American Bible Society (ABS) work begins

ABS’s agent in China, Dr. John Hykes, made a trip to the Philippines on September 23, 1898 to determine the prospects of opening up an agency in Manila. His report gave a graphic survey of the social and religious conditions in the country and was circulated widely throughout the United States. His report paved the way for the commissioning of Rev. Jay Goodrich, a Methodist minister, to serve as ABS’s Manila office agent. Goodrich arrived in the Philippines on November 26, 1899— a date that will be remembered as the beginnings of official Bible Society work in the Philippines.