Bible People in the News

UK — A number of personnel changes in UBS have been announced. Elizabeth Dain, a Management Consultant at the Southern Africa Regional Service Center in Johannesburg since November 1997, retires this year after 20 years’ service with UBS. Allah Asra Mercy, aged 45, a Management Consultant at the Francophone Africa Regional Service Center in Togo is to go freelance after serving with UBS for more than eight years. And in January Andrew Rugege, 44, Global IT Co-ordinator since 1997 and in service with UBS for 15 years, took up a new position with ABS Interactive (ABSi) a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Bible Society (ABS). He is now based in Washington DC. (WR 357/IB1 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS]

UK — Dr Philip Noss began work as the new UBS Translation Services Coordinator on November 1 following the retirement of Dr Basil Rebera. In a presentation to the Global Senior Management Team shortly after taking up the post, Dr Noss affirmed his commitment to the goals set out at World Assembly 2000. Welcoming the new UBS Purpose Statement, which emphasises Scripture engagement and the importance of serving all churches, Dr Noss noted the implications for the translation program. “The Midrand Statement reiterates our ‘common task’ and draws attention to certain factors that make completion of the task difficult,” he said. “Three hundred million people speak languages without any published Scriptures [and]…there is the factor of ‘non-literacy’ among half the world’s population. If the people cannot read, translation in traditional terms cannot achieve its purpose of producing meaningful translations.” Dr Noss made a number of recommendations regarding the implementation of PPM (Publishing Process Management), the development of Scriptures in different media, New Reader Scriptures and partnerships, among other issues. (For information about Dr Noss’s career history please see World Report 353/5) (WR 357/IB2 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS]

USA — UBS General Secretary the Rev Fergus Macdonald has accepted “with sadness” the resignation of Guillermo Luna as the UBS Central America Regional Secretary. Mr Luna, 58, became Regional Secretary in September 1997. Paying tribute to him, Mr Macdonald said that he had made a major contribution to the Bible cause in setting up the Central America Regional Service Center in Miami and in supporting Bible Societies working in a region where the growth of the Christian Church and the increase of Scripture distribution has been more marked than in most other parts of the world. Mr Luna, he said, reminded him of the biblical character Nathaniel, “a man in whom there is nothing false. He leaves the UBS with our good wishes and prayers and we look forward to continued fellowship with him in the years to come,” he added. Following Mr Luna’s departure from UBS on January 4, the work of the Regional Service Center will be led by Helio Muñoz and Antonio Mendoza. (WR 357/IB3 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS] e-123

SCOTLAND — The Scottish Bible Society has appointed the Rev Douglas Campbell, an American, as its new Executive Director. Mr Campbell, at 31 the youngest person ever appointed to the position, took up the post on January 1. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he has lived and worked in Scotland for the past five years and is currently the Scottish Bible Society’s Field Officer. He joined the Society in 1999 after a period as a minister of New Kilpatrick Parish Church, Bearsden, in Glasgow. “It’s a rare privilege for an American to be offered an appointment such as this but at least I’ve got a Scottish name,” Mr Campbell joked. The new Executive Director has a degree in the History of Art, and after graduating worked as a Development Officer to the association of his ‘alma mater’, Kenyon College, in Ohio. Later, four years of theological study at Princeton Theological Seminary led to a Masters of Divinity degree. Mr Campbell takes over the post of Executive Director from Colin Hay, currently Acting Executive Director. (WR 357/IB5 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS] e-123

GERMANY — Dr Volkmar Löbel, the Director of the German Bible Society (GBS), recently celebrated 25 years of working for the GBS. Now 62, he began working for what was then ‘Evangelisches Bibelwerk’ in October 1975, building up the fundraising department. In 1981 it became the German Bible Society. Born in 1938 in Chemnitz, Dr Löbel grew up in Flössenburg, in Bavaria. From 1958 until 1965 he studied economics in Nuremberg, afterwards working for Siemens in Munich, and Prognos in Basle, Switzerland. As well as still being head of the fundraising department of the GBS, he is Chairman of the UBS Fundraising Group. (WR 357/IB6 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS]

Bible News in Brief

UK — The British and Foreign Bible Society says it has been “staggered” by sales of The Miracle Maker on video and DVD. Successfully screened at more than 370 cinemas in Britain last year, it was released for sale in October and by early December more than 15,000 videos and 1,500 special offer packs (containing the video, a BBC teachers’ activity book and a map of the Bible Lands) had been ordered from the Bible Society. In addition the video is being sold through supermarkets and other retail chains. With more than two weeks to go before Christmas, sales there had reached over 40,000. Said David Poole, Bible Society Business Development Manager: “It is our hope that those who buy the film will use it in church and with school groups and as a way to engage those who are unfamiliar with the story of Jesus.” (WR 357/IB4 - 1/2.01)