Alabama couple aids American Bible Society

Provide Bibles for everyone, everywhere — that’s the incredible task undertaken by the American Bible Society (ABS) in 1816, and now a newly established Alabama arm of this ministry is working to help meet that goal.
   
West and Violet Cox are appointed, non-salaried representatives of ABS in Alabama. As state partnership coordinators, the Coxes seek to establish partnerships with Alabama churches in hopes of creating a grassroots system of sharing God’s Word.
   
They also plan to establish partnerships with churches of all denominations across the state and to seek partners in ministry or charitable organizations. Currently, West Cox is meeting with pastors in the Jasper area to organize a safe house for victims of domestic abuse.
   
“ABS is a mission-driven organization,” Cox said. “We want to let Alabama Baptist churches know that ABS is ready to hold hands with them.”
   
The Coxes served 10 years as coordinators in Georgia during a time when ABS enlisted individuals as volunteers. In June 2002 the Coxes moved from Georgia to become the first state partnership coordinators for Alabama. In less than a year, they have enlisted nearly 20 churches to distribute Bibles.
   
The ABS partnership requires a local pastor to designate an individual to serve as a contact person and sign the partnership agreement. The agreement encourages local congregations to find innovative ways to distribute Scriptures to their communities, to share the news of distribution with ABS and to invite other local churches to become partners. There is no financial commitment to become involved.
   
Northside Baptist Church, Troy, partnered with ABS nearly five years ago, after the church began buying the ABS-produced Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible. 
   
“We were looking for a contemporary translation to use in evangelism efforts with unchurched families,” said Northside Pastor Clifford Matthews.
   
A partnership evolved and Northside continues to find ways to share Bibles with the local community. Northside orders pew Bibles from ABS and offers them to any visitors who do not have a Bible in their homes.
   
In addition, Matthews plans to meet with local restaurants and other businesses to set up ABS displays to offer Scripture materials to patrons.
   
In April, New Prospect Baptist Church, Jasper, partnered with ABS with the help of the Coxes. As a new partner, New Prospect plans to buy and distribute Bibles and to raise funds for ABS during its annual Bible Sunday event in November. The church plans to begin the ABS-sponsored literacy program called “Read All About It,” which offers a complete educational curriculum for teaching adults, children and classes in English As a Second Language. New Prospect Church also takes advantage of the free Scripture materials offered by ABS.
   
Fred Karthaus, pastor of New Prospect Church, was initially concerned that a partnership with ABS would somehow conflict with Bible distribution through the Gideons, which his church supports.
   
“I was pleased to find there was no real conflict between ABS and the Gideons,” he said, stressing that a church could easily support both.
   
The mission of ABS is to provide Bibles to everyone in an affordable, understandable form.
   
For nearly two centuries, ABS has been distributing more than 63 million Bibles and other Scripture materials annually in the United States. Widely know for its publication of The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version in 1965, ABS published the contemporary English Version 30 years later.