215,181	300,086,778	22,841,346
Asia-Pacific	6,364,617	6,466,343	8,748,449	7,274,154	148,466,750	10,183,970
Europe-Middle East	2,421,717	1,788,975	2,713,184	123,812	3,052,937	179,180
Total 1997	20,035,360	18,553,174	18,626,403	14,438,132	456,517,465	33,462,842
Total 1996	19,370,487	12,157,875	22,209,877	18,928,916	430,723,253	27,268,698

NR Portions and NR Selections are Scriptures for New Readers
 

The full UBS Scripture Distribution Report 1997, with country-by-country figures, is available from the Communications Services Department, which also has photographs on request.

This News Release is issued by the United Bible Societies, World Service Center,
Reading Bridge House, Reading RG1 8PJ, England
+44 (0)118 9500 200 or fax to +44 (0)118 9500 857

---