Trinitarian Bible Society Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628, July to September 2019 Annual Report 188th Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2018

THE WORD OF GOD AMONG ALL NATIONS Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God

Offi cers and Executive Staff of the Society

Vice-Presidents: General Secretary/Chief Executive: Mr. G. Bidston Mr. D. P. Rowland* Mr. G. den Boer The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A. Resources Director: The Rev. Dr. T. Gilmer Mr. D. J. Broome, C.P.F.A. Pastor M. J. Harley Editorial Director: Mr. D. Oldham Mr. J. D. Arnold, LLB. (Hons.) The Rev. D. Silversides, M.A. Pastor J. Stehouwer Operations Director: The Rev. M. Stuart Mr. P. A. Blows, B.A. (Hons.) Mr. D. Vermeulen The Rev. M. H. Watts Senior Editorial Consultants: Mr. L. Brigden, B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Sc., Chairman: B.A.(Hons.) – Linguistics Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed.* Mr. P. J. D. Hopkins, M.A. Oxf. – Projects Vice-Chairman: Editorial Consultants: The Rev. J. P. Thackway* Mr. A. Hembd, M.A.C.S. Treasurer: J. Cammenga, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A.* G. Fox, B.A. (Hons.), D.D., Ph.D. The Rev. W. M. Patterson Jnr., B.A., D.D. Members: Mr. A. C. Thomson, M.A. Cantab. The Rev. R. G. Ferguson, B.A.* Mr. A. K. Jones, LLB. (Hons.) Solicitor* * These are the serving members of the M. Keogh-Brown, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.* General Committee. The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th.* The Rev. A. J. Lewis* Mr. J. P. Sayers* Mr. M. A. Vogan, B.A. (Hons.), M.A., M.Litt.* Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628, July to September 2019 Annual Report 188th Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2018, for presentation at the Annual General Meeting of the Trinitarian Bible Society to be held, God willing, on 21 September 2019 at 11.00 a.m. at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London

Contents

Annual General Meeting ...... 2

A Word from our Chairman ...... 3

Introduction ...... 4

Report of the Operations Director ...... 10

Branch Greetings ...... 17

Distribution Chart ...... 23

And Aaron held his peace ...... 24

Report of the Editorial Director ...... 27

Report of the Resources Director ...... 45

Statement of the Independent Auditors ...... 51

Summary Financial Statements ...... 52

The Word of God among all Nations ...... 55

Quarterly Record Production Team © Trinitarian Bible Society 2019 Editorial Director: Mr J. Arnold All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Senior Editorial Consultant (Projects): Mr P. J. D. Hopkins Society permits reprinting of articles Senior Editor: Dr. D. E. Anderson found in our printed and online Quarterly Editor: Miss N. Christie Record and Annual Report provided that Editorial Assistant: Miss E. Tichelaar prior permission is obtained and proper Graphic Designer: Mr P. Hughes acknowledgement is made. Circulation: Mr J. M. Wilson The 188th Annual General Meeting

GOD WILLING commences at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday, 21 September 2019 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London SE1 6SD The Business Meeting at 11.00 will include reports and updates on the Society’s work, including the Thadou translation project.

After the Business Meeting, at 2.00 p.m. Dr David Allen Senior Deputation Speaker for the Society is expected to preach.

Lunch will be served between the Meetings. All are invited to attend. 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 A Word from the Chairman

r Paul Rowland has faithfully In the interim, the Society’s work will served the Trinitarian Bible be ably carried on, led by our General M Society for almost forty-fi ve Committee, the Senior Management years, including nearly thirty as General in London and the Society’s branch Secretary. Th e Society is deeply indebted General Secretaries. In order to seek to him for his inspiring leadership and continuity and the smooth run- dedicated labours over these many ning of the Society, the General years, and also to his wife and family Committee has asked the Resources for their support not only of him but Director, Mr David Broome, to act of the Society. However, following a as the Society’s senior director in period of ill-health over recent months, London during this period. Mr Rowland has decided to retire from the Society’s employment, which will Your prayers will be much valued for all take eff ect in the early autumn. It is the these matters, but particularly in bring- united desire of the General Committee ing Mr Rowland, his wife and family and Mr Rowland that when his health before the Th rone of Grace, that they is fully restored, God willing, he will be may ‘fi nd grace to help in time of need’ able to maintain his long association (Hebrews 4.16). with the Society in some useful, but less demanding ways. G D Buss – Chairman 18 July 2019 Under God, the General Committee and Senior Management of the Society William Tyndale House, London will continue with the Strategic Review which was commenced late last year and is expected to be fi nished in mid-2020. As previously planned, one of several outcomes from this Review will be an appropriate structure for the Society’s future senior management arrange- ments, if the Lord will. 3 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

Introduction

by Jonathan Arnold, Editorial Director

century ago the world breathed a circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted collective sigh of relief as it seemed versions of the Word of God’. Th e extracts Ato be at a turning point. In Europe below, from our 1919 Quarterly Records the Treaty of Versailles offi cially ended the and Annual Report, could well have hostilities of World War I; the number been written today; indeed, many of the of Spanish fl u cases slowed to a trickle; phrases will be familiar to our supporters. and Prohibition, outlawing the manufac- ture and sale of intoxicating beverages, commenced in the USA. But most of the ur 88th Annual General Meeting common people in 1919 were still vexed Oheld 29 April 1919 at Caxton Hall, with the same formidable concerns that Westminster, London, had—as with cur- we have in 2019. Strange new cults were rent AGMs—two sessions. Th e aft ernoon arising; despite one war ending it seemed meeting began at 3.30 p.m. during which that others were not far behind. the Rev. F. Peacock of Holy Trinity, Buxton, gave an address from the Word In 1919—although the truth was oft en of God. Th e evening meeting at 7.00 rejected—people were sinners in need p.m. was led by Committee Member and of the Saviour and of His Word. Th at Treasurer of the Walthamstow Auxiliary, need certainly continues to this day. T. H. Hilken. Th us the Society’s work and witness have not changed substantially during During the aft ernoon meeting the the last century, nor during any of the Rev. W. Sinden, Chairman of Committee, 188 years of our existence. Events such read a portion of Scripture, and Pastor as the publication of the Hort/Westcott H. Atherton of Grove Chapel, Camberwill Greek Text and the Revised Version of (sic), off ered prayer. Th e Chairman made the Bible in English in the late nineteenth a few appropriate remarks and then intro- century have sometimes necessitated a duced the Rev. F. Peacock, who addressed slight shift in focus. We have also adapted the meeting. our mode of working through the years as technology and working practices have Our gathering this aft ernoon is of developed, but our primary aim remains a devotional character, and I do not the same: ‘Th e Glory of God and the know of any better way in which to Increase of His Kingdom through the prepare for the more public gathering 4 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 than by a meeting of this kind for Th e evening meeting at 7.00 p.m. com- prayer and study of God’s Word. My menced in much the same way, with the interest in the Society is not of very singing of a hymn and prayer following long standing. I have to confess that which the Chairman spoke. I have been an advocate for many years of the British and Foreign I count it a great privilege to take Bible Society; but my eyes have been the chair at this eighty-eighth gradually opened to see that I could Annual Meeting of the Trinitarian no longer honestly and sincerely Bible Society. I cannot conceive support that Society. Th e alienation weightier or worthier objects for has come about in a variety of ways, any Bible Society to have in view chiefl y from reading the literature of than the circulation of Protestant the Trinitarian Bible Society, which and therefore uncorrupt ver- so very briefl y and excellently puts sions of Holy Scripture. Nor can the diff erences of the controversy I understand how any Protestant before the public. I have read a good Evangelical Christian can han- deal of that literature; it would thrust dle or have any dealings with the itself upon my notice when I did not so-called Catholic and therefore want it to. But it did its work, and I corrupt versions which have a large felt I could no longer give either mor- circulation abroad. Now a Bible al or fi nancial support to the British Society holding its eighty-eighth and Foreign Bible Society. I think it is annual meeting is clearly not a only right that I should say this, and new-comer into this sphere of I regard it as a very great privilege to Christian service, and our Society have been invited to be here to-day. holds a position of high esteem in that wide circle of the Lord’s people We ought to feel intensely grateful by whom its principles and work to God that we have a Society of this are valued and supported. We are kind. We are living in a day when all holding our Annual Meeting this societies and institutions are being year under exceptional and unique tested and shaken; and some of them conditions. We may confi dently are, alas, departing from their original say that never again will it be held constitution. Th erefore it is some- under such circumstances as we thing to be grateful for, that we have fi nd ourselves in to-day. Aft er hold- a Society that is not ashamed of the ing four annual meetings under word ‘Protestant’, and not ashamed war conditions, with many of our of the basis upon which it started out friends engaged in fi ghting our now more than eighty-eight years battles, we are holding this under ago. It is something to have a Society armistice conditions with Peace ap- like this that we can gather around, parently on the eve of completion. knowing that it is still true to its old In years to come, therefore, this basis; and we need have no fear of any meeting will be looked back upon departure from that basis. Now let us as the Armistice Meeting in the turn to 2 Peter, chapter 1 … year of the Great Peace. 5 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

