ETHIOPIA, April 30, 2007 — “They’ve arrived!” This is the joyful news that the Bible Society of Ethiopia is spreading following the delivery of the first shipment of 110,000 copies of a special edition of the Amharic Bible to mark the Ethiopian millennium. The Society is now preparing to ensure that, as Meskerem (September - the first month of the year according to Ethiopia’s 13-month Julian calendar) approaches, “these Bibles will reach needy people and help the Christians in our country to spread God’s Word,” says General Secretary Yilma Getahun.
As soon as the Bibles were unloaded, the Society’s staff said prayers of thanks for their safe and timely arrival. Board members and Church leaders are also due to gather for a time of thanksgiving and an official dedication ceremony shortly, according to Mr Getahun. And once distribution gets under way, “the Word of God will be reaching many people.”
Photo: Bible Society of Ethiopia
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There is no doubt that these special Bibles have arrived at a time of great hunger for the Scriptures in Ethiopia, one of the first countries in the world to adopt the Christian faith. Christians make up around 65 per cent of the country’s population and the Bible Society faces a significant challenge in providing sufficient Bibles to keep pace with demand. Since it was founded in 1966, it has distributed more than 33 million Scriptures in 21 languages. And now, under its two-year millennium project, the Society aims to distribute 2.5 million Bibles, New Testaments, New Reader Portions, Portions and Selections in a range of languages and at affordable prices.
“We anticipate that, through this project, the Word of God will strengthen the faith of many people as they join the glorious celebration of the Ethiopian 2,000th birthday of our saviour Jesus Christ,” says Mr Getahun. “Let us pray that God will abundantly bless our country in the new millennium through these special millennium edition Bibles.”.
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