n Edmonton MP Deborah Grey reads the Bible at the Proclamation

Bible reading draws ‘tremendous response’

EDMONTON, Canada — The second Proclamation Bible reading event to be held in the Alberta state capital this year drew a “tremendous response”, according to Bruce Kemp, Canadian Bible Society North Alberta District Director, and included readings in 30 different languages.

Timed to coincide with the World Athletics Championships being held in the city in August, the event drew participation not only from many churches across the city but from Christian visitors from overseas as well.

Blessings

“Everyone who came to read found himself or herself blessed by the energy and power of the spoken Word,” said Mr Kemp.

With the announcement that the World Athletics Championships were to be held in Edmonton from August 3-12, Ben Kellert, the Pastor of the chapel in Marketplace Mall, and Mr Kemp together had the idea of holding another public Bible reading event at the same time. Edmonton’s first Proclamation was held for 10 days from the end of March as part of a Bible-reading marathon spanning the entire country (see WR 360/11).

Missionaries on furlough, people born in many countries around the world who are now Canadian citizens, retired pastors and public officials were among many who took the time to come and read. The readings took place from 7am to 9pm each weekday and from 1pm to 9pm on Sundays.

30 languages

Some 30 different languages were heard during the reading including eight for the first time at a Proclamation event: Russian, Swahili, Italian, Finnish, Swedish, Malayalam, Japanese and Gaelic. Two members of St Herman’s Orthodox Church, Edmonton, shared the Scriptures by chanting them, just as they do in worship.

Of the many stories which came out of August’s Proclamation, two in particular made a great impact, according to Mr Kemp.

A young Ukrainian man named Vitaly, a recent immigrant to Canada, was delighted to come and read in Russian. Russian is a language which many young Ukrainians learned as they were growing up. The Rev Jack Hunka, who has spent a great deal of time teaching in Ukraine, had also agreed to come and speak in Russian even though he was diffident about his skill in the language.

Answer to prayer

“As it turned out, both he and Vitaly came at the same time,” said Mr Kemp. “Vitaly was an answer to prayer. Jack read in Ukrainian while Vitaly read in Russian. It was a moment when the world became very small and everyone knew that God’s love is in every part of this world.”

Deborah Grey, Member of Parliament for Edmonton North, read for the first time. Before she began her reading, she shared with the group that August 5 marked the 35th anniversary of her acceptance of Christ as her Saviour.