BSN seeks govt partnership, church support at 60th anniversary

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

The Bible Society of Nigeria, BSN, Rivers/Bayelsa Area has called for stronger partnership from the two State Governments, and support from churches and stakeholders to drive its Bible translation and distribution mandate.

The group, at its 60th anniversary celebration and Life Members Conference/launching of N50 million endowment fund for Bible distribution with theme: “God Be With Us,” held at First Baptist Church, Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, also called for greater involvement of youths in the Bible Society of Nigeria.

BSN Chairman, Rivers/Bayelsa Area, Elder Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, said the programme was aimed at creating awareness among the Christian community, church leaders and pastors about the activities of the Society.

“BSN is a non-profit-making organisation, an NGO set up to assist the church and to also help to make the Bible available to the general public of Nigerians. We translate the Bible into various languages,” he stated.

Ayo-Tamuno, a former Chairman of the Rivers State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, disclosed that out of over 500 languages in Nigeria, about 35 have been translated by the Bible Society and other interest groups, noting that Rivers State currently has four translated Bibles – Okrika, Nembe, Khana and Kalabari.

“By the end of this year or early January, Eleme Bible New Testament would be completed. But the Old Testament is over 70 per cent and very soon to be completed. And I can tell you that for the Ogbia and Epie language Bible is completed and will soon be launched,” he said.

He lamented that as a non-profit organisation working principally for the church, the Society cannot meet its mandate alone, and appealed to churches and government to help it meet its national target of distributing 10,000 copies of the Bible in its area.

“We need the support of pastors, bishops as the case may be. There are targets set up by the Bible Society National. One of them is that we must distribute 10,000 copies of the Bible. So that’s why we’re calling on the Christian community, pastors and the rest of them to source their Bible from the Bible Society,” he said.

Ayo-Tamuno also urged the state government to partner with the Society in the procurement of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible used for Christian Religious Knowledge in schools.

“We are also aware that the state government is already providing free textbooks to students or pupils. We expect that the government will also partner with the Bible Society so that they can source the Revised Standard Version of the Bible from the Bible Society. If that is done, it will also help us to sell more of the Bibles,” he appealed.

The outgoing chairman, who will be completing his eight-year tenure by December, said he will continue to serve the Christian community in other capacities even after leaving office.

He however expressed concern over the lack of youth participation in the activities of the BSN, warning that any organisation without young people is doomed to fail.

“One worry problem we have is that the young people are not in the Bible Society. Any organisation without young people is doomed to fail. So we are calling on the youth of Rivers and Bayelsa States to join us and be part and parcel of Bible Society so that the aims and objectives of Bible Society will continue from generation to generation,” he said.

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and Director General, Baptist Forum for Good Governance, Hon. Dawari George, commended the BSN for 60 years of commitment to printing and translating the Bible into several Nigerian languages.

George, a former lawmaker who represented Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, represented by Hon. Alapuye Cottrell, said the Society has fulfilled the Lord’s great commission and is preparing the ground for Christ’s second coming.

“Until the Gospel is preached everywhere, Christ may not come. And so you are facilitating his coming, and we want to commend you for that,” he said, assuring of continued support for the mission.

He noted that the insecurity, economic and political challenges facing Nigeria would be reduced if more Nigerians live by the Word of God, and urged participants to contribute cheerfully and generously to ensure more Bibles reach Nigerians.

Speaking on the theme, “God Be With Us,” guest preacher Ven. Christian Akawor, said the greatest gift a believer receives from God is His presence, taking his text from John 3:2.

“Nobody can do all he/she is doing today except God be with him. No one man can do or achieve anything in life without God’s presence,” he said.

Ven. Akawor commended the BSN’s Bible Distribution Project, describing it as a huge task, and called on government, churches and well-meaning Nigerians to support the project, stressing that making the Word of God available and accessible remains a panacea for moral rebirth and national transformation.

Highpoints of the event were the cutting of the BSN 60th anniversary cake, the presentation of awards to deserving members and launching of N50 million seed money for Bible distribution.