During these past years of fearful faith in Him Who died for us, and stress and strain we with an in- for our salvation, and rose again for numerable multitude of others have our justifi cation. been fi nding fresh meaning and more vivid power in many passages Following the Chairman’s remarks, it was of the Bible, which in the pre-war resolved days have been passed over with but slight appreciation of their force Th at this Meeting, in adopting the and power and practical value. Th e Report, an abstract of which has War, with its anxieties, privations been read, desires devoutly to off er and heart-breaking sorrows for all grateful thanks to God, Who by His our people—for surely there has not Grace alone has enabled this Society been a home where it has not been to uphold the great Protestant felt!—has caused many to turn to Principles on which it was founded, the Book of books for relief from and recognising the hand of God mental strain, for strength and for in ordering the work to which the consolation under bereavement. Trinitarian Bible Society has been Th ese distressed ones have not called praising Him for providing sought in vain. To them the Bible the means wherewith to carry it has become a new Book ; they have on; and recommend the following found it to be the lively oracles of gentlemen to form the Committee God; we hope and believe that it will for the ensuing year, with power to henceforth be their joy and privilege add to their number. to unite with us in bringing the Holy Scriptures to the knowledge and Aft er reading the names of the experience of others who at present Committee and the unanimous approval undervalue this treasure house. of their continued work, the Chairman presented the Annual Report. Th e air is full of wonderful schemes of social reform. Most if not all these In presenting the Eighty-eighth of course have their good points, but Annual Report to the supporters surely they all need to be subjected and friends of the Trinitarian Bible to the searching test by application Society, the Committee desires of the Divine touchstone in order to to off er their heartfelt praises to reveal their true value. Are we not in Almighty God for the Armistice danger of falling again into the fatal which was proclaimed on the 11th mistake which vitiated so many of of November last; and sincerely our projects of reform in pre-war prays that a lasting and abiding days? Better social environment, and peace may result in good-will greater educational facilities—these among the nations. Th e inspired are excellent enough; but surely Word of God has ever been the they are poor substitutes for that infallible guide of the people of God individual re-creation which follows in all ages; and never was it more whole-hearted acceptance and of needed than at the present time. 6 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Th e opportunities of circulating the by circulating both at home and Scriptures of Truth have been very abroad, in dependence on the many during the War, and the Lord Divine blessing, the Holy Scriptures, has abundantly blessed His Word which are given by inspiration of through the instrumentality of the God, and are able to make men wise Society according to His promise. unto salvation through faith which On the other hand the present up- is in Christ Jesus. In laying before its heaval among the nations, as well as supporters the work of the past year in our own land, is an evidence that the Committee does so in gratitude this terrible war has not solemnised to the Triune Jehovah, Father, Son, the minds of the people to the and Holy Spirit, for the open doors, extent that it was hoped. A reaction and the necessary funds, which has set in which indicates that the the Lord’s people have contributed love of pleasure has increased, and cheerfully out of their substance in that true religion and virtue are los- these trying times which has given it ing their hold upon the people. much cause to thank God and take courage. Our reformers when they set out on the work of reformation based their reconstructive eff orts on the Word of God. A great impetus was given to the translations of the Scriptures, and their circulation among the people. It is only by means of the Bible, blessed by the Holy Spirit, that any true and lasting reconstruction can be accomplished. Let us bring our people back to the Bible! Let us Th e special work of the Society is to circulate it freely everywhere, not make free grants of Scriptures wher- forgetting our own villages where ever the Committee is satisfi ed that there are many homes without it, there is a felt need and application is as is testifi ed by many a worker. Let made to them. Th e Committee fully the Word of God be expounded realises the importance of this work faithfully from our pulpits, and in at all times, but especially in these our Bible classes. It is in this way troublous days. We cannot always that your Committee feels there is a tabulate results; but we do know the great and good work to be done by Lord will bless His own Word. Let your Society and which is so much us work while we can, ‘for the night needed in these days. cometh when no man can work’.

Th e Committee has endeavoured Th e circulation of Scriptures ever to maintain these princi- through our UK offi ce and auxilia- ples and to promote the glory of ries along with our South African God, and the salvation of men, auxiliary and agent in Belgium were: 7 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

English Bibles ...... 1,619 to the Italian sailor, and for all the Testaments ...... 17,044 kind trouble you took in the matter. Gospels and Epistles . . . . . 65,620 Th e Spanish Gospels especially be- Scripture Leafl ets ...... 69,860 ing most appreciated by the offi cers

Total English ...... 154,143 and men of the foreign vessels visit- ing this port. Foreign Bibles ...... 186 Testaments ...... 3,507 From a worker amongst sailors: May Gospels ...... 19,623 I ask for a grant of English Bibles Scripture Leafl ets ...... 7,177 and Testaments. Th ere is a great

Foreign ...... 30,493 demand from seamen for them. Few foreign sailors come now to Tilbury, Grand Total ...... 224,859 but we have only British ships com- ing here since the war broke out. It is [Compare these with the fi gures in the most encouraging to know how the 2018 Distribution Chart on page 23.] sailors value the Scriptures.

[Th e Annual Report for the year ended From a navy chaplain: On previ- 1918 ended as the one for the year ended ous occasions you have kindly let 2018 does: with letters of gratitude from me have some copies of the New grantees who have received Scriptures.] Testament for use in the service, called the Navy Testament, a pocket From Rhodesia: All arrived in size. I wonder if you could kindly let good condition, and we hereby me have another two dozen. desire to tender your Society our hearty thanks. From Buenos Aires, Argentina: Bibles, Gospels, Th is last year saw thirty diff erent and ‘Jona’ are nationalities staying under our roof, very accept- and so you will see that our work able, as also is very cosmopolitan, and many the Scripture languages are spoken here. Th ey all leafl ets. You however have one common need say you have that can only be met by the Word of still 600 ‘Jona’ God, and we shall be very grateful in the Lamba for help in this respect. We are, of language. When course, suff ering from the restricted quite convenient shipping, but still have a fair to yourselves, we amount, as the Allies need the meat Jona in Lambu will add to our and grain that are exported from indebtedness by your sending them here in such large quantities. to us book post.

From a mission to Italian seamen: As did the Annual Report for the year Many thanks for sending the Bible ended 31 December 1918, our current 8 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 joint Annual Report for the year ended you to pray for him as he takes up the role 2018 and Quarterly Record number 628 of deputation speaker. provides information for our supporters and friends to understand the workings Vice-Presidents of the Society for this past year and our plans, if the Lord wills, for the future. But At the beginning of 2018 David our primary aim, as in the last 188 years, Silversides stepped down from the remains the same as that of a century General Committee, and he has now ago: the distribution of the Word of God been followed by Michael Harley, both of among all nations. them due to health conditions that now preclude their regular involvement on the Each Bible or Scripture portion distributed Committee. Th ese men have rendered is down to the gracious provision of the distinguished service on the Society’s Lord. We are thankful for all the prayers Committee over many years, and their uttered before the Th rone of Grace for our stand for the Lord was and continues translation and distribution work, and we to be appreciated. Th e current General continue to greatly desire your prayers. Committee have appointed these two Th is is the bedrock of any true ministry men as Vice-Presidents with the hope of God and it is wonderful that we have a that they will be able to continue their heavenly Father who knows how to give association with the Society in this way. good gift s to His children. Additionally, thank you to all those who signed up We therefore commend this edition of the as members or contributed fi nancially Quarterly Record and Annual Report to and spiritually to the Society, and we are you. May the breadth of our work across particularly thankful to the Lord for those the world be a matter of prayer and en- who left legacies to the Society small couragement; may the Bibles mentioned and large. Th ese all contributed towards herein that we intend to print and send us achieving our aim of distributing the out this coming year be a source of the Word of God among all nations. Lord’s blessing to the recipients; may the stand we continue to make on the Hebrew Deputation Speakers Masoretic and Greek Received Texts be one in which you join us and many others We note here the retirement of Dr David around the world; and in all things may Allen. I am sure there are many of you who all glory be given to the Almighty triune greatly valued, as I did, his visits to your God before Whom we all stand. congregation to tell you about the Society’s work. He has travelled many miles for the Society and by God’s grace has been widely In former Quarterly Records we looked at the used in our work. We invite you to join Society’s work during the First World War. For us at our Annual General Meeting when these articles please see: Dr Allen will preach during the aft ernoon Part 1: Quarterly Record no. 609 service of worship, Lord willing. We are Part 2: Quarterly Record no. 614 also most grateful for the Lord’s provision Part 3: Quarterly Record no. 621 of the Rev. Craig Dennison and would ask Part 4: Quarterly Record no. 625 9 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

Operations Report by Philip A. Blows, Operations Director

Th e Lord gave the word: great was such as: the implementation of the Feefo the company of those that published customer review system; changes to it. (Psalm 68.11) our product code conventions; work on a new promotional video series; open s the TBS article Th e Lord Gave days, exhibitions and conferences; and the Word states, ‘Th e Bible is the the children’s quiz on William Tyndale. Aeternal Word of God. It has been We hope that the items which have been given by God to man that it might be the reported on in detail will be informative absolute, supreme, authoritative, infallible, and encouraging to our members and and unchangeable standard for faith and supporters. practice’.1 It is hoped that every reader of this present article will have experienced Rounded numbers will be used for very for himself or herself the life-changing large circulation fi gures so that they are power of the Word of God. easier to digest; precise numbers can be found in the distribution table on What a privilege to be involved in the page 23. Many of us fi nd it interesting to sacred work of publishing God’s Word, read about circulation statistics and such in whatever capacity that may be. In like, but we must remember that above all the current context we think especially the activity we are engaged in is spiritual, of all who practically and prayerfully aimed at the glory of God, and thus can- support the work of the Trinitarian not be comprehensively measured. We Bible Society as we translate, publish and distribute the Holy Scriptures. May we continue to esteem this work and give it an exceedingly high place in our thoughts and aff ections.

