The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), Rivers/Bayelsa Area, has launched “Operation Every Christian Buy Two Bibles” scheme in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

The scheme Is designed to improve Bible distribution to enable the Rivers/Bayelsa Area to escape being scrapped by its national body.

The national headquarters of BSN had threatened to scrap the Rivers/Bayelsa Area if it fails to sell about 7,500 copies of the Holy Bible by the end of this year.

Already, the national body had stopped the Area from attending the group’s National Board Meeting for the year as part of the preliminary measures preparatory to scrapping the Rivers/Bayelsa Area or merging it with another Area, thereby denying Rivers/Bayelsa Area its autonomy.

However, in a bid to escape the looming scrapping, the Chairman of the Area, Elder Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, BSN-SM, recently performed the launching of the scheme at the Christ Army Church of Nigeria (CACN), Saint Paul’s (Saint Garrick Braide) Cathedral Bakana in Degema Local Government Area.

According to Elder Ayo-Tamuno, “The aim of ‘Every Christian Buy Two Bibles’ is to enable the Area to escape being abolished and meet up its Bible distribution target set by the Society’s National Headquarters.”

Explaining further, he disclosed that “of the two Bibles to be bought, one is to be given to the individual Church for evangelism and the other for keeps or given to anyone who does not have a Bible.”

The Chairman further said: “The Written Word of God (The Bible) hard copy is more reliable and more authentic than the soft copy being promoted by a section of the Christian Community.”

He appealed to the members of the Christ Army Church of Nigeria, one of the oldest indigenous churches in Nigeria, to continue to keep faith with the Society to enable it to meet up with its mandate to make the Bible available in indigenous mother tongues.

The Chairman lauded the Presiding Archbishop of the CACN, the Most Reverend Sir, (Dr) Ibiba Siri (JP), for his constant and uncommon support to the Society in the past five years.

He disclosed that through the personal efforts of the Archbishop, the Cathedral had maintained the first position in membership drive, especially the Special Membership Class.

Responding, the Most Reverend Ibiba assured that the being launched in the Cathedral would be given adequate support and members would buy into it faithfully.

Archbishop Siri, who pledged continued support to the Society annually, said that the Cathedral had submitted forms for four special memberships.

He further assured that he would advise all churches in the CACN to support the society in their various locations.

Publicity Secretary, BSN Rivers/Bayelsa Area, Fubara Hart, reports that the highlight of the occasion was the presentation of BSN literature to the Archbishop.

•PHOTO: BSN Rivers Bayelsa Area Chairman Elder Omoni Ayo-Tamuno BSN-SM presenting BSN publications to the CACN Presiding Archbishop, the Most Reverend Sir (Dr) Ibiba Siri (JP), KSQ, KSC, NOMAA, MVAP.

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