A copy of the Bible written in 66 languages -- one for each book, from Genesis to Revelation -- is nearing the completion of its global itinerary.
The Follow the Bible initiative, launched in 2008 at Seventh-day Adventist world church business meetings in Manila, Philippines, toured the Dominican Republic last month in its last stop in the church's Inter-American region.
In each country the Bible has visited, local church leaders report large-scale distributions of Bibles among community members and a renewed interest in regular Bible reading and study among church members.
At the initiative's launch, Follow the Bible project organizers cited a study indicating that less than 50 percent of the Adventist Church's membership regularly studies the Bible, adding that the touring Bible -- serving as a visible reminder of the importance of Scripture -- would ideally reignite a desire among Adventists to prioritize time spent in Bible study.
"It has been encouraging to witness the enthusiasm behind Follow the Bible around the world," said Garrett Caldwell, director of Public Relations for the Adventist world church. "The uniqueness of this Bible and the journey that it has taken has given the church a wonderful opportunity to talk to the public about the importance of scripture."
Follow the Bible will complete its tour of the church's 13 world regions this summer in Atlanta, Georgia, United States where thousands of Adventists will gather for their church's global business session.