In this report I will try to give a sum- mary of the work of the Operations Department during 2018. Th ere are many areas of activity that will not be reported on for the sake of brevity, Operations Director at TBS 2019 Open Day 10 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 know that the Society’s work is known to from grantees who are well known to us. the Lord and we trust that through His Some of the large grants made during sovereign help it is pleasing to Him. 2018 were:

Th e aim of the Trinitarian Bible Society • 32,500 Spanish New Testaments for has remained unchanged since its estab- Latin America lishment in 1831: • 15,000 Ndebele Bibles for Zimbabwe • Th e object of this Society is to 10,000 Russian Bibles for Kazakhstan promote the Glory of God and • 3,560 Shona New Testaments for the salvation of men, by circulat- Zimbabwe ing, both at home and abroad, in • 3,370 English Bibles and New dependence on the Divine blessing, Testaments for Nigeria the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are • given by inspiration of God, and 3,000 English Bibles for Botswana are able to make men wise unto • 1,000 Arabic Bibles for Cyprus salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Sales We seek to maximise, under God, the cir- We also distribute the Holy Scriptures by culation of Bibles and Scripture portions way of sales, oft en at heavily discounted in many languages amongst the nations prices. Th e total number of items sold of the world. Th is is best achieved by sell- worldwide in 2018 was 15.5 million, of ing to those who can afford to pay and by which 14.3 million were under licence to granting, where funds allow, to those who other publishers (see next paragraph). As cannot. can be seen in these fi gures, a very sig- nifi cant part of our Scripture circulation Grants comes through licensing arrangements with other publishers, mainly in Brazil: During 2018 over 1.6 million Bibles, in 2018, 87% of our circulation volume Scripture portions and Scripture items came through licensing and 13% through were granted free of charge to institutions publications which we procured and and individuals including churches, mis- circulated ourselves. sions, prisons, schools and missionaries. We scrutinise and score every grant ap- So why do we license TBS Bible transla- plication to ensure, as far as is practicable, tions to other publishers? Th e answer is that grants of Bibles, Scripture portions based on our desire for the widest pos- and other items are distributed through sible circulation of the Holy Scriptures. channels which will be acceptable to our Sharing our Bible translations with other supporters. publishers via licensing arrangements is a key way of reaching more people Over recent years we have optimised with faithful and accurate versions of the the value of our grants budgets by using Word of God, beyond the level that our them primarily to fulfi l large requests own resources would allow. 11 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 It should be emphasised though that Countries we are nevertheless conducting a major publishing and distributing work our- As an international organisation we seek selves apart from licensing: in 2018, over to distribute Scriptures to as many na- 2 million Bibles, Scripture portions and tions as possible, as per our motto, ‘Th e Scripture items bearing the TBS name Word of God among all nations’. In 2018 passed through our own warehouses to we distributed Scriptures in 38 languages be sent to customers and grantees around to 115 countries; these countries are listed the world. below.

1. Albania 31. El Salvador 62. Macao 93. Serbia 2. Angola* 32. England 63. Madagascar 94. Singapore 3. Argentina 33. Eritrea 64. Malawi 95. South Africa 4. Australia 34. Estonia 65. Malaysia 96. South Korea 5. Austria 35. Ethiopia 66. Malta 97. Spain 6. Bahrain 36. Falkland Islands 67. Mauritius 98. Sri Lanka 7. Belgium 37. Finland 68. Mexico 99. St Kitts & Nevis 8. Benin 38. France 69. Moldova 100. St Lucia 9. Bolivia 39. Georgia 70. Mozambique 101. Swaziland 10. Botswana* 40. Germany 71. Myanmar (Burma) 102. Sweden 11. Brazil 41. Ghana 72. Namibia 103. Switzerland 12. Bulgaria 42. Greece 73. Nepal 104. Taiwan 13. Burkina Faso 43. Guatemala 74. Netherlands 105. Togo 14. Cameroon 44. Guernsey 75. New Zealand 106. Trinidad & 15. Canada 45. Guyana 76. Nicaragua Tobago 16. Central African 46. Haiti 77. Niger 107. Uganda Republic 47. Honduras 78. Nigeria 108. Ukraine 17. Chad 48. Hungary 79. Northern Ireland 109. Uruguay 18. Chile 49. Iceland 80. Norway 110. USA 19. China 50. India 81. Pakistan 111. Vanuatu 20. Colombia 51. Indonesia 82. Panama 112. Venezuela 21. Congo 52. Ireland 83. Paraguay 113. Wales 22. Congo, Th e D R 53. Israel 84. Peru 114. Zambia 23. Costa Rica 54. Italy 85. Philippines 115. Zimbabwe 24. Cote D’Ivoire 55. Jamaica 86. Poland 25. Croatia 56. Japan 87. Portugal 26. Cuba 57. Jersey 88. Romania 27. Cyprus 58. Kenya 89. Russia 28. Czech Republic 59. Kosovo 90. Rwanda *Scriptures distributed 29. Denmark 60. Lithuania 91. Scotland via Christian logistics 30. Ecuador 61. Luxembourg 92. Senegal organisations in the UK.

12 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 Feedback from Grantees studied by the children into whose hands they have been delivered. Th is section was written by Louise Brett, one of our Sales and Grants Assistants. Many of the letters we receive touch our hearts and make us realise all the more how desperately the people of this world ne thing that I love about my job need a saving knowledge of God. One Ois reading the encouraging cor- email that we received in 2018 said the respondence that we receive from following. individuals and institutions. An area particularly close to my heart is Bible Aft er many troubles in my life, the distribution to schools. Th e Word of Bible was my only escape. My only God is so easy to get hold of in our hope. My only Saviour. Th en, this country, yet so many children still do year, I became homeless. I’ve started not possess their own Bible. We are to build my life back together again. therefore encouraged when a school I’ve a home and a part time job. I contacts us to request Bibles for their have a Bible online via an app. But it school leavers. Th e following letter was is not the same as holding the book sent to us in 2018 by a school teacher. of our Lord in my hands. Reading it in true book form. Nor can I aff ord Th anks to the generosity of TBS, to buy one. Please could you send the Year 6 leavers [aged 10 or 11] me a copy of the good book, I would each received a Bible and bookmark. be most grateful. Kindest regards Th is has become an annual event and best wishes. at the school for many years, which the children look forward to. Time Th is email reminded me of the words of is taken to give some background Hebrews 6.19, ‘which hope we have as an history to the King James Bible, an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, opportunity to navigate through and which entereth into that within the the contents and aids, followed by veil’. It is our prayer that more people seek a quiz to familiarise the location solace in God, the anchor of souls, during of Scripture texts. Th e children their times of hardship. received their gift s with much ap- preciation. May the Lord bless His Word as it goes forth once again. Please pray that it will produce fruit in the lives of these young children.

In an age where children are being discouraged from reading the Bible, I am fi lled with joy when I receive re- quests such as this. Please join with us in praying that these Bibles will not sit on shelves gathering dust but be read and TBS 2019 Open Day Grants Report

13 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 UK Railway Posters As a Christian Society with a core em- phasis on the Holy Scriptures, we believe that it provides a great public benefi t to present the Word of God freely to our neighbours. To this end we have for many years operated a Railway Poster Campaign whereby we coordinate the public display of large Scripture posters at UK railway stations. Th ese brightly coloured posters feature a Scripture text in a large, legible font, and are easily Railway poster visible to travellers on rail platforms Auxiliaries and station concourses. In 2018, 174 individual poster bookings were made, TBS Auxiliaries are local committees of funded by 49 sponsors. Th ese sponsors the Society which work towards the fulfi l- comprised churches, chapels, assemblies ment of the Society’s Aim in their local and individuals. regions. Th e Society has several volun- teer-run auxiliaries and local committees Just a few which seek to further the Society’s work weeks ago I was and interests in particular geographical encouraged areas. Th e activities of these auxiliaries by a testi- vary, but typically they seek to promote mony that was local Scripture distribution and support relayed to me for the Society. Several auxiliaries hold of a lady who public meetings for worship, prayer and indicated that information sharing. Some are particu- she returned larly active in the distribution of God’s to the Lord Word into schools, prisons, care homes, from a period military establishments and other institu- of backsliding tions in their local areas. Some auxiliaries as a result of purchase advertising space to display the Railway poster seeing a TBS Word of God in prominent public places. poster in a rail station. What a privilege for the Society Th ere are currently 14 TBS auxiliaries to be used instrumentally by the Lord in operating in the UK, Canada and the this way! UK readers will note that the USA. Th e UK auxiliaries are in Aberdeen; sponsorship form for the 2020 campaign Croydon, Brixton and Bromley; Essex, has been included with this edition of Suff olk and Norfolk; Glasgow; Leicester; the Quarterly Record, and we would Northern Ireland; South & Mid-Wales; encourage all UK supporters to prayer- Wessex; and West Anglia. Th e Canadian fully consider sponsoring posters in their auxiliaries are in Central Ontario, local area. Toronto and Southern Alberta. In the

14 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

USA there are auxiliaries in New Jersey of proposals for new products or re- and Iowa. quests for changes to existing products. A signifi cant proportion of customer During 2018 a UK Auxiliary suggestions over recent years had been Development Project was initiated with for the Westminster Reference Bible to the following aims: be published in large print. Aft er due consideration we agreed to do this, thus • To help to strengthen the existing making the content of the Westminster auxiliaries Reference Bible accessible to those with weaker eyesight. Th e Large Print • To provide support for prospective Westminster Reference Bibles, available auxiliaries already in the pipeline in hardback and calfskin bindings, were • To prayerfully explore opportunities received into stock in September 2018 for new auxiliaries. and have proved to be very popular since then. Signifi cant progress was made towards these aims during 2018 and it was an encouragement when in November a new UK auxiliary was established, the South and Mid-Wales Auxiliary. Since then a new Essex, Suff olk and Norfolk Auxiliary was established in May 2019, and at the time of writing another new UK auxiliary is due to be established over the coming months. Please contact your local TBS offi ce if you are interested in the work of an existing auxiliary or if you would like to make initial enquiries about setting up a new auxiliary.

Large Print New Products Westminster Reference Bible Every year the greater part of our new publication output comprises calendars, Th e other new products which we pub- which must be designed afresh every year. lished in 2018 were our second series In 2018 we published Golden Th oughts of puzzle books. Th e theme is Bible Calendars in 10 languages, Words of Life Journeys and the subjects covered are the Calendars in 22 languages, Words of Life Patriarchs, the Exodus, Christ’s Journeys Calendars with overprinted details for on Earth and Paul’s Journeys. Each book 47 customers, and a pocket planner diary contains fi ft een pages of Scripture texts in English. and illustrations giving a wide variety of word, number, and picture puzzles; path We regularly receive suggestions from fi nders; verse matching and text colour- customers and supporters in the form ing activities.

