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New UBS General Secretary Commissioned
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The purpose of the video, which comes with a booklet explaining how to become a Christian, is to provide churches with a tool to use in evangelism, particularly during the World Cup in June and July this year. But there is a wider use for the package among communities where football is a prominent sport.
The video has already been translated into the following languages: Bulgarian, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. For further information please contact: CPAS (Agapé), Warwick CV34 6BR, England.
JERUSALEM, Israel; March 27, 1998 — The last week of March saw the opening of the site of the biblical village of Bethsaida to the public; it is reputed to be where Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. After 11 years of joint excavations by Israel and an American university, the impressive 22-acre site complete with paths, signs and places for prayer has been inaugurated as part of Israel’s preparations for the millennium celebrations, when five million tourists are expected to visit the Holy Land. Bethsaida, along with Capernaum and Chorazin, is one of the three most frequently-mentioned places in the Gospels, forming a triangle of important villages in which Jesus performed many of his miracles. Bethsaida was the home of at least three disciples and has yielded many artefacts from the past, including fishing gear, a wine cellar, an oven and two basalt grain-grinding slabs. Archaeologists say that in the time of King David it housed a Jewish community larger than the one in Jerusalem, although many Gentiles lived in villages nearby. (The Times – London) (WR 331/WW1 - 6.98)
IRIAN JAYA; March 27, 1998 — According to reports by aid workers, thousands of people are dying in the remote mountainous region of New Guinea Island, where some 420,000 people live in a virtual Stone Age culture. There has been much starvation due to the prolonged Asian drought, and disease, including malnutrition, dysentery and malaria – there has been unusually hot weather allowing mosquitoes to breed in the normally cool higher regions. The combination of these factors has caused the death of more than 6,000 people in the last three months, one Western aid worker reported. A Red Cross representative who had returned from the Jayawijaya area said: “In some villages I visited, every resident had malaria, and up to 95% of the people were suffering from malnutrition.” (The Times – London) The UBS is currently working to help translate the Scriptures into 48 languages of Irian Jaya, four of which are in production or are ready and awaiting delivery to the local communities. In at least 21 of these language projects some of the Old Testament is being translated. Irian Jaya has at least 256 local languages in current use. (WR 331/WW2 - 6.98)
SCOTLAND — The Rev Dr Graham Houston has been appointed as the new General Secretary of the National Bible Society of Scotland. He succeeds the Rev Fergus Macdonald who became UBS General Secretary as of January 1, this year. Dr Houston, whose previous positions include parish work in the Scottish Highlands and a university chaplaincy, takes up his position with effect from June 1, 1998. (WR 331/IB1 - 6.98) [PHOTOS]
AUSTRALIA — Keith Bricknell, formerly Director of the Mission Support Division with the Bible Society in Australia, has been appointed Program Consultant for the UBS Indo-Pacific region and will operate from the regional office in Brisbane. He will be helping the 12 national Bible Societies that make up the new region. (WR 331/IB2 - 6.98)
USA — Dr Philip Noss, UBS Regional Translation Coordinator for Africa, has been honoured by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with the recognition of Distinguished Alumnus, for his work with African languages and particularly Gbaya (Cameroon). He has been invited as guest speaker to the university’s symposium on African Languages in the Visual and Performing Arts. (WR 331/IB3 - 6.98)
LEBANON — Sadly, family and friends had to bid a final farewell in February to the Rev Hagop Sagherian, who died aged 84 years. Born in Turkey, brought up in Syria, completing his education in Lebanon, Mr Sagherian served the Bible Society for ten years as board member, but was friend and encourager during the 16 years of civil war here. His life was an ‘open Bible’ and his devotion to Christ was an example to all those who knew or met him. (Bible Society of Lebanon) (WR 331/IB4 - 6.98)
