Bibles for the world: One girl's legacy by Bible Network News Staff
Mary Jones from the Canadian Bible Society video, Journey for the Word
Toronto, CANADA, March 5, 2004 — If you have a Bible that you can understand, you may have her to thank.
March 7th, 1804 is a date that goes relatively unnoticed by the masses, but for anyone who now owns a Bible in their own language, it was a turning point. In the 200 years since then, the Bible has been made available in more than 200 countries and portions of it have been translated into more than 2000 languages. And all of this was made possible by one girl's passion for the Bible.
Mary Jones' Journey
Mary Jones lived in Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, in the Welsh county of Gwynnedd. From an early age, Mary had longed for a Bible in her own language. But her family was poor, and Bibles in 18th century Wales were both expensive and scarce.
For most people, that would be the end of the story. Mary, however, was determined. And so she began to save every penny she could. It took six years, but finally in the year 1800, at the age of 16, Mary had enough money to purchase a Bible. She gathered her savings and journeyed barefoot across the hills some 25 miles (40 km) to the home of Rev. Thomas Charles in the town of Bala, having heard that he had some Bibles for sale.
Rev. Charles had three Welsh Bibles, but all of them were promised to other people. But touched by Mary's story about how she had saved for six years and travelled so far, he gave her one of the Bibles.
A New Movement
Deeply moved by Mary Jones' experience, Rev. Charles presented the need for more Scriptures for the people of Wales at a meeting of the Religious Tract Society in December of 1802. This idea was quickly broadened to focus on the Scripture needs of the whole of the British Empire and the world. The next 15 months would be spent approaching influential people to support the cause.
Finally, on March 7, 1804, a public meeting was held at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate, to form the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS). The historic inaugural meeting was held in a tavern in order to avoid any association with a particular branch of the Church, and was attended by 300 people of different denominations. While there had been other Bible societies prior to the founding of BFBS, it was this Society that inspired the worldwide Bible Society movement.
Canada was one of the first regions to benefit from the work of BFBS, with the Gospel of John being published in the Mohawk language in 1804, the year the Society was founded.
The Bible Society movement quickly spread to numerous countries. Indeed, the Canadian Bible Society was once an auxiliary of BFBS, and with BFBS and 136 other Bible Societies and Offices is now a member of the worldwide United Bible Societies fellowship.
Mary's Legacy
Mary Jones died on December 29, 1864 at the age of 80. A stone erected over her grave at Bethlehem Chapel in Bryncrug reads, "In memory of Mary Jones, who in the year 1800, at the age of 16, walked from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala to procure a copy of a Welsh Bible from the Rev. Thomas Charles, B.A. This incident led to the formation of the British and Foreign Bible Society."
This year, the Canadian Bible Society is commemorating 200 years of the worldwide Bible Society movement. This movement, which has reached millions of people with Bibles in their own languages, is Mary's legacy.