15 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 Regional not have been completed: Mark The Beardall, Louise Brett, Gary Hayes, Gospels Gospel According to Neil Lusk, Peter Stephenson, Michael In the 2014 Wade and Hannah Woodhams. Also Operations Report I we thank our Sales Representative provided an update to the retail trade, John Tennant. In on the Gospel of addition to our staff, many volun- John Project run teers give of their time to support the by SermonAudio Society’s work, whether that be in in collaboration our warehouses and packing rooms, with TBS, in which on boards and committees, or from region-specifi c home on tasks such as the prepa- Gospels with local ration of children’s material and landmark covers Edinburgh Gospel according to John supporting auxiliaries. Th ere are too are published many of these dear friends to name, and distributed throughout the USA. but we thank each one for all that they do Members of the missions board of a for the Lord. Please remember our staff and UK denomination read this report and volunteers in your prayers. wondered whether the same thing might be possible for their region. In 2017 a Conclusion representative from the board contacted me to discuss the project, requesting that Th e Lord gave the Word, and how this special edition feature a photograph remarkable that He then placed this from Edinburgh on the cover and contain treasure in earthen vessels such as us. In a page with information about the church. every instance of Scripture publishing In February 2018, ten thousand copies of and distribution mentioned above, and in the Gospel according to John (Edinburgh all those which were not included in this Edition) were delivered to the customer report, we desire that the Lord would be and were subsequently distributed. glorifi ed, and as far as it pleases almighty God to do so that men, women, boys and TBS supporters are most welcome to girls would become wise unto salvation approach us about creating other region- through faith which is in Christ Jesus. specifi c Gospels, if this would be an aid to local Scripture distribution work. Endnotes Please note that for this custom work there is a minimum order quantity of Although certain phrases and expressions used fi ve thousand copies. in the letters in this article may not be doctrinally correct or in correct English, we reproduce the let- ters essentially as received, knowing that the Lord Staffi ng is using His Word to the glory of His Name and As always, I would like to thank each the furtherance of His Kingdom as the Scriptures are distributed among the nations of the world. member of the Operations Department in London for their labours during 2018, with- 1. M. H. Watts, Th e Lord Gave the Word, A111 out whom the work outlined above could (London: TBS, 2013), p. 1. 16 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Branch Greetings

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of the TBS (Australia) Trinitarian Bible Society’s Australian Branch, we send our greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have again experienced in the past year the Lord’s goodness in providing for the Society in this country. ‘O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever’ (Psalm 106.1). We have reason for much thankfulness for the Lord’s gracious and most generous provision for the future of TBS in Australia.

Th e Australia Board of Directors has seen the addition of one new member during 2018. Mr Stephen Tanner graciously agreed to take on the role of Director to as- sist the brethren and was appointed to the Board in May 2018. Mr Tanner lives near Warrnambool in Victoria where he is involved with a Reformed Church. We pray that the Lord would bless the men on the Board with wisdom, understanding and grace for the work which lies before them in this country.

Our offi ce, as in past years, is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm for sales and enquiries. Th e website and online store continues to be very useful as a fi rst contact point for those looking for reliable translations of the Word of God. Sales in 2018 were down a little compared to the previous year, however donations increased fi vefold, for which we are very thankful to the Lord for the continued provision He has made for the work in 2018.

In 2017 we were contacted by the trustees of a church in Ipswich, west of Brisbane. As numbers attending their church were falling and the congregation ageing, they were in the position of having to sell their church property. When the church was formed years ago, it was written into their constitution that should the time ever come that the doors had to close the proceeds of the sale of the church property were to be passed on to TBS (Australia). It was with sadness that we learned of the need for the church to close, but we are so very grateful to the congregation for passing the revenue of the sale to the Lord’s work with Trinitarian Bible Society (Australia). Th e sale was 17 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 concluded in 2018 and the amount received was AUS$270, 036.92, truly a wonderful provision! It is our prayer that the Lord will restore in our land a love for His Word and a desire for reliable translations. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4.19). Th e Society in Australia is also thankful to our many supporters who have continued to support us prayerfully and fi nancially.

In 2018 the Australian Branch provided over 600 Bibles as grants. Almost a hun- dred of these went into prisons, others for Religious Education to school children, approximately 300 for street preaching, some to outreach at agricultural shows and still others to Aboriginal groups in Western Australia. According to the Lord’s prom- ise we pray that the Word sent forth in 2018 ‘ … shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it’ (Isaiah 55.11). A note from one of our grantees states, ‘Once again, we sincerely thank you for your gift of Bibles and other items to help in the spread of the gospel in this vast land of Australia. Won’t it be an eternal privilege to share in seeing souls won for Christ’.

Editorial work for the Society has continued to be carried out in Australia during 2018. Th e Senior Editorial Consultant (Linguistics) for the Society, who resides in Australia, has answered a steady stream of translation questions arising from the various translation projects of the Society. Of particular interest in this last year has been the modern Hebrew, Bemba, Haitian Creole, Persian, Shona, Hindi, French, Nepali, Simte and Kom translations, with the Shona Bible, Persian New Testament and Simte Bible being fi nally approved for publication by the Society, having passed all the standard checks for accuracy. In addition, work on the Vietnamese Bible project is cur- rently being undertaken in Australia, and the translator hopes to complete the Gospel according to Matthew by June 2019.

We would again thank the many members and friends of the Society for their ongo- ing prayerful support of our work and witness in this country. We are encouraged to continue our work in this day of small things in light of the promise, ‘For the earth shall be fi lled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea’ (Habakkuk 2.14). Above all, we must acknowledge the Lord’s great goodness in all our endeavours on behalf of the Trinitarian Bible Society, for Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but only God can give the increase (1 Corinthians 3.6) and we must again con- fess that without Him we can do nothing.

With Christian Greetings

Alan Brown National Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society (Australia)

18 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Dear Brethren

TBS (Brazil) I recently posed the question to our board here in Brazil: ‘in what things are we not seeking fi rst the Kingdom of God?’ I had in mind the words of our Lord in Matthew 6.33: ‘But seek ye fi rst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you’. We know this verse by heart from our childhood, and what an instructive promise it is. We must seek to allow God to rule and reign in our hearts and in our everyday lives.

As a Bible society our role in the Kingdom of God is clearly given in the parable of the sower: providing a faithful copy of God’s Word for every person. True, not all are going to receive the Word, but that must not discourage us, for there is good soil awaiting the sowing of the Precious Seed.

I no longer see a Bible merely by its size and cover, but I see—as it were—the name of a person that will be using that Bible. By God’s grace we now have the Portuguese Bible available in ten diff erent typeset editions, each one with the individual reader in mind; these settings ranging from small, medium print Bibles, to large, giant print edi- tions. Our Bibles are meant to be read.

Finally, ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth’ (Psalm 46.10). Th ese words are most comforting to our souls, for though the storm may rage and the tempest blow, our Lord reassures us He is in con- trol, and that suffi ces. We must be careful to give thanks to our Lord in everything, for the trials of our present day ‘ … are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us’ (Romans 8.18). Brethren, pray for us.

Harold R. Gilmer Executive Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society (Brazil)

TBS (Canada) ‘King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest’ (Acts 26.27).

Acts 26 describes Paul standing before King Agrippa, Festus, Bernice, and the principal men of the city. Paul was happy he could defend himself before Agrippa: he knew that the king was an ‘expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews’ (v. 3). In which Canadian legislature, courtroom or news broadcast studio is there an Agrippa who has at least some knowledge of the Word 19 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 of God? In Canada, it’s hard to fi nd authority fi gures who are familiar with the Bible and who respect it as the Word of God. Our political leaders and our ‘impartial’ judges show little respect for the authority of the Scriptures. Our leaders lend their ears to those who promote unbiblical principles but derisively dismiss the Lord and His Word.

Hostility or indiff erence to the Bible is nothing new. Just think of Amos and Jeremiah. Th e Lord enabled Paul to do his missionary work despite the hostility of the Jews and Roman rulers. He gave Paul the words to speak before the kings and captains of his day. May it please Him to give the supporters and workers of TBS that same prayerful boldness to do the work.

Th e Lord still enables TBS to carry on with its mandate. Th e friends in Canada contin- ue to fi nancially support several Scripture translation projects and to fund the granting of Bibles to places as diverse as Kazakhstan and the ‘boat people’ refugee camps in Sicily. Students in Christian schools and attendees at our public meetings have watched and listened attentively and appreciatively to a PowerPoint presentation illustrating the Society’s work in Canada and abroad.

Our offi ce is kept busy answering inquiries, processing orders, receiving donations, updating membership lists, and mailing out the Society’s promotional material, and the increasing workload has made it necessary to hire an administrative assistant. ‘From Bonavista to Vancouver Island’ reads a line in a familiar folksong. Th at line also describes the distribution of our supporters. Our mailing list includes friends in every province. Some are clustered close together in support communities. However, many are isolated from one another or worship in very small communities. Our magazine, newsletter, and emailed information articles keep our scattered friends up-to-date with the Society and its work. Making personal contact with them remains one of our strivings.

On behalf of all involved with TBS (Canada), I wish you a blessing upon the reading of His Word which alone can make us wise unto salvation. His Word alone tells us how we came forth out of His hand, but also tells us what we have become. His Word alone points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word by whom alone we can be saved. May that Word indeed be or become sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb.

