Slovak Bible Society is a citizens organisation established in 1990 in Bratislava.
HISTORY
The Slovak Biblical Society started its activity on November 26th, 1990, building on the work of the Institute of Bible Enthusiasts (Institutum Philo-Biblicum) – the Hungarian Bible Society, founded in 1811 in Bratislava. The Institute of Bible Enthusiasts was the first Bible society in Central Europe and one of the earliest Bible societies in the world, even before the Bible societies in the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and North America were founded.
In 1949 the Czechoslovak Bible Society was founded. However, under the pressure of political change it was short-lived; its activity was forcibly halted on January 31st, 1953.
Only in 1990 it was possible to establish autonomous Bible societies in Slovakia (Slovak Bible Society) as well as in the Czech Republic (Czech Bible Society), respectively.
MISSION
The mission of the Slovak Bible Society is to spread the Word of God in Slovak and other languages.
ACTIVITIES
- Facilitating and supporting Bible translations into Slovak and other languages.
- Publishing and spreading biblical literature and Bible study aids.
- Supporting cross-border co-operation in translating the Bible (so-called ecumenical translations).
- Implementing of projects to bring God's Word to specific populations, e.g. blind, poor, school children, youth, Roma minorities and others (list of current projects).
- Providing the text of the Scripture in the mother tongue of national minorities and foreigners living in Slovakia.
MEMBERSHIP
Everyone who wishes to participate in the activities of SBS can become its member, be it an individual Christian, a Christian denomination or a Christian organisation.
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
The Slovak Bible Society is part of the United Bible Societies (UBS) family, which unites non-profit organisations in more than 200 countries. It co-operates with twelve member Christian churches in Slovakia, namely (in alphabetical order):
- Apostolic Church in Slovakia
- Christian Congregations in Slovakia
- Church of Brethren in Slovakia
- Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia
- Evangelical Methodist Church
- Greek Catholic Church
- Orthodox Church
- Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia
- Roman Catholic Church
- Seventh-Day Adventist Church
- Slovak Catholic Church (Old Catholic Church in Slovakia)
- Unity of Brethren Baptists in Slovakia
Bibliography:
PROCHÁZKA, Pavel. Kapitoly z ekumeniky. Banská Bystrica: Univerzita Mateja Bela, 2006.
KOŠTIAL, Rudolf. Biblia u nás. Bratislava: Tranoscius, 1989.