Year of the Bible Launches in 2020

Several like-minded organizations are collaborating to launch The Year of the Bible in 2020, beginning with the goal of mobilizing two million people to fast and pray during the month of January.

The American Bible Society, Pulse, The Table Coalition, Museum of the Bible, and the International Bible Society arejust a few of the organizations working together to see a generation engaged in Scripture. In addition, more than 500 leaders and organizations from 200 countries are endorsers of A.D. 2020 Global Year of the Bible.

Nick Hall, the founder of Pulse and the visionary behind the Together 2020 gathering of thousands of Christians on theNational Mall on June 20, says he is excited about the Year of the Bible initiative to reach out to a “biblically illiterate generation.” He believes a “Bible revival” is unfolding. From 2016 until today, the number of people using digital platforms to engage God’s Word has exploded from 200 million to more than 400 million people worldwide—and those numbers are growing.

The movement aims to affirm and promote the value of the Bible for all people, and it calls for an end to Bible poverty at a time when more than 1,600 languages lack New and Old Testament translation. Wycliffe, a partner in the movement, predicts the completion of 99 percent of the translation in the New and Old Testament by 2033.

In the past there have been Year of the Bible efforts, such as the national Year of the Bible declared by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1983. But there has never been a global-scale initiative, according to Mark Anderson, president of Call2All. Six goals of the A.D. 2020 Year of the Bible movement are these: pray, translate, publish, distribute, educate, and motivate people to engage with God’s Word.

A prayer and fasting guide for the January launch can be downloaded at yearofthebible.com.

Prayer Connect magazine, Issue 39