Th ey are to be desired Above the fi nest gold; Th an honey from the comb More sweetness far they hold; With warnings they Th y servant guard, In keeping them is great reward. Psalter 38:3. Adrian Stoutjesdyk General Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society (Canada)

20 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Th e Board of the TBS (NZ) wishes the blessing of TBS the Lord upon all TBS members. We do not yet live (New Zealand) in the day promised in which the Lord will destroy ‘the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations’ (Isaiah 25.7). But not one word of God will fail. It will surely come to pass.

In 2018 the TBS New Zealand was able to do a lot more charitable work thanks to employing a new assistant. Especially in distributing the Maori calendar and Maori Bible we were able to extend our work. We gift ed 400 calendars, and wrote to 253 schools asking if they wanted a free Bible—close to 100 accepted.

In 2017 we were approached by a local church in Auckland. Th ey had it in their heart to place a Bible on every marae. A marae is a traditional Maori meeting place, and is for meetings, celebrations, funerals, educational workshops and other important tribal events. Th ere are 771 of them all over New Zealand. Th ey are very recognisable. Although we were able to give a good discount, this was still more than the church was able to purchase. But last year TBS London approached us and said they had the funds for us to grant the Maori Bibles. So we wrote to this church again explaining that we were able to grant them 771 Bibles. Th ey were very excited about the prospect, and so we began the process of getting the Bibles to New Zealand.

Oddly enough we experienced a lot of trouble importing them into New Zealand, encountering weeks of delay and trouble. And then fi nally on Friday 15 March we were able to pick up the Bibles from the shipping company. Th at’s a day that will live in infamy in New Zealand’s history. It’s the day someone decided to shoot innocent chil- dren, women and men in a mosque in Christchurch. It was a hugely shocking event for this country which so far had escaped terrorism.

On the following Monday this church came to pick up the Bibles, and we discussed the events of the past Friday. Th ey said that on the Lord’s Day they had refl ected on this hour of terror, sang the national anthem, and were even more convinced that this nation needed the Word of God. Th us they were praying that the Lord would turn this event for good, opening hearts for the good news.

Th e Lord bless such labours, and the labours in all our branches, and may He give us the desire to labour to His glory.

Berend de Boer Chairman, Trinitarian Bible Society (New Zealand) 21 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

On behalf of the Board of Directors, offi ce staff and TBS (USA) everyone here at Trinitarian Bible Society (USA), we wish to express our sincere Christian greetings to you on the occasion of the Society’s 188th Annual General Meeting. We ask you to join us in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for the past year, and with much prayer and supplication for the future.

During 2018 the Lord enabled TBS (USA) to distribute many Bibles and Bible prod- ucts throughout the Americas. Th is has been particularly true of our Spanish New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, which was published in May of that year. Good progress continues on the translation of the Old Testament; by the end of last year the Pentateuch was complete, and thus far in 2019 much work on the books up to 2 Samuel has been fi nished.

Much of the work on the Chinese Bible project takes place in the USA branch offi ce. Th e Gospel according to John in Chinese and in a Chinese/English diglot has been reprinted and work is largely complete on the other Gospels. It is hoped that this year we may be able to publish the four Gospels along with Romans and Hebrews in order to provide a larger portion of our work for Chinese speakers to review and to elicit feedback from them.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thankfulness to our brethren and colleagues at the TBS International Headquarters and worldwide for their invalu- able assistance and support in all of our endeavours. We would also give thanks for all our supporters across the world. As the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘We give thanks to God al- ways for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father’ (1 Th essalonians 1.2–3). In many ways we would not be able to undertake all that we do without the close bonds of Christian unity that we experience with each of you. May the Lord God receive all praise for this, since it is He alone Who grants this excellent relationship.

Th e Lord has promised that His Word will not return unto Him void, but that it shall accomplish that which He pleases (Isaiah 55.11). To that end, it is our continued prayer that He will use the Society’s labours in translating, printing and distributing His Word to the salvation of sinners from the four corners of the earth, to the coming of His Kingdom and to the glory of His precious Name.

William Greendyk General Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society (USA)

22 Distribution totalsfor the year ended31 December 2018 Sales Grants Total 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017

Bibles1 281,259 1,447,191 72,199 85,113 353,458 1,532,304

New Testaments2 *14,290,318 5,532,473 41,570 18,080 *14,331,888 5,550,553

Portions 3 198,611 150,452 751,089 2,193,450 949,700 2,343,902

Golden Thoughts Calendars 101,005 36,808 639,510 456,840 740,515 493,648

Words of Life Calendars 305,413 245,594 150,808 172,900 456,221 418,494

Leafl ets 208,403 232,440 0 4,489 208,403 236,929

Text Cards 134,732 126,712 627 7,946 135,359 134,658

TOTAL *15,519,741 7,771,670 1,655,803 2,938,818 *17,175,544 10,710,488

Notes: (1) Includes 66,134 Portuguese Bibles (2017: 1,210,000) produced with other publishers under Royalty Agreement. (2) Includes *14,205,280 Portuguese New Testaments (2017: 5,497,233) in association with other organisations. (3) The bulk of the volume regarding Portions relates to TBS non-English portions printed under licence by Every Home Crusade (730,000; 2017 630,000). ‘And And AaronAaron hheldeld hhisis ppeace’eace’

Leviticus 10.3

By Mr G. D. Buss, Chairman of the Leviticus 9.24). At this all the General Committee people shouted and fell on their faces in sacred awe at the visible t was meant to be a day of token that God had given of His holy gladness. At last all the presence. Th e altar fi re, hav- Iceremonies and rites were ing once been lit, was to be the observed, and Aaron and his source of all the fi re in the taber- sons were consecrated as priests nacle, not to be extinguished. to serve the Lord in the taber- nacle on behalf of the children Aaron, the high priest, had of Israel. Aft er Aaron had off ered several sons, two of whom were the sin off ering, the burnt off er- Nadab and Abihu. Th ese two ing and the peace off ering, he men took it upon themselves, and his sons came out into the without being commanded, to place where the congregation off er before the Lord in the holy stood and blessed the people in place; and without taking the fi re the name of the God of Israel. As from the altar they procured it a signifi cant and special token of instead from an inferior source. the Lord’s favour and acceptance As they did so they were struck of their worship, miraculous fi re dead as fi re from the Lord went from God came and consumed out, and they lay dead in front of the off erings on the altar (see their father, Aaron. 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Neither Aaron nor his remaining Israel. ‘None can stay his hand, or sons were to mourn this sudden say unto him, What doest thou?’ loss. Th ey were to continue in their (Daniel 4.35). Our God has a offi ce undistracted by this solemn divine right over all aff airs. As dispensation from God. And from one poet put it, verses later in the chapter it is pos- sible that Nadab and Abihu may He gives and He takes and He have been intoxicated, as the Lord makes no mistakes, made a decree that the priests were Whatever may be the amount, forbidden to drink wine or strong Nor have we a right, drink when going about their tab- however He smite, ernacle duties (Leviticus 10.9). To ask Him to give an account.

What a sad ending to what was (Anon) supposed to be a day of holy gladness! Th e Lord vindicated Secondly, Aaron acknowledged His own honour and glory in this the supreme justice of God in this solemn way by the deaths of these loss. Th e honour and glory of God two priests. It was a lesson for all had to come before the honour who would worship God aright: it of his family when their actions must be done soberly and accord- were contrary to His revealed will ing to His Word alone. Th ere must and purpose. How oft en when our be no substitute for the fi re and families are touched our instinc- power of the Holy Spirit in our tive reaction is to defend them. hearts as we worship God. But if God is not fi rst in our family life, then He is not honoured and But then we have a most remark- we cannot expect His approba- able evidence of grace under the tion. We need to seek grace that, if Lord’s chastening hand. As Moses necessary, we may be prepared to reminded Aaron and the priests sacrifi ce the peace of our family that the Lord would be ‘sanctifi ed rather than let God’s honour be in them that come nigh’ Him— impugned. for which error Nadab and Abihu lay dead at their father’s feet— Th irdly, Aaron acknowledged that we read, ‘And Aaron held his there was supreme wisdom in peace’ (Leviticus 10.3). What God’s dealings with him. Although outstanding grace at a time of hard to be understood, and even personal and sudden bereave- harder to bear, he nonetheless ment! How can we account for did not charge God with foolish- Aaron’s peace? ness (see Job 1.22) nor did he question the wisdom of God in Firstly, Aaron acknowledged the taking his sons in such a solemn divine sovereignty of the God of manner. Th ere are many things in

25 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

the lives of God’s children which and hast been assured of, knowing they cannot understand, but it is a of whom thou hast learned them’ great mercy when despite our own (2 Timothy 3.14). ignorance we can also say with Job, ‘But he knoweth the way that I Fift hly, Aaron believed that in take: when he hath tried me, I shall the covenant of God’s grace come forth as gold’ (Job 23.10). there was a divine certainty in all Our security lies in God’s knowl- events, so that this tragedy did not edge of our path, not our own. disinherit him from its blessings, How oft en we need to learn Peter’s rather it had made provision to lesson which the Lord taught him: support him in this hour of great- ‘What I do thou knowest not now; est need. He was like Job in not but thou shalt know hereaft er’ dissimilar circumstances who was (John 13.7). enabled to say, ‘Th e LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Fourthly, Aaron recognised that blessed be the name of the LORD’ as the spiritual leader of Israel, in (Job 1.21). times of trouble it was incumbent upon him to set a right example Like God’s servant David in a later before the watching Israelites. day, Aaron would have been able Had he given way to inordinate to say: ‘Although my house be not grief or rebellion he would have so with God; yet he hath made demeaned the offi ce of high with me an everlasting covenant, priest and brought dishonour ordered in all things, and sure: for upon God who appointed and this is all my salvation, and all my anointed him to be high priest. desire, although he make it not to When Ezekiel’s wife died, he also grow’ (2 Samuel 23.5). was commanded to continue prophesying despite his grief Th e closing verses of Romans 8 (see Ezekiel 24.15–18). Th is does confi rm these sacred truths. not mean that God is a hard and Nothing can separate God’s people unfeeling taskmaster, but rather from the love of Christ, not even that He gives continuing grace to tragedies such as Aaron had to pass His children in times of trial. How through. Satan would like God’s servants to give up at such times. Even When you are confronted with Paul acknowledged at one time trials such as Aaron’s, may ‘the that Satan hindered him and his peace of God, which passeth all companions (1 Th essalonians understanding … keep your hearts 2.18). However, writing to and minds through Jesus Christ’ Timothy, his son in the faith, who (Philippians 4.7). perhaps was of a timid spirit, he says: ‘But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned 26 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 Editorial Report by Jonathan Arnold, Editorial Director

