BIBLE HOUSE OPENED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10542, 19 March 1920, Page 8

BIBLE HOUSE OPENED

THE DEDICATION CEREMONY. . The dedication ceremony of the British and Foreign Bible {Society House was yesterday afternoon by the agent, the ilov. F. H. {Spencer, Jj.th., in the unavoidable absence of His .Lordship Bishop Spratt. There were present: The Itev. J. H. Sykes, Kilbimie; Veh. Archdeacons A. M. Johnson, and 11. Watson, Itev. ,H. W. Burridge, St. John's, Rev. A. T. Thompson, Rev. H. Drews, and Itev. A. T. B. Pago, St. Marks, Wellington . The hymn, "The Old Hundredth,” was sung by those present, and the Bev. H. W. Burndge, representing the Presbyterian Church, 'who read as a lesson. Psalm 19. . The Rev, Mr 1 Spencer, in performing the ceremony, outlined the .steps that had been taken in the establishment of the Bible House, : and made a forecast of what might be eypeoteef from the institution. The British and Foreign Bible Society maintained depots in nearly a hundred of the chief cities of the world. Even during the war its depots at Berlin. Vienna, Budapest. Bucharest, Belgrade, and Constantinople had remained open. , The society employed an average of about 1000 native Christian colporteurs, who wore continually at work, weeK by week throughout the year 1918, supervised by the society's foreign agents or its missionary friends. In spite of many hindrances, due to the war, these colporteurs sold last year nearly five million copies of the Scriptures—more than half of the total circulation. The work of translation and revision had gone forward unchecked. The list of versions in which the Bible Society had helped to produce or circulate God’s message to men now contained almost every language, many new languages having been added since the present century began. The Ven. Archdeacon Johnson congratulated Mr Spencer on his long years of service, and the crowning result in the establishing of a Bible House. The present building is situated at No. 41, Ballanc© street, Wellington, and when the necessary alterations hare been effected it will be of five stories. It will_ then become a new centre for religious activities throughout New Zealand.