ECBA-CBCP and PHILIPPINE BIBLE SOCIETY FACE BIG CHALLENGE

The Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (ECBA-CBCP) and the Philippine Bible Society (PBS) are preparing to meet a major challenge in relation to the ‘May They be One’ (MTBO) Bible Campaign. A partnership between ECBA-CBCP and the Philippine Bible Society, the campaign is a journey towards national transformation and the country’s spiritual, moral and social stability. Supported and participated in by other churches, the MTBO based on John 17:21, has the stated goal of distributing Bibles for 5 million poor Filipino families in 5 years at a subsidized price of P50/US$1 per Bible.
Not only do ECBA and the Philippine Bible Society want to be able to distribute low cost Bibles, they also want to ensure that recipients will fully benefit from having a copy through a values formation component that will be provided by the churches in the form of Bible seminars.
In 2009, the goal was to distribute100,000 Bibles and by the end of September more than 70,000 poor families have already received Bibles through the parishes, the Basic Ecclesial Communities, religious and lay organizations. This was made possible from funds advanced by partners and initial fundraising activities. To achieve the goal for the year and meet all costs associated with it, ECBA-CBCP and PBS needs to raise P8.5 million by December 31, 2009.
“This seems an impossible task considering that we only have about three months to go but the campaign has drawn the help of other Bible Societies and we have the opportunity to exceed our goal” said Mrs. Nora Lucero, General Secretary of the Philippine Bible Society.
“The American Bible Society has pledged to donate US$100,000 (about P5 million) to this campaign if we are able to raise the same amount of money by year’s end. To date, almost P1.5 million (around US$30,000) has been raised.  The exciting thing about the proposal is that the Bible Society concerned has offered to raise the same amount again for us next year if we meet the December 31 deadline. In addition, more could be made available from other Bible Societies later” added Mrs. Lucero. “That means that for every P50 (US$1) given, potentially P200 (US$4) will be raised for this crucial campaign.”
Everyone can participate. “The challenge for ECBA-CBCP and the Philippine Bible Society is to find enough people who will give anything from P150.00 (US$3, the full cost of one Bible) to P150,000 (US$3,000) or more towards this campaign and help meet the challenge. The great thing about this campaign is that anybody can be involved. Any donation our friends and supporters make will collectively ensure we achieve this significant goal and potentially multiply the donations by four to provide subsidized Bibles to over 200,000 poor families,” said Mrs. Lucero.
“While we are a Catholic nation, it is very surprising that many of our Filipino homes do not have a Bible. The aim, therefore, of the May They Be One Campaign of providing every Filipino Catholic home with a Bible deserves our commendation and support. Indeed, putting a Bible in every home is putting Christ in every heart,” said Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila.
To learn more about how you can be part of the MTBO Campaign and make significant change, visit www.Bible.org.ph or www.ecba-cbcp.com.  Donations can be made towards this challenge by making a deposit to the following bank accounts: PBS-MTBO Account # 3903-0649-34 (BPI Sta. Mesa Branch) or ECBA-CBCP Account #0251-021373 (BPI-Tayuman Branch).