Introduction his year’s annual report aff ords the opportunity to once again render Editorial department update Tthanks to the eternal and everlast- Th e editorial team continues to enjoy ing God who by His Sovereign grace has the abilities of highly-skilled staff , a granted to us another year of serving provision from the Lord. Th is year was a Him translating and distributing His period of stability for Editorial follow- Word. We acknowledge that ‘Every good ing new appointments, retirements and gift and every perfect gift is from above, leavers in previous years. Th e dedication and cometh down from the Father of of the team to facilitate the translation lights, with whom is no variableness, projects and wider work of the Society neither shadow of turning’ (James 1.17). is a matter of great thankfulness. Philip It is an inestimable blessing that we Hopkins labours two days a week for the have the special revelation of God in the Society dealing with our wide-ranging Scriptures that have been providentially translation projects. He has produced an preserved in the Greek Textus Receptus informative report on our work on all and Hebrew Masoretic Text. Th e Society’s these projects; I am pleased to include stand as a Protestant and Trinitarian so- ciety is ground we continue to hold with all sincerity as we increasingly encoun- ter non-biblical ecumenical infl uences in some of our translation work. We continue to look to the Lord in all things and pray that He will go before us in the areas in which we intend to distribute His Word over the next twelve months. We pray that the Lord will be with us as He was with Ezra, who proclaimed ‘And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me’ (Ezra 7.28). Editorial Director and Ethiopian translator at TBS 2019 Open Day 27 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 this report later in this Quarterly Record. the digital text of Ginsburg’s Hebrew Old Debra Anderson continues her diligent Testament is still ongoing. Albert provides work for the Society in proofreading assistance to our Bible projects in answer- and checking the Scriptures that we ing technical questions as well. We are also publish. Peter Hughes provides us with grateful to our other Consultants: William much-needed typesetting and design Patterson in his work with the Mongolian expertise that ensures we produce Translation team, Alexander Th ompson professional and carefully typeset edi- with his translation assistance and work on tions of the Scripture. Natalie Christie the Abkhaz and Jillert Cammenga who is has continued to work on our English working on the French team and providing products (including the new book- technical advice. marks and puzzle books) and Words of Life Calendars; her work has included Publications 2018 and 2019 providing research on the Turkish Bible and assisting with our Editorial system Th e Society continued its fi rmly-held implementation. Elizabeth Tichelaar constitutional commitment to the has taken on our Golden Th oughts English Authorised (King James) Version Calendars and Diary, along with main- by publishing (alongside all the existing taining and updating various web pages Bibles) the new Large Print Westminster including our languages pages available at Reference Bible—a larger-sized edition (www.tbsbibles.org/page/language). We of the Westminster Reference Bible—in also acknowledge the Society’s Senior 2018. Th is is aimed at those with vision Editorial Consultant (Translation) Larry problems and for use in preaching. Th is Brigden who wrote several informative Bible, along with the Westminster in articles for the Quarterly Record last year regular and compact sizes, contains many and is fi nalising work on a booklet deal- features to assist the reader and student ing with translation issues. Larry also of Scripture. completes a vital function in confi rming that submitted Scripture translations conform to the underlying Hebrew and Greek texts—assessments which are essential in ensuring that these trans- lations comply with our principles. Larry also deals with technical Biblical language questions that are encountered by our translation teams.

Albert Hembd continues to form a core part of the Delitzsch Hebrew New Testament Revision project. Th is team has made signifi cant progress on the Hebrew New Testament revision, which is based on the work for Franz Delitzsch. In addition, the arduous research and work of preparing Bulgarian Gospel according to John 28 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Th e English work dovetails with • Th adou Bible Editorial’s endeavours in producing • Nepali Bible (digital edition) faithful editions of God’s Word in other • Amharic New Testament & Psalms languages. Th e translation work across • land and sea remains a big part of our Chichewa New Testament endeavours and the labours of our • Dan/Gio New Testament translators must not be forgotten. Many • Koiné Greek New Testament (digital of these workers sacrifi ce years of their edition of Scrivener Text) lives in this noble work, with a sincere • Persian New Testament dedication spending arduous hours trans- lating and proofreading the translated • Russian New Testament (new setting) Scriptures. Th ey do this by the grace of • Th adou New Testament (large print God with their eyes fi xed on the need for edition) faithful translation of God’s Word in their • Chinese Gospels, Romans and language to strengthen the church, spread Hebrews the Gospel and sanctify the believer. • Bemba Gospel according to John In the past twelve months the Society was • French Gospel according to John able to publish new editions of the Holy • Traditional script Mongolian Gospel Scriptures in three languages, as well as according to John (a transcription of Dutch and Hebrew translations of A100 the text is already published in the Th e Textual Key to the New Testament Cyrillic alphabet) and a Dutch translation of What today’s • Pokot Gospel according to John Christian needs to know about the Greek • New Testament. New Scriptures include: Tagalog Epistles of John • Vietnamese Gospel according to • Bulgarian Gospel according to John Matthew (print edition) • Waray-Waray Epistles of John • Hebrew Gospel according to John and Romans We greatly value your prayers as we press on in the coming months to bring these • Russian Gospel according to John projects to printing and distribution. (new setting) • Online Bibles and Scriptures in vari- ous languages via the TBS website Editorial system update Th e Society continues to implement a Future publications new editorial system to integrate the translation and publication stages of our If the Lord will, it is hoped that the fol- work and produce digitised output with lowing items will be published in the greater effi ciency. Th is new system is coming two years. already being implemented for several translation projects which are now ac- • Shona Bible cessible online for review and assistance. • Simte Bible We also continue to roll this process 29 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

out for new Bible translations and for Th e publication of electronic Scriptures long-standing translation projects as they in 2018 (and those envisioned for the come to completion. Th is will enable us coming years) is an important distribu- to improve the timings for the fi nal stages tion avenue that will greatly enhance of Bible translation and revision projects our ability to fulfi l our primary aim: and improve digital checks on the work. ‘For the Glory of God and the increase Th e introduction in 2017 of a major new of His Kingdom through the circulation business system, which includes a more of Protestant or uncorrupted versions up-to-date website, has enhanced and is of the Word of God’ whilst we continue set to augment our ability to publish elec- to maintain the distribution of printed tronic Scriptures in the following years. Scriptures.

Report on Non-English language Bible projects Philip J. D. Hopkins, Senior Editorial Consultant - Projects

he following section provides more organisation with which we were in Tdetail on all the foreign languages discussion we have not been able to move in which we are currently working forward with this project. Nevertheless plus some languages in which we have we have continuing dialogue with the either worked in the past or carried out minister in South Africa and hope that research in recent years. Th e languages we may be able to go forward in the are listed alphabetically under the follow- coming days. Our sister society, the ing geographic regions: Africa, Europe, Gereformeerde Bijbelstichting (GBS), the Middle East and the Caucasus, also has a keen interest in this language. Indian subcontinent, rest of Asia, and the Americas. Amharic (Ethiopia) During a meeting in August 2018 with our Amharic Bible translator it was Africa agreed that we should publish the New Testament together with the Psalms. Our Afrikaans (South Africa) translator is thus engaged in translating For some months last year the Society the Psalms and at the time of writing has was in discussion with a minister in reached Psalm 90. It would appear that in South Africa, concerning the possibil- many modern Amharic Bible versions the ity of commencing a new translation of translation of the Psalms relied heavily on the Bible into Afrikaans. Whilst there is the Greek Septuagint rather than on the a good older translation available this Hebrew Masoretic Text, which has con- is still subject to copyright and has also tributed to some very loose and dynamic been displaced by a newer more dynamic renderings. Our translation, in that it is and less accurate version. Regrettably, due being translated in a formal equivalence to personnel changes at the South African manner from the Hebrew, will therefore 30 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 show some signifi cant diff erences in the the recommendation of the Editorial Psalms. Some willing Amharic proof- Department, the General Committee readers have been found to review the approved it for publication. We look draft New Testament text, although we forward to the publication of the New are in need of further committed helpers Testament, which is much anticipated in on this project. We are thankful for the Malawi. Furthermore, in 2018 TBS and fi nancial support from TBS (Canada) FGEA agreed to extend the project to the for this project, and also for the funds Old Testament, and work commenced being raised by fi rstBible International for on Psalms and Proverbs whilst the fi nal the printing of the New Testament and checks were being carried out on the New Psalms. Testament. We hope that this interim pro- ject based on the Authorised Version will Bemba (Zambia) lead to a new translation of the Chichewa In 2017 the Society and the Free Grace Bible directly from the Hebrew Masoretic Evangelistic Association (FGEA) were and Greek Received Texts. able to enter into an agreement to prepare a faithful new edition of the Bemba Dan/Gio (Liberia) New Testament. Th e native translators Good progress was made at a translators’ are primarily referring to a Received conference (funded by TBS) in Monrovia Text interlinear New Testament and the last year, which gave the necessary impe- Authorised (King James) Version and sec- tus for the whole of the New Testament ondarily to older editions of the Bemba Bible. In God’s oft en mysterious provi- dence the work has encountered various delays, including the main translator suff ering from a severe bout of malaria. Notwithstanding these hindrances, it is good to report that the second draft of the Gospel according to John is complete and is now being proofread by the trans- lators preparatory to further checking by the Society.

