The Bible Society is responsible for Bible distribution.

WHEN WAS THE BIBLE SOCIETY FOUNDED?
The Bible Society was established in Cape Town on 23 August 1820 as a branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society which had been founded in London 16 years earlier. On 1 November 1965 the Bible Society of South Africa became an independent, autonomous organisation.

HOW IS THE BIBLE SOCIETY CONSTITUTED?
The Bible Society of South Africa (BSSA) is managed and organised in terms of the Bible Society Act (Act 15 of 1970). The National Board of the BSSA is the controlling body of the Society and consists of members elected from Regional Boards. These Regional Boards (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein, KwaZulu and Soweto) consist of members officially nominated by their churches.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY?
The sole purpose of the Society is Bible distribution, that is to make the Bible available to everyone in his own language at an affordable price.

HOW IS THIS AIM ACHIEVED?
By translation: In consultation with the churches, the Bible Society examines the need for new translations and revisions, trains translators, plans and co-ordinates translation projects, involving both full-time and part time translators.

By publication: The Bible Society is primarily responsible for the publication of Bibles and Bible portions in all the official languages of South Africa.

By distribution: The Bible Society subsidises Bibles and makes them available through the churches, through trade, general and Christian bookshops, through education departments and through special channels (such as prisons, hospitals and active services).

IS BIBLE TRANSLATION STILL NECESSARY?
Everyone needs to hear the Word of God. The United Bible Societies are currently involved in 681 translation projects world-wide. The Bible Society of South Africa is directly involved in meeting the Bible needs of the people in South Africa. The complete Bible has been translated into all the official languages of South Africa except Southern Ndebele. Sometimes changes in orthography (the way a language is written), or in language usage, is to such an extent that either a revision or a completely new translation is necessary. Over the past two decades, translators have worked on new translations in Afrikaans, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Venda and Xhosa, and orthographical revisions have been done in Tswana and Zulu. The Bible was also translated into Swati for the first time.

IN HOW MANY LANGUAGES HAS THE BIBLE BEEN PUBLISHED?
Complete Bibles have already been published in more than 355 languages world-wide. In addition, 880 languages have at least a complete Testament, while about 932 languages have at least one complete book of the Bible - a total of more than 2 167 languages.

WHAT DOES BIBLE TRANSLATION COST?
The Bible Society of South Africa budgets more than R1 million annually for Bible translation work.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED?
You share in the work of Bible distribution by helping to subsidise the cost of Bibles (average subsidy R11 per Bible)

R 22 helps to distribute 2 Bibles
R 33 helps to distribute 3 Bibles
R 44 helps to distribute 4 Bibles
R 66 helps to distribute 6 Bibles
R110 helps to distribute 10 Bibles

Please click here for a donation response form.
Click here for info on the Bible Society Prayer Booklet.

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Some more questions and answers:

HOW MANY SCRIPTURES ARE PRODUCED?
Every year between 3 and 4 million Scriptures are printed in South Africa.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CANNOT SEE OR READ?
Provision is made for those with special needs: special publications for new readers, large-print editions for the elderly and those with weak eyesight, braille Bibles and cassettes for the blind.

HOW ARE BIBLE PRICES DETERMINED?
More than 90% of the complete Bibles printed in South Africa, are sold at about half the production cost. Who pays the balance? This is provided by the Bible Society from contributions received from donors. No luxury Bible (leather binding, gilt edge or thumb index etc) is sold at less than cost.

IS THE BIBLE SOCIETY INVOLVED INTERNATIONALLY?
The Bible Society of South Africa is a full member of the United Bible Societies which consists of 138 national Bible Societies. The Societies operate in more than 200 countries world-wide. The Bible Society of South Africa sets aside a certain amount every year for Bible distribution in other countries in Africa and also in other parts of the world.

HOW DOES THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA ACHIEVE ALL THIS?
The Bible Society depends on the voluntary support, prayers and regular donations of churches and individuals. Contributors are those who so value the Bible themselves that they want to ensure that others can benefit from the same privilege.

IS THE BIBLE SOCIETY UNIQUE?
YES! The Bible Society of South Africa is, in close co-operation with, and by commission of the Church of Jesus Christ, the only organisation responsible for making the Bible available to ALL PEOPLE in their OWN LANGUAGE at an affordable price.

WHO IS THEREFORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ONGOING WORK OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY? The entire Christian community. THAT MEANS, YOU!

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"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news ..."
 Isaiah 52:7

THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA - PORT ELIZABETH.
P.0. Box 7579, Newton Park, 6055. Tel.(041) 364-1138
Email: bibpe@biblesociety.co.za

The Bible Society of South Africa - National website.

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P.E. Church Net has posted this page to support the Bible Society in their work. Content is extracted from Bible Society promotional literature. "The sower" logo is © of the Bible Society

last updated 22 February 1999