WHEREAS, Historically the Southern Baptist Convention has recognized, first, the urgent need for the printed Word of God at home and throughout the world; and second, the dependence of the advance of the gospel on wider distribution of Bibles, Testaments, portions (individual books of the Bible), and Scripture selections, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society, as an agency for the churches in the United States, renders an essential worldwide service in the translation and publication of the Scriptures without doctrinal note or comment, and in distribution without profit at prices people can afford, and often free where needed, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society is working as one of the 56 members of the United Bible Societies to further the multi-language, multi-nation program, Good News for New Readers–designed to combine literacy aid with gospel learning–and whereas, this new program will provide Scripture literacy selections in 200 languages in a form that millions of the world’s new literates can read for themselves, for the first time, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society provides its service of Scripture translation, publication, and distribution for our churches with greater efficiency, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society offers the Scriptures without charge to chaplains for distribution to armed forces personnel and to patients in veteran’s hospitals, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society provides the Scriptures to the blind, free of charge where needed: in Braille, on records, tapes, and cassettes, and
WHEREAS, The American Bible Society produces special Scripture editions designed for use by the Southern Baptist Convention, the state conventions, and their churches for Bible study and evangelism, and
WHEREAS, The Convention recognizes its close and continuing relationship with the American Bible Society in the common purpose of distribution of the Scriptures;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the messengers of this Convention earnestly encourage our churches to make appropriate contributions to the American Bible Society and support it faithfully with their prayers, in order to promote and expand the urgent task of Scripture distribution and the missionary advance to which Southern Baptists are committed at home and abroad, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage our churches to provide additional support for the Good News for New Readers program of the American Bible Society at levels over and above their contributions in previous years, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage our churches, associations, and state conventions to further the Bible cause through their own programs emphasizing a wider reading and sharing of God’s Word, and making use of the services of the American Bible Society, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we pray unceasingly that our Lord’s Great Commission be fulfilled that the message of the gospel may be known and accepted by all peoples of the earth.