Chichewa (Malawi) Th e Society has been working together with FGEA for the past four years to pro- duce a new edition of the Chichewa New Testament with primary reference to the Authorised Version. In God’s goodness the fi nal draft text of the New Testament was submitted to the Society at the begin- ning of 2019 for checking. Th ese checks took longer than anticipated, but we are thankful that in June 2019, following First page of Dan/Gio Matthew 31 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 to be revised according to our editorial undertake this great task, even though I standards. Further corrections have been just present the errors and someone later made during the checking process, and on build on it’. We are thankful for con- it is good to report that at the time of tacts, like this man, who have a burden writing, following the recommendation for a faithful copy of God’s Word in their of the Editorial Department, the General mother tongue, and pray for the neces- Committee has approved the Dan sary resources to be made available so New Testament for publication. Please that we could provide such contacts with continue to remember the translators in the accurate Scriptures they crave. Liberia, who work in diffi cult circum- stances and yet give of their time freely. Kisanga (Democratic Republic of Congo) During the coming days they will need Kisanga (or Sanga) is one of the languag- to incorporate all of the corrections into es spoken in the Democratic Republic the fi nal edition of the text and then work of Congo (DRC). Ethnologue gives its with editorial staff to prepare the text for speakers as 431,000 in 1991,1 the major- printing. ity of which are found in several of the southern provinces and territories of Kalenjin (Kenya) the DRC. In 1991 the Society published Th e group in Kenya preparing a new a Kisanga Bible, which was a combina- edition of the Kalenjin Bible report that tion of an Old Testament (except Isaiah) the task is progressing slowly because translated under the Society’s auspices the work ‘needs a lot of time and most coupled with a New Testament from 1974 of the committee members are also very and Isaiah from 1980 that were copy- much engaged in other duties’. In the past righted to the National Bible Society of year we were able to provide them access Scotland. In recent months, with the help to the TBS Wiki—a private website for of FGEA, we have been seeking person- editorial staff and translators with various nel who could help us evaluate the textual translation helps—and with copies of the basis and translational accuracy of the Westminster Reference Bible to aid in 1991 Bible. We hope that this search will the translation process. Th e translators soon be successful! requested our earnest and fervent prayers as they labour to revise the Gospels and Pokot (Kenya) then the rest of the New Testament. Pokot is a language spoken by approxi- mately 700,000 people, the majority of Kikamba (Kenya) which live in the northern part of Kenya. A young Kenyan man, training for the We are thankful to report that last ministry, continues to keep in touch with year, following further work with our the Society and to note down the errors main Pokot contact, the revised Gospel he fi nds in the present Kikamba Bible, according to John was approved for which has been poorly translated. He publication by the General Committee. wrote earlier this year explaining that Editorial staff have since been engaged in he is ‘waiting and praying that our God preparing the Pokot Gospel for printing. providentially help me to have humble Recently we were able to send the fi nal time and the right tools at my disposal to draft typeset copy to the Pokot reviser for 32 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 review and we have just received back his by the Committee in December 2018. comments concerning the hyphenation Since then the approved text has been of the text. Whilst the Gospel accord- typeset completely and is going through ing to John has been in the typesetting fi nal checks before being issued for fi nal stage, much of the Gospel according to proofreading. Th e Society is grateful to Matthew has been revised. Th e Society the Zimbabwean Mission of the Free provides fi nancial support for this Presbyterian Church of Scotland, under project using incoming funds that are whose auspices the Shona Bible project is specifi cally designated for it. being carried out.

Shona (Zimbabwe) Swahili Since the adoption of its 2013 con- Swahili is a lingua franca of the African stitution Zimbabwe has sixteen Great Lakes region and other parts offi cial languages, but the country’s of eastern and south-eastern Africa, main languages are Shona, spoken by including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, approximately 70% of the population, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique and and Ndebele, spoken by about 20%. Th e the Democratic Republic of the Congo Society rejoices in that, God willing, it (DRC). From the correspondence that will shortly have Bibles available in both this writer has received in recent years of these languages. Th e TBS Ndebele it would seem that the use of Swahili is growing, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania. We continue to pray that the Lord would provide faithful workers to prepare a new edition of the Swahili Bible based on the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Received Texts.

Xhosa (South Africa) Xhosa is one of the offi cial languages of South Africa and spoken by millions of individuals. For some years the Society has made known the need for a new translation to be prepared directly from the Biblical languages, with secondary reference to the available editions of the Xhosa Scriptures. In recent weeks we have Shona New Testament heard that one of our partner organisa- tions has taken up our fi ndings and is Bible was published in 2012. Th en, in the exploring the possibility of putting a team Lord’s goodness, the Shona translation together to prepare a new Xhosa Bible. team completed their work on the entire We pray that the Lord would guide their Bible towards the end of 2018. Following deliberations and that a project may soon the usual editorial checks the text of the begin under their auspices, for which the Shona Bible was approved for publication Society would supply editorial expertise. 33 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

Czech (Czech Republic) Europe Th e 1613 Kralice Bible is one of the classic Reformation-era Bibles. Although considerable changes have taken place in Bulgarian the Czech language since the 1613 Bible Th e Society’s current revision of the was published (to a far greater extent Bulgarian Bible is based on the First than in English during this period), Bulgarian Protestant Bible, widely known we have several Czech contacts who as the ‘Constantinople’ or ‘Slaveikov’ believe that it would still be worthwhile Bible, which was fi rst published in to republish it. We are pleased that good Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1871. progress has been made: the digital text However, the editions of this Bible that of the entire Bible has been prepared and are currently available have many errors detailed checks have been carried out of varying kinds and are not faithful to from Genesis to Job. the original translation, which itself was not as close to the underlying Hebrew French and Greek as desirable. Work to revise During the last twelve months the French the Bulgarian Gospel according to team have maintained a good pace in John began in 2014. An online edition their revision of the 1872 Lausanne was soon made available, but the print French Bible. Th e two team members edition experienced signifi cant delays. preparing the text in advance have Now with much thankfulness we have reached Revelation, whilst the whole received delivery of 5,000 copies of the team have completed the revision as far revised Bulgarian John at the Society’s as 2 Th essalonians. Th e team have also London Headquarters. Please pray that worked on preparing the Gospel ac- these Gospels would be well received and cording to John for publication, which lead to further helpers being recruited when published we hope will build on for the project. Th e Gospel according to the already-available Gospel according to Matthew has also been revised and awaits further proofreading. Our Bulgarian reviser is currently part way through revising Mark.

Catalan Th e Society’s Catalan Bible, fi rst pub- lished in 2009, continues to be circulated throughout the region of Cataluña. We are moving toward agreement on corrections and improvements to that published text, and hope that these will be incorporated into the next printing of the Bible and into the digital editions of the Catalan Scriptures which are being prepared. FrenchF h Matthew M tth iin CCongo 34 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Matthew. Please continue to remember for an Irish Bible project to get off the this project in your prayers: they have ground. a diffi cult task in selecting the correct grammatical constructions and the ap- Maltese propriate vocabulary that will remain Over the last twelve months local faithful to the Greek Received Text and churches in Malta have been out in their agree with current French usage. We are communities distributing copies of the thankful for the support of TBS (Canada) for this project.

Greek (Modern) A little further progress has been made on the Society’s light revision of the 1703 Seraphim edition of the Greek New Testament. However we stand very much in need of suitably-qualifi ed speakers from mainland Greece to help with the project. Our main reviser is still work- ing in the Gospel according to Luke. We look to the Lord to provide the human resources to move the project forward more quickly.

Hungarian Maltese Gospel according to John Owing to our limited editorial resources it has still not been possible to explore Gospel according to John received last the demand for a new revision of the year from the Bearing Precious Seed fa- Society’s Karoli Bible. Th e Society is also cility in Milford, Ohio, USA, and funded mindful of the need to prepare a new by fi rstBible International. Th e Maltese setting of the present Hungarian Bible. revision team have been focusing on To this end help is sought to produce preparing the rest of the New Testament the digital text of our present edition; to for publication. Th e work of fi nalising the have the text electronically would also revised text moves slowly, mainly because prove benefi cial for any future revision each team member is engaged full time project. in other work and can therefore only give from their limited spare time. We pray for Irish Gaelic God’s blessing on their endeavours. Although several individuals with an outsider’s interest in Ireland have asked Norwegian the Society to undertake a revision of the We have not had recent contact with older Irish Gaelic Scriptures, we have not the Norwegian Bible translator and had any such requests from native Irish his team, but we are confi dent that he speakers. Without interest and input from is continuing to revise his work very native speakers, it will prove very diffi cult carefully. It has to be acknowledged 35 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 that their expressed focus on high-end speakers, we have a body of very ap- publication does not sit easily with the preciative recipients and it continues to Society’s aim to circulate the Scriptures be in demand. Nevertheless, it is still our as widely as possible. We hope that it wish to gather together a body of godly may be possible to move forward in a Christians to revise the text, bringing way that furthers the Gospel of our Lord it into closer conformity to the Greek and Saviour Jesus Christ in that spiritu- Received Text using current standard ally needy country. literary Polish.

Polish Portuguese In last year’s annual report we acknowl- Since 1994 the Society has been privi- edged that the edition of the Polish New leged to see millions of copies of its Testament published by TBS since 1926 Portuguese Scriptures being circulated was, to our surprise, exactly the same throughout the Portuguese-speaking as the Warsaw Polish New Testament world. However, over the past decade in fi rst published in 1881 by the British particular regular updates to the pub- and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) and lished text have had to be made as the published by them until the 1950s. We internationally recognised Portuguese are thankful that BFBS wrote to us in language academy has issued various October 2018 stating that this edition edicts making changes to the language. was no longer in copyright and neither Th ese changes have come into force across the Portuguese-speaking world, Polish New Testament and our team in Brazil has had to keep up with them. Please pray that our Brazilian Branch would continue to have the joy of seeing millions of copies of the TBS Portuguese Scriptures being published each year.

