... Bible People in the News ... Bible News in Brief ...

Bible People in the News

l KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Bible Society of Malaysia has approved the request for early retirement, for personal reasons, of its General Secretary, the Rev Ezra Loke. Kua Wee-Seng, the United Bible Societies Interim East Asia Regional Co-ordinator, thanked Mr Loke for his “faithful service and important contributions” to the Bible Society of Malaysia and the UBS fellowship. Mr Loke has served with the Bible Society since 1985, when he was appointed its first Executive Secretary after it became independent from the Bible Society of Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia. In his tribute, Kua Wee-Seng added that he had contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Bible Society, raising the level of Scripture distribution and donations received. (WR 353/IB1 - 9.00)

l BELFAST, Northern Ireland — John Doherty has taken up the post of General Manager of the Bible Society of Northern Ireland, succeeding the Rev David Campbell, who has returned to congregational ministry. Mr Doherty, 49, who started in May, comes from Comber, County Down, and is married with two adult sons. He has a professional background in both the statutory and the voluntary sectors, having spent eight years in the Youth Service and 11 years in community development with Belfast City Council. For the past seven years he was a director with responsibility for accommodation and resettlement in the Simon Community, a voluntary organisation which works with homeless people and is the principal provider of services to the homeless in Belfast. Mr Doherty’s roles in his local church have included elder, Sunday School Superintendent, Prayer Secretary, Covenant Secretary and Fundraising Convenor. (WR 353/IB3 - 9.00)

Bible News in Brief

l HUNGARY — Pastor Sándor Endre of the Reformed Church wades through floodwaters in a village street in Vámosújfalu, eastern Hungary. Mr Endre, who is also the village’s mayor, supervised the evacuation of the villagers when the Tisza River burst its banks in April, leaving much of the eastern part of the country underwater. As flood victims rebuild their homes and villages, the Hungarian Bible Society is planning a free distribution of 1,000 Bibles to bring them comfort and strength. (WR 353/IB2 - 9.00) [PHOTOS]

l SCOTLAND — The National Bible Society of Scotland has announced that it is becoming ‘The Scottish Bible Society’, a name which, it says, is shorter, simpler, and “more in tune with 21st century Scotland”. The change of name was approved by a special meeting at Bible House, Edinburgh, at the end of June. The existing name dates back to 1861 when the Bible Societies of Edinburgh, Glasgow and other districts agreed to unite under a single banner. At the same time as adopting the new title, the Society is introducing a new logo. Produced by the well-known Scottish graphic designer Charles Randak, it consists of a cross formed from six lines of a distinctly tartan pattern. Commenting on the changes, the Society’s Director of Programs, Colin Hay, said , “Our objectives remain the same but we want to show that we are alive and well and living firmly in the 21st century.” The changes were due to receive their official launch by the President of the Society, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, at a dinner given by the Scottish Bible Society on September 5. Guest speaker at the event will be Tom Treseder, the Bible Society of Australia’s State Director for New South Wales. (WR 353/IB4 - 9.00)

l ISRAEL — The Bible Society in the West Bank has formally changed its name to the Palestinian Bible Society. Explaining the reason for the decision, Labib Madanat, the Executive Secretary of the Society, said that the name ‘West Bank’, which came into being after Israel occupied that part of Palestine during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, was not familiar on a worldwide scale. Moreover, the term did not include East Jerusalem or the Gaza Strip, places which were the centre and a main focus, respectively, of the Society’s work. The existence of the Bible Society in the West Bank dates back to 1992 when the UBS decided to make it a national office in its own right, separate from the Bible Society in Israel, in recognition of the special needs of Palestinians. “The new name represents a threefold achievement,” Mr Madanat said. “It demonstrates a recognition of the needs of Palestinians for the Word of God; it avoids the unresolved issue of the geographical determination of the new Palestine, and it proudly joins the name of Palestine with the Bible, which reflects the heart Jesus has for the Palestinians.” (WR 353/IB5 - 9.00)

Back to top of page