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Bible Society New Zealand

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Bible Society New Zealand is a Christian organisation dedicated to supplying bibles within New Zealand, and supporting Bible Societies around the world to do the same within their respective countries. They aim to serve the whole Christian community by working closely with churches to serve all denominations. The organisation has approximately 30 paid employees, and around 700 volunteers throughout New Zealand.

Bible Society New Zealand was established in 1846 and is a donor supported non-profit society that receives no Government funding and depends on prayers and financial support of Christian individuals and churches. It is a member of the United Bible Societies, a fellowship of 146 Bible Societies throughout the world which co-operate to make the Bible available to people everywhere in a language they can understand and at a price they can afford.[1] In 2017, the Bible Society merged with Christian bookstore chain Manna Christian Stores to form the Bible Society New Zealand Group.[2]

Publishing

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Bible Society New Zealand publishes a wide variety of non-denominational Scriptures and resources for churches and Christians to use. This includes leaflets for children and adults that tell the Christmas and Easter story and share Bible answers to life's questions, New Testaments for outreach, gospels for Easter camps, full waterproof Bibles for New Zealand Defence Force personnel, Christian story books for school and many more.

Sometimes Bible Society New Zealand initiates a publishing project and sees it through themselves, but more often they work with another organisation that has a particular need or audience, and partner to publish what they require for their outreach or ministry. The society also publishes Bibles for general reading, in English and a number of Pacific Island languages.

Due to being part of United Bible Societies, the world's largest Bible translating and publishing organisation, Bible Society New Zealand doesn't always have to do the publishing themselves. Through partnering with other Bible Societies, they are able to stock and distribute a huge range of Bibles and other material in most English Bible versions and in most other major languages.[3]

Bible Society New Zealand is located in Wellington, New Zealand.[4]

History

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The Bible Society New Zealand was first established in 1846 as the Auckland Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society.[5] In the early days, Bible Society New Zealand volunteers walked or travelled on horseback throughout frontier regions in New Zealand, distributing Bibles to remote settlers and Māori people. In 2009, acclaimed children's author Joy Cowley teamed up with Bible Society New Zealand to write Tārore Story which was distributed free to 240,000 school children across New Zealand. It is the true story of a Māori girl named Tārore, the events surrounding her death in 1836 and the impact her death had upon the Māori people of Aotearoa.[6]

In a military world first, the New Zealand Defence Force New Testament was published in 2013. Chaplain Class One Lance Lukin perceived a need for this project and contacted Bible Society New Zealand to make it happen. The New Testament is a purpose-made, waterproof, tear resistant, military book and is endorsed by renowned adventurer and former soldier, Bear Grylls. 5000 copies were printed and distributed to new recruits, and a reprint is in progress.[7]

Other projects that Bible Society New Zealand has recently completed include reformatting of the Maori Bible published in 1952, and the first Tokelauan New Testament was launched in June 2009.[8] Current projects include the first Māori Children's Bible to be completed by 2015, and a complete Tokelauan Bible due to be completed in 2016.[8]

In 2017, Bible Society New Zealand merged withManna Christian Stores to form the Bible Society New Zealand Group.[2]

In March 2024, the Bible Society confirmed that it would be closing its Wellington office and reconsolidating its headquarters at its Auckland office that month.[2]

Manna Christian Stores

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In 2017, the Bible Society New Zealand merged with the local Christian bookstore chain Manna Christian Stores. Manna Christian Stores was established in 1972 with a flagship shop in Invercargill. By March 2024, Manna had a network of 14 stores across New Zealand. Besides selling Bibles and Christian resources, Manna also partnered with local churches, mission groups and ran workshops and conferences to train leaders and lay believers.[2] In November 2023, Bible Society NZ chief executive Neels Janse van Rensburg announced that the Society was exploring closing down several Manna stores including its flagship Invercargill store, citing rising building lease costs, international freight costs, logistics and rising paper prices. van Rensburg confirmed that the Society's board was exploring online sales or franchise developments as means of improving operating efficiencies.[9]

In March 2024, the Bible Society New Zealand confirmed that it would be shutting three Manna stores that month and another three stores in May 2024. These included stores in Invercargill, Auckland and Hastings. The Bible Society also confirmed that Manna Christian Stores would be retaining its online store. The Bible Society had also approached local churches to buy several of its former stores in order to "preserve the essences of these community spaces" but was unsuccessful due to the high operating costs.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Who we are - Bible Society New Zealand". www.biblesociety.org.nz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Chiang, Jessie (11 March 2024). "New Zealand Christian Bookshop Closures a Sign of the Times". Christianity Today. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Publishing - Bible Society New Zealand". www.biblesociety.org.nz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Bible Society New Zealand Wellington City | Yellow® NZ". Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  5. ^ "About Us". Manna Christian Stores. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  6. ^ "More than 240,000 copies of the Tārore Story distributed to NZ schools - Bible Society New Zealand". www.biblesociety.org.nz. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. ^ "New Zealand Defence Force New Testament – a military world first - Bible Society New Zealand". www.biblesociety.org.nz. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Translation - Bible Society New Zealand". www.biblesociety.org.nz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  9. ^ McDonald, Toni (2 November 2023). "Flagship store's future to be decided". Southland Express. Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
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Sources

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  • Lineham, Peter J. (1996). Bible & society : a sesquicentennial history of the Bible Society in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: The Society and Daphne Brasell Associates Press. pp. ix, 302 p., : ill., ports., 24 cm. ISBN 0-908896-46-8.
  • Comber, William Charles (1946). The Bible and the Bible Society in New Zealand, 1846-1946 ; The Māori Bible, and. The story of a Māori girl and her Gospel. Wellington, New Zealand: A.H. and A.W. Reed for the British and Foreign Bible Society, New Zealand. pp. 48 p., [3] p. of plates : ports, 24 cm.
  • "New CEO for Bible Society in New Zealand". Waikato Times. 4 September 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2008.[dead link‍]
  • Todd, Rebecca (7 August 2007). "Mouse entry to house of the Lord; CHURCH ONLINE". The Press. Retrieved 19 May 2008.[dead link‍]
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