Canadian bible society turns 100 years old: cross-country trek hopes to raise money and awareness.

STAFF

This year marks the centennial of the official chartering of the Canadian Bible Society (CBS) and special events have been lined up to celebrate it, including a Bike for Bibles across Canada and a symposium that will gather thousands of scholars, theologians and lay people to reflect on the relevance of Scripture in today's society.

A hundred years "is quite a milestone and a great reason to celebrate," said CBS national director, Phyllis Nesbitt, in a press statement.

Founded in 1904 and chartered in 1906, the organization began with a mandate to promote and encourage the translation, publication, distribution and use of the Bible.

A centennial celebration committee began meeting-in 2004 to plan the commemorative events. Last October the CBS released a CD featuring Canadian artists singing Scripture in song. It also released a cookbook and it is slated this month to release Proclamation Book, a compilation of testimonials from people whose lives have been changed by Proclamation, a CBS event where congregations from churches of various denominations gather together to read the Bible aloud, from beginning to end. "They just read the Bible," said Ms. Nesbitt. "No doctrinal comment. No commentary. Just the entire Word of God, spoken aloud, one word at a time."

On May 16 to 18, a "Proclamation Symposium" is planned at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., which will examine topics such as "how the Bible relates to the growth and mission of the church, the role of the artist, the teaching of children, youth and adults, the recruiting and training of leaders and more," said Rev. Wayne McCarther, the CBS district director for Nova Scotia.

On June 25, a gathering at St. Paul's Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks in Kanata, the oldest Protestant church in Ontario, will commemorate the life of Canadian war hero, Teyoninhokarawen, also known as Capt. John Norton.

"Norton proves that not every hero of the Bible is actually in the Bible," said Rev. Dennis Hillis, district director for South Central Ontario and organizer of the celebration.

Prior to his military career, during which he led the First Nation warriors in support of the British Army throughout the war of 1812, Capt. Norton translated the Gospel of John into the Mohawk language. "His work, which was completed in 1806, became the first translation, publication and distribution of the British and Foreign Bible Society," said Mr. Hillis.

Meanwhile, the Bike for Bibles Centennial Ride, a 62-day, 7,800-kilometre journey across Canada sets off from Victoria, where participants will celebrate Canada Day together on the evening of July 1, and begin the ride the following morning. The last stop is St. John's, on Sept. 1. Some participants will join the ride for a one-week leg or a regional ride of one to three days.

Along the way of the fundraiser, participants will offer Bibles to those who have no other means to obtain them.

Organizers of the Bike for Bibles event may be contacted at i-877-439-7729 or by e-mail at [e-mail]