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‘Extreme Faith’ at Bible Rally 1998 (USA)
Bible Gift Inspires Guyana's President
“When we decided to hold this rally, we wanted to be able to give everyone a Bible,” said Dr Anderson, president of the Northern Georgia Fine Art Department of the Church of God in Christ, which sponsored the Bible rally.
Variety
“We contacted the American Bible Society (ABS) and were told we could receive a grant for as many Bibles as we needed. We asked for a variety of Bibles for different age groups, and the ABS supplied us with Extreme Faith Bibles for teenagers and Illustrated Bibles for children, both in the Contemporary English Version (CEV); regular CEV and King James Version Bibles for adults; and even a Toddler’s Bible for very young children!”
Dr Anderson, who herself came from a poor family, said: “I have never known the kind of poverty that you have in parts of Augusta. Many of these folks live in what I call ‘shack houses’ where there is no electricity, no hot water, and often not even an indoor bathroom. I thought that was a thing of the past.”
Dr Anderson added that for these desperately needy and often poorly-educated people, CEV Bibles give easier access to the hope and encouragement of God’s Word.
“During the rally I heard people boast: ‘This is my Bible’. When these Bibles are read, I believe God is going to do something special in many families. I may never get to know about it, but I believe he will.”
As well as receiving Bibles, participants at Bible Rally 1998 attended a full day of Bible-centred activities. In one small classroom, 15 young people competed in ‘Bible Sword’, a game testing their ability to navigate quickly through the Scriptures. In other classrooms, youngsters were involved in arts and crafts workshops, prayer sessions and music recitals. Large numbers were also drawn to small discussion groups dealing with what the Bible has to say about substance abuse, sex, violence and other social issues.
For Dr Anderson, the success of Bible Rally 1998 was reflected on the faces of the young participants. “Their smiles told me so much,” she said. “You know how children often behave in church – they read comics, talk to each other, or simply fidget. But during the main assembly in the gymnasium they were fully attentive and visibly happy to be part of what was going on.”
Draw others to God
One 14-year-old, Eugene Williams, said: “It’s good that we have this rally, because it brings young people together. They get to see how other people feel about the Bible and stuff. And maybe they’ll draw somebody else to God.”
“I like this rally; it’s very entertaining,” said 12-year-old Jolondon Givens. “The music is really neat , the jump rope contest is fun, and I like this new Bible,” he added, referring to the Illustrated CEV Bible he was holding.
The adult participants were impressed too. “Although I haven’t had a chance to look through the Illustrated CEV Bible properly, from what I’ve seen, it’s definitely the kind of Bible I’d want to share with my two kids as they grow up,” said Angela Smith, age 25.
“I realise that the way they turn out will be affected by the way I bring them up. I read the Word of God because it helps me in my marriage, in my role as a mother, and in many other situations,” she added.
81 Bibles
Leroy James, pastor of a nearby church, was also thankful. “Today is the first time I’ve come into contact with the American Bible Society,” he said. “My church received 81 Bibles for our young people, plus the three I got for my own family. We’re very happy about that!”
At the end of the rally, Dr Anderson said: “If I could ever meet the donors who helped make this Bible grant possible, I would say to them, ‘If only you could have seen the faces of the children when they got those Bibles! If only you could have been there to see how very precious this gift is to them.’” (WR 332/33 - 7.98) [PHOTOS]
Postscript: Attendance at Bible Rally 1998 exceeded all expectations,
leaving 249 participants without Bibles. In response, ABS Scripture Grant
has provided an additional 249 Bibles.
Delighted with her gift, Mrs Jagan was extremely hospitable to her guests, who learned that this was the first time a Guyanese President had ever been presented with a Bible.
Mrs Jagan personally took notes on the various Bible Society activities talked about during the meeting, as well as noting down the Scriptures available to the people of Guyana through the SBS.
For the Family
One Selection in particular, For the Family, caught the President’s attention and led to her asking the Rev Rock, SBS Auxiliary Chairman, to motivate the local churches to get involved in the government’s plans to rebuild and strengthen family relationships in Guyana.
Mrs Jagan promised to arrange for her Secretaries of Education and Home Affairs to contact the SBS for further information on their youth and family programs. The SBS pledged to support these endeavours with appropriate Scriptures.
Inspired by the positive outcome of this meeting with the Bible Society delegates, the President promised them all the necessary support and cooperation to advance the Bible ministry in Guyana, which she felt would be beneficial to her nation.
Mrs Jagan was born into a family of Russian Jewish immigrants in the USA, but had become a socialist, like her late husband, Dr Cheddie Jagan. Mrs Jagan laid the foundation for women’s rights in Guyana, and holds strongly to family values, which she taught her children and her grandchildren. (WR 332/34 - 7.98)