75 Years of the Brazilian Bible Society
Seventy-five years ago, representatives from Brazil’s major churches gathered in Rio de Janeiro with a single mission: to spread the Word of God to the nations—a mission that seemed impossible at the time. But that challenge was met with faith, hard work and complete trust in the Lord. The Brazilian Bible Society (SBB) was thus established on 10 June 1948. Consequently, on 10 June 2023, a thanksgiving service was held at the new building Assemblies of God Ministry in Belém, São Paulo to celebrate the SBB’s 75th anniversary, where leaders of Brazil’s major churches and hundreds of Christians from various denominations came together.
On that day, a spirit of gratitude filled the atmosphere of the Thanksgiving Service, which began at 18:20 local time. The service was led by Pastor Mário Rost, SBB’s Institutional Development Manager. The service and celebrations featured a praise procession, Bible readings from various versions, and the preaching of God’s Word. A video presentation outlined the historical journey of the Brazilian Bible Society and the diverse ministries currently being carried out from the northernmost to the southernmost parts of Brazil. In recounting this historical journey, senior staff and members of the SBB’s governing body who remain actively involved in the organisation’s ministry, God’s people and church representatives who have benefited from the Bible Society’s ministry, and donor partners whose support enables the SBB’s work to continue, gave testimonies and shared stories of how the presence of the Bible has influenced and transformed their lives.
Pastor José Wellington Costa Junior, Vice-President Assemblies of God Ministry of Belém (AD Belém) and also President of the General Convention of the Assemblies of God of Brazil (CGADB), welcomed all those present and those following the event online. The programme continued with a Bible reading from the Book of Micah 4:1–5, delivered by Emilene Araujo, Manager of Social Projects, Social Action and Fundraising at SBB, followed by Paula Regina França, a Braille proofreader at SBB with a visual impairment, who could not hold back her tears as she read Luke 8:4–8 in Braille, a passage containing the Parable of the Sower.
The evening’s hymns were performed by the AD Beléand the SBB choir, comprising deaf, hard-of-hearing and visually impaired people from various SBB ministry areas. Their beautiful voices transformed the church building into a place of solemn worship to the Lord.
Jesus, “the living Word of God”, was the theme and focus of the sermon. “We can only shine if our lives are transformed by God and His Word, so that we are enabled to reflect God’s light and glory. Today, as we praise God during this anniversary celebration. We are called to continue to bring forth the light of Christ through the transforming power of the Bible,” said Pastor Hernandes Dias Lopes.
Congratulations from around the world
SBB has received messages of congratulations in various languages. Representatives from Bible Societies in South Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Angola, Kenya, Bolivia, Germany and Peru sent their messages and greetings via video. “It is a great joy for us to participate in this 75th-anniversary celebration. United Bible Societies (UBS) was founded in 1946 to facilitate the translation, production and distribution of the Holy Scriptures through a strategy of cooperation. The Brazilian Bible Society is vital to our work and for many Bible societies, as it has supported and published the Word of God in over a hundred countries and in more than 30 languages,” said Rev Dirk Gevers, General Secretary of the UBS, who was in Brazil to attend the celebrations.
Authorities and government representatives from several municipalities, states and the Federal Government of Brazil were also present or sent their greetings. Ricardo Nunes, Mayor of São Paulo, was travelling but recorded a video to mark SBB’s anniversary. Pastors and leaders from various denominations and Christian organisations were also present. The Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) and Radio Trans Mundial presented a special plaque to SBB.
Pastors’ Day
In addition to giving thanks to God for the SBB’s 75th anniversary, the service also paid tribute to Pastors’ Day, which is usually celebrated on the second Sunday in June. All the ministers present at this service and celebration received a special certificate to mark Ministers’ Day. Rev. Hernandes Dias Lopes, Rev. José Wellington Costa Junior, and Rev. José Wellington Bezerra da Costa, President of the Church Ministry Council Evangelical Church of Belém and Honorary President of the CGADB, were present to symbolically accept the award.
“On this significant date for the Brazilian Bible Society (SBB), we wish to honour the pastors, our key partners in the work of sowing and proclaiming the Good News,” said Rev. Esequias Soares, President God Assembly of Jundiaí (SP) and Chairman of the SBB Board of Trustees, who presented certificates of appreciation, the SBB New Translation of the Bible and the commemorative book “The Bible in Brazil” to the three pastors.
An opportunity to experience the world of the Bible
Those who took part in the SBB’s 75th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service also had the opportunity to explore the world and culture of the Bible, the history and work of the Brazilian Bible Society and other Bible Societies, and to learn more about the Word of God. On the third floor of the building, a special room was set aside for children, hosting a series of educational activities, programmes and games for boys and girls aged between 1 and 11.
In the basement, the SBB Bible Museum (MuBi), which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023, is hosting an exhibition showcasing its diverse collections. Through images and infographics, the public can view key events in SBB’s history on a timeline, gain a closer understanding of the works it has developed, and explore special publications such as the 38-volume Braille Bible.
Rádio Bíblia SBB, which, despite having been on air for only about a year, has recently become a leading reference in Christian media both in Brazil and abroad. They are present throughout the day at the celebrations with all their studio equipment. As well as covering and broadcasting all the activities, Radio Biblia SBB welcomes people who come to record verses from the SBB Bible’s New Translation in Contemporary Language (NTLH) as part of the ‘+31,000 Voices with the Word’ programme. This three-year programme aims to bring together 31,104 different people from across Brazil to record their voices reading designated passages from the Holy Scriptures.
“My emotions were running high that day. Everything about this celebration was truly moving. The speeches, the orchestra, the worship, Pastor Hernandes’ sermon, the choir of the deaf and blind, and every Bible reading. It was all incredibly beautiful. Let us not forget the churches that have supported and participated, representing all of God’s people in Brazil and even from abroad. Let us give thanks to the Lord and ask Him to continue blessing our work of spreading the Good News and transforming the lives of each and every one of these people. This event was held to remind everyone of the significance and reason why the Bible must be present and readily available to everyone. Above all, however, all honour and praise belong solely to God, who has guided our every step and work. “We are merely His instruments in carrying out every good work,” said Rev. Dr Erní Walter Seibert, Executive Director of the Brazilian Bible Society (SBB).
Source: ubscommunity.org
