BIBLE SOCIETY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20055, 29 September 1939, Page 9

BIBLE SOCIETY

ACTIVITIES OUTLINED ORGANISER IN TE KAEAKA (Herald Correspondent.) Miss Berg, organising secretary for the central area of the North Island for the British and Foreign Bible Society, who is making her initial visit to the Gisborne district, visited Te Karaka this week as the guest of the Rev. J. D. and Mrs. Hodgson. A number of people interested in the work of the society were entertained by Mrs. Hodgson at “The Vicarage” on Wednesday afternoon, when Miss Berg gave an interesting outline of the activities carried on. The speaker mentioned that, the society was inaugurated in 1804 and to date had had the Bible printed in 732 different languages and dialects nine new ones having been added last year.

There were 105 Bible houses situated in various parts of the world and a staff of 940 colporteurs. Sales of the Scriptures totalled over 11.000,000 last year; the increase over the previous year’s' figures was noteworthy in many cases, Japan having an increase in sales of 43,000 and Europe an increase of 73,000. Miss Berg paid a tribute to the voluntary collectors, whose efforts made it possible for the society to carry on with its main object of making the Scriptures available _to all peoples of the world in their own language and in their own homes. Those present included Mesdames M. D. Manuel, A. G. Lucas, R. D. Dymock, F. T. Fletcher, and W. G. Keane; Misses V. Seamong and L. Ruru.