Romanian Since the fi rst offi cial launch of the ma- jor new edition of the TBS Romanian Bible took place in Bucharest and Oradea in March 2018 there have been further promotional meetings in other Romanian towns and cities. In many of these meetings people have been requesting a large print edition was the typesetting and layout and that of the Bible. In addition to churches therefore we could continue to print and and congregations taking up the new reprint it without the need for permis- Romanian Bible, at least one publishing sion from them. Although the Polish house is using the text for all the books employed in our New Testament edition that they have published so far in 2018 is diffi cult for many modern Polish and 2019. 36 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Russian Spanish New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs Th e digital text of the Society’s Russian Bible is virtually complete; just the second checking of Ezekiel to Malachi remains to be done. In 2018 a new setting of the Russian Gospel according to John was published. In recent months a new setting of the New Testament has begun and it is planned aft er that to prepare a new setting of the entire Bible. Much time and eff ort are also being spent on estab- lishing an online edition of the Russian Bible text. Spanish Spanish is spoken across the world (prin- cipally in Central and South America and Spain) by an estimated 437 million people, which qualifi es it as second on font and the readability of the text. In the list of languages by number of na- addition, those with knowledge of the tive speakers. With the Lord’s help good Biblical languages have written to express progress is being made in revising the their appreciation for the faithfulness of Old Testament text. At the end of 2018 our revision to the original Hebrew and the fi nal work on the Pentateuch was Greek. Th e Society is very grateful for completed. So far in 2019 the revision the substantial fi nancial support given by of Joshua, Judges and Ruth has been GBS for this major project. completed by the whole team. At present some team members are working in Welsh 2 Samuel while the rest are working In recent years a native Welsh pastor has in 1 Samuel. Meanwhile the various been compiling marginal notes giving Reading Committees in Latin America alternative words for and/or explanations and Spain are reviewing the work on of archaic words. As of last year he had Joshua and Judges. Earlier in 2019 the draft ed content for Genesis to Jeremiah, Society was able to print 35,000 copies of but since then due to personal circum- the Spanish New Testament, Psalms and stances he has not been able to progress Proverbs in Brazil. Th ese were shipped further with this project. God willing, he by the printer to strategic hubs in the will resume his labours from September. Spanish-speaking world, from where It is hoped that these marginal notes they are being distributed to our many will be included in a new setting of the contacts and supporters in Latin America William Morgan Bible and provide simi- and Spain. Th e reception to this print- lar help for Welsh readers as the Society’s ing has been very positive. In particular, Westminster Reference Bible does our contacts have sent us many positive for English readers of the Authorised comments regarding the easy-to-read Version. 37 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

fi ve further books are well on the way to The Middle East and the completion. We have recently published Caucasus regions in print the revised text of Romans and Galatians, which are two vital books for Abkhaz (Abkhazia) today’s Jewish believers. We desire to ac- Abkhaz is the offi cial language of the knowledge the generous fi nancial support self-proclaimed Autonomous Republic for the DHNT revision project received of Abkhazia, which borders Russia and over many years from our friends at the Georgia. We are very thankful that our Finnish Bible Institute and also the Free translator’s wife has made a good recov- Presbyterian Church of Scotland. We are ery from the illness that had threatened also very grateful to three Dutch organi- her life in recent years. Our translator sations—GBS, da Costa Foundation and continues to study Abkhaz grammar and the Board for Israel—which support the plans to start working later this year on project fi nancially and have committed the Gospel according to John. Please pray to providing further substantial support that progress may soon be made on what over the next two years. is one of the last languages in Europe without a complete Bible.

Eastern Armenian (Armenia) We are thankful that further signifi - cant quantities of Armenian Bibles and Armenian New Testaments and Psalms were sent to Yerevan in 2018, and that many of these copies have now been distributed throughout the Republic of Armenia and also into Russia. We regularly receive requests asking us to make the Society’s Armenian Scriptures available electronically and are thank- ful that some progress has been made in recent months towards achieving that goal. We were also delighted to hear ear- RomansRomans andandG Galatiansalatians in HebrewHebrew lier this year that a Braille edition of our Armenian New Testament is underway. Persian (Iran) Persian, otherwise known as Farsi, is the Hebrew major language spoken in Iran. In its Th e Delitzsch Hebrew New Testament several diff erent forms Persian is spoken (DHNT) revision team labour in Israel to by over 100 million speakers worldwide. prepare an edition of the New Testament At the time of writing the fi nal proof- that is more faithful to the Greek reading of the typeset text is taking place Received Text and in a more understand- and thus, God willing, the Persian New able form of Hebrew. Six New Testament Testament will soon go to print. It is books have now been completed and hoped that we will be able to hold two 38 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 launch thanksgiving services in the UK working in the Gospels according to in November 2019, further details of John, Matthew and Mark. However, as which will be made known when they expressed in his own words, he has ‘faced have been fi nalised. During the past some linguistic problems because the decade a fair amount of work has been dialect of Chothe is poor’. He therefore done in revising the Old Testament and frequently has to consult with the Chothe it is hoped that this can be brought to Literature Committee and his association completion in the not too distant future. staff in order to progress the translation. Please remember our main reviser in Th ose of us who have more established prayer, particularly as he has a busy pas- languages as our mother tongues can toral ministry as well as a wider ministry scarcely comprehend these problems, but to Iranian Christians, many of whom are such issues are faced by many tribal Bible scattered across the world. translators for whom the Bible may be the fi rst signifi cant written production Turkish in their language. We are grateful for the We are thankful that the fi nal typeset- contribution of TBS (Canada) towards ting of the Turkish Bible has taken this project. place, incorporating various corrections including those made by our translator Gangte (Manipur, India) before he passed away. However, it has Last year the Society was able to send recently been drawn to our attention that copies of the Westminster Reference in the Old Testament our much-loved Bible to our main Gangte contact to aid and highly-respected translator strug- the translation of a new Gangte Bible be- gled at times to understand the original ing made from the Authorised Version. It Hebrew and then to express it accurately is hoped that, God willing, a face-to-face in widely-understood Turkish. In the meeting with the Gangte translator and spring of 2019 the General Secretary and the local translation committee could be Senior Editorial Consultant (Projects) made by the end of 2020, aft er which it were able to meet with a group of Turkish would be hoped that the Society could pastors and their helpers, who may be formally take on this project. able to help us work further on the Old Testament before it is published. We are Hindi (India) therefore prayerfully considering the pos- We are thankful that considerable initial sibility of printing our translator’s New progress has been made towards the Testament separately (since it already has Society potentially taking up oversight wide acceptance) before publishing the of a new translation of the Hindi Bible. whole Bible. During the past twelve months contact has been established with a mission- ary to Suriname with Hindi language The Indian subcontinent abilities and contacts. Th is mission- ary initially helped us to carry out the Chothe (Manipur, India) Society’s Translation Analysis Checklist Since the beginning of this project in examination of the 1830 Hindi Bible, January 2017 our translator has been which overall appears to be a good 39 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 translation with the distinct advantage made to try and fi nd personnel with a of being based on the Greek Received good knowledge of Kannada and English Text. However due to signifi cant changes to assess this translation. God willing, in in the language since 1830 we cannot the coming year we hope to be able to simply digitise the text, typeset it and progress a Translation Analysis Checklist then publish it. We are, though, hopeful examination of this Bible. that we have the beginnings of a team who may be able to revise the 1830 Bible Kom (Manipur, India) or use it as a basis for a new edition of the Kom is one of the many tribal languages Hindi Bible that is faithful to the Hebrew spoken in the Indian state of Manipur. Masoretic and Greek Received Texts. We Our translator has worked at a very have therefore launched a pilot project in good pace on the fi rst draft of the New Hindi, commencing with a portion of the Testament translation, and has reached Gospel according to John. It should also Paul’s letter to Philemon. Whilst such be noted that our missionary contact is tribal languages are spoken by relatively simultaneously working in the Bhojpuri few, many of these tribes have very high language, which is closely related to numbers professing Christianity, of Hindi. Bhojpuri is one of the recognised which at least half would be committed offi cial languages of Nepal and Fiji and Christians. We consider it important that is also a minority language in Guyana, such strongly Christian tribal groups Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, South have a faithful edition of God’s Word in Africa and Mauritius. their own heart language. We are grateful for the contribution of TBS (Canada) Kannada (India) towards this project. Kannada is a Dravidian language also known as Kanarese. It is spoken pre- Nepali dominantly by Kannada people in India, Th e Society’s Nepali Bible, fi rst published mainly in the state of Karnataka, and in 2011, has under God become estab- by signifi cant linguistic minorities in lished as a standard translation of the the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Scriptures among Nepali speakers around Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and abroad. Th e the world. It is therefore clear that only language has roughly 43.7 million native necessary amendments to the text should speakers, who are called Kannadigas. be made during the revision process now Kannada is also spoken as a second underway. Please remember the surviving and third language by over 12.9 million co-translator of the Bible in your prayers people living in Karnataka, which adds as he seeks to amend the text appropri- up to 56.6 million speakers. It is one of ately, especially as it is sometimes very the scheduled languages of India and diffi cult (if not impossible) to reconcile the offi cial and administrative language the Nepali used in the country of Nepal of the state of Karnataka.2 Th e Society’s with that used in India. A brother based Kannada Bible, a translation from the in Nepal is preparing the digital text of Authorised Version, was fi rst published the 2011 Bible and we hope that the ac- in 1987 and then reprinted in 1991. Over companying Android App may be made the past twelve months eff orts have been available later in 2019. A fi rst draft of the 40 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

detailed analysis of the Old Version Tamil Bible received in 2018. At the present time no one has come forward off er- ing their help to revise this Bible, which although largely based on the Received Text has a number of places where it fol- lows the Critical