Bible People in the News
l AUSTRALIA
— The new Chief Executive Officer of the Bible
Society in Australia (NSW) is the Rev Daniel Willis. Since 1997
Mr Willis, 47, has served as a minister in St Andrew’s Anglican
Cathedral, Sydney, and last year he oversaw the cathedral’s entire
program of outreach during the Olympic Games. Prior to his service at
St Andrew’s, he served at three churches in the suburbs of Sydney.
Before being ordained in 1987, he worked for several computer companies
and his qualifications include both Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor
of Business. Mr Willis and his wife Karen have three children. He takes
up his appointment this month, replacing former State Director, Tom
Treseder, who retired earlier this year. (WR 363/IB1 - 10.01)
l
SWITZERLAND — In August the death
occurred of David Weidmann, the former Managing Director of the Swiss
Bible Society. He died on August 17, shortly before his 68th birthday
and a few weeks after having apparently recovered from cancer. He served
with the Swiss Bible Society from 1972 until he retired in the autumn
of 1998. An obituary issued by the Society said Mr Weidmann had exercised
a decisive influence on the growth of the Society. He was also interested
in the international work of UBS, especially in the Francophone sector,
from which he made many contacts and friends. “He always was eager
to give his contribution for the translation and the distribution of
the Bible, something he was engaged with heart and soul,” the obituary
added. (WR 363/IB2 - 10.01)
l ENGLAND
— UBS has announced that Jean-Alain Moussié is to be its
new Publishing Services Coordinator. Mr Moussié is currently
the UBS Inter-Regional Services Coordinator and is based in Nairobi,
Kenya. He will take up his new role later this year and will continue
to work from Nairobi until a move to the UBS World Service Center in
Reading becomes possible. He succeeds John Ball who left in March 1999
to join Scripture Union. (WR 363/IB3 - 10.01) e-162 [PHOTO]
l
ENGLAND — The death has been announced
of the scholar and missionary, Dr Jocelyn Murray. She died in London,
England, on May 25 after a long illness and was in her early seventies.
Born and brought up in New Zealand she served with the Church
Missionary Society as an educational missionary in Kenya. Later she
became a Mennonite. Her research into Christian attitudes to female circumcision
in East Africa earned her a doctorate from the University of California.
Her part-time work for the UBS began during a period of association with
the University of Aberdeen, and continued after she moved to London. As
editorial assistant of The Bible Translator from 1978 to 1994,
she gave invaluable support to the editor, Paul Ellingworth, undertaking
such demanding but unspectacular tasks as the preparation of the annual
index. Her concern for mission and for Africa is shown in her authorship
of the Oxford Cultural Atlas of Africa (1981) and Proclaim the
Good News: a short history of the Church Missionary Society (1985).
(WR 363/IB4 - 10.01)
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