ENGLAND — Lesslie Newbigin, one of the “great Christian leaders and apologists of our time”, died on January 30, 1998, and according to many his passing is an enormous loss to the church here on earth. Spending much of his life in India, as theologian, evangelist, writer, preacher, and bishop, he literally enjoyed turning the world upside down and helping people to see things in a different light. A tribute has been compiled by Dr H Dan Beeby and is available from the UBS World Service Center Communications department. (WR 331/IB5 - 6.98)
AUSTRIA — The death was reported in March of former Austrian Bible Society General Secretary, the Rev Karl Uhl, who served in that position for 35 years, and previously for a further 12 years in Bible work. He kept the Bible agency established by the British and Foreign Bible Society in Austria open throughout the Second World War, spent time as a POW in Lithuania, and returned immediately to Bible work on his release. Frequently supplying Scriptures to the many refugees who entered Austria, he helped the Society move to the larger Bible House at Breitegasse 8, Vienna in 1954. He echoed the words of Edward Millard on his retirement: “The Bible has filled my heart with joy and has made my work happy and profitable, my home cheerful, my family united, my present days pleasant and my future blessed.” Please note: the story of Mr Uhl saving 35 tons of Scriptures from confiscation during the Second World War, entitled ‘A Struggle for Bibles’, can be obtained from the Communications department at the World Service Center. (WR 331/IB6 - 6.98)
BENIN — The Rev Daniel Hounzandji took up office as the new Executive Secretary of the Bible Society of Benin on November 28, 1997. His predecessor, the Rev Abel Dossou, retired after 15 years of Bible Society service. Mr Hounzandji is a man of vision and ambition, whose main aim is to expand the work of the Bible Society of Benin and increase its profile in the country. (WR 331/IB7 - 6.98) [PHOTOS]
BENIN — The death was announced on December 2, 1997 of Bible translator Marius Azonwakin, after a brief illness. Mr Azonwakin joined the Bible Society in 1984, serving as a member of the Fon Bible translation team. His expertise and wisdom will be greatly missed by his co-workers. He was 61 years old and leaves behind a widow and 13 children. (WR 331/IB88 - 6.98)
The Rev Fergus Macdonald was commissioned as the new General Secretary by UBS Executive Committee members on March 29, 1998 in São Paulo’s Independent Presbyterian Cathedral, Brazil, reports Jan Blakeley, Admin Assistant to the UBS General Secretary.
As part of the Bible Society of Brazil’s 50th anniversary celebrations of its founding in 1948, the Rev Luiz Antonio Giraldi, General Secretary, and the Bible Society board invited the UBS Executive Committee to hold its meeting in Brazil. It was particularly appropriate to hold Mr Macdonald’s commissioning in South America as he spent several years as a missionary in Peru during the early years of his career.
Commitment
The Cathedral’s large congregation of more than 1,000 people gave a really warm welcome to the UBS President, the Rev Dr Samuel Escobar, to UBS committee members and to Bible Society staff, and we sensed the people’s ongoing commitment in support of the work of their national Bible Society.
To illustrate the global nature of the UBS, the Commissioning Ceremony part of the service began with Executive Committee members reading the Scripture texts in Spanish, French, Arabic and English; this was followed by Dr Escobar’s sermon on the ‘Transcending, burning and demanding Word.’ (A copy of the text is available through the WSC).
Solemn yet joyful
After a prayer of invocation, Dr Eugene Habecker, Chairman of the Executive Committee, led the commissioning questions and then representatives of the global fellowship joined the President and Chairman, Vice-President, Regional Chairmen, the Rev Luiz Antonio Giraldi and Committee members in the laying on of hands on Fergus Macdonald and speaking the Act of Commissioning.
This was a solemn yet joyful worship service with uplifting singing by the magnificent cathedral choir, and it was made even more memorable by the warm-hearted welcome of the congregation and of Bible Society staff and Board members.
After the service, Dr Habecker presented a gift to Mr Macdonald at the restaurant where we all enjoyed a fellowship meal. (WR 331/28 - 6.98) [PHOTOS]
See
also: UBS
Appoints New General Secretary (November 1997)
