300 Ministry Powerhouses Make History with Public Commitment to Daily Bible Engagement

Uncover the Word, a North American Bible Campaign, Launched in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 16, 2012—Many of North America's leading Christian Bible agencies, denominations and ministries came together this week to shine a light on the disconnect between Bible ownership and Bible reading. Some 300 Christian leaders gathered at the Forum of Bible Agencies - North America Summit Nov. 7-9 in Orlando, Fla., and signed the Uncover the Word Commitment, a pledge to practice daily Bible engagement in their own lives and encourage it within their spheres of influence. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, and Samuel Rodriguez, president of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, joined a call to action and challenged Christian leaders to build new and needed Bible engagement in North America.

• Declaring their confidence in God’s living and active Word

• Renewing their personal daily encounter with God through the Bible

• Restoring the Bible to a place of centrality

• Dedicating themselves to create compelling invitations to engaging with the Bible

Earlier this year, a survey commissioned by American Bible Society and conducted by the Barna Group found that 88 percent of Americans own a Bible. But according to the State of the Bible study,¹ fewer than half of Americans read the Bible more than once a month. For Christian leaders, the disconnect between Bible ownership and Bible reading is particularly troubling in light of the findings of a study from the Willow Creek Association.² The Willow Creek study found that Scripture engagement is the only catalyst to spiritual growth common to every stage of spiritual development.

"This is an exciting time in the life of the Church in North America," said Jim Mellado, president of the Willow Creek Association. "The Uncover the Word Summit is a jump start for Bible engagement. We know that as people read and reflect on the words of the Bible, they will experience its life-changing message."

Despite attempts by some atheists and atheist groups to remove the Bible from public life, recent research suggests that the vast majority of Americans still consider the Bible to be sacred literature. "While some are clamoring loudly for the removal of the Bible from the public arena, our research shows that 54 percent of Americans actually believe the Bible has too little influence on culture,¹" said Lamar Vest, president and CEO of American Bible Society. "Our hope is that Uncover the Word will ignite a movement of Bible readers and cultural influencers."

Interview Opportunities:

• Lamar Vest, president and CEO, American Bible Society

• Jim Mellado, president, Willow Creek Association

• David Kinnaman, president, Barna Group

• James Puchy, executive director of National Ministries, American Bible Society

About the Forum of Bible Agencies - North America:
Founded in 1990, the Forum of Bible Agencies - North America (FOBA) is an alliance of leading Bible agencies and mission organizations that work together to increase Bible access and encourage engagement with God's Word. FOBA works to deliver and equip all people in every language group with the most appropriate language, media and cultural forms of Scripture.

About Uncover the Word:
Created by American Bible Society and embraced by the Forum of Bible Agencies, Uncover the Word™ is a national movement of Christians committed to the daily practice of Scripture engagement. The movement seeks to mobilize North Americans to freshly discover the Bible so that they are personally experiencing its life-transforming power and positively impact culture.

About American Bible Society:
Headquartered in Manhattan, the 195-year-old American Bible Society exists to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message. One of the nation's oldest nonprofit organizations, today's American Bible Society provides interactive, high- and low-tech resources enabling first-time readers and seasoned theologians alike to engage with the best-selling book of all time.

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¹State of the Bible, American Bible Society, 2011
²MOVE: What 1,000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth, Willow Creek Association, 2011