American Bible Society and NHCLC join forces to combat Biblical illiteracy in Hispanic communities

NEW YORK/PRNewswire — Two ministry heavyweights, American Bible Society and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), are launching a three-year effort to eradicate biblical illiteracy among Hispanics.

According to a recent study conducted by Barna Hispanics, in partnership with American Bible Society, the NHCLC and OneHope, while 87 percent of Hispanics own a Bible, only 8 percent are reading it regularly or allowing it to inform their worldview. In direct response to this staggering reality, American Bible Society and NHCLC will be mobilizing a national initiative aimed to decrease biblical illiteracy by promoting the importance of regular reading of the Bible.

“Hispanics come to the U.S. in search of a better life,” said Rev. Dr. Emilio A. Reyes, executive director of Multi-Language Ministries at American Bible Society. “They think a better life will be gained with greater access to the mighty dollar. Through this partnership with the NHCLC, we have the opportunity to motivate Hispanics to engage with the Bible and be confronted with the claims of Jesus Christ, the only one who can provide them with the better life they seek.”

With a U.S. Hispanic population of more than 50 million, Hispanics are impacting many areas of American society including expressions of the Christian faith. Through this effort, American Bible Society and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference look forward to seeing a rebirth in the Biblical literacy of the Latino Community, one that has the potential to shape the kind of society America becomes in the 21st century.

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the NHCLC, said, “Hispanics stand recognized as people of faith and family. Yet it behooves us to similarly stand recognized as ‘People of the Word.’ Without daily engagement of God’s word, the Hispanic community cannot advance the lamb’s agenda. Accordingly, this collaborative sponsorship serves as the platform for a campaign committed to eradicating biblical illiteracy.”

Formally launched at the recent NHCLC Annual Board Convention in Miami, FL, this initiative will encourage Spanish-speaking pastors and leaders around the country to designate September as Mes de la Biblia (Month of the Bible) and challenge their communities to read scripture daily throughout the year. To that end, American Bible Society and NHCLC will create culturally and linguistically authentic digital resources to be provided to participant churches free of charge.

Pastors and leaders who are interested in participating in Mes de la Biblia, by hosting Bible advocacy events and challenging their communities to return to the practice of daily scripture engagement throughout the year, should visit SaboreaLaBiblia.com to sign up. Once registered, participants can access free resources and materials.

About American Bible Society
Headquartered in Manhattan, the 197-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. For more information, visit AmericanBible.org.

About the NHCLC
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the nation’s largest Christian Hispanic organization, is the Hispanic Evangelical Association unifying, serving and representing millions in the Hispanic Born Again Community via 40,118 member churches by reconciling the vertical and horizontal of the Christian message through the 7 Directives of Life, Family, Compassionate Evangelism, Stewardship, Justice, Education and Youth. For more information, visit NHCLC.org.

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