Bible Society of
Honduras
shares vision with political leaders
TEGUCIGALPA,
Honduras —
When Bible House in Tegucigalpa was swept away in the floods which followed
Hurricane Mitch in October 1998, it would have been easy for staff to
despair for Bible work in Honduras. With
the water reaching the fourth floor, destroying every piece of furniture
and equipment (see World
Report 336/16), the future looked bleak.
After the initial shock had worn off,
however, General Secretary Jorge Gómez and his team quickly started
to feel more positive. The disaster, he said soon afterwards, was a
God-given opportunity to establish a new facility more suited to the
needs of Bible work in the 21st century and to “write a new history”.
Reality
After operating for some time from temporary
premises, the Society’s vision finally became reality in April
2003, when the new purpose-built Bible House, constructed with the support
of Opportunity 21
funds and donations from national Bible Societies, was formally opened
(see World Report 377/22).
With facilities including a research centre and training and meeting
rooms, this building is designed to assist the Society in its goal of
broadening the scope of Bible work.
One area in which the Bible Society is
particularly keen to become more active is in political life. With political
leaders continuing to grapple with the long-standing problems of poverty
and corruption, the Society is looking to offer them support and to
challenge them to place God’s Word at the centre of society. The
new Bible House has proved very valuable as the Society has begun to
put this strategy into practice, acting as ‘neutral territory’
where various parties anxious to promote biblical principles can meet.
Firm belief
The first such meeting in Bible House
took place in September, when Carlos Ávila Molina, the Minister
of Education, gave a presentation to representatives of both the Roman
Catholic and Protestant Churches. Most significantly, the Minister emphasised
his firm belief in the Scriptures as the foundation for the country’s
education system and expressed strong interest in forging a strategic
alliance with the Bible Society for the teaching of biblical principles
in schools. This meeting was also significant in highlighting the potential
for the Bible Society to act as a bridge, uniting the Churches, the
government, teachers and parents in the single goal of bringing God’s
Word to a new generation.
President Ricardo Maduro, too, is focusing
on young people as the key to a better future in Honduras. At a meeting
at which Bible Society representatives presented him with a Bible, the
President, who experienced the personal tragedy of his son being kidnapped
and murdered, spoke of his firm commitment to education based on clear
moral principles.
Later, Bible House once more acted as
‘neutral territory’ when, for the first time, the President
of Congress, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, met evangelical leaders to discuss
key issues such as education, poverty and religious equality.
For the Bible Society, such meetings
are the fulfilment of the vision which drove the construction of the
new Bible House. “This is why the facilities were built,”
says Mr Gómez, “to serve our country and society in general
and not just the Church.”
Vision
“God has honoured our vision of
influencing our nation with biblical principles by allowing us to begin
sharing that vision with the government authorities,” he continues.
“Pray that the Bible Society becomes an instrument in bringing
our country to a renewed passion for the Word of God.” (WR 386/14
- 6/7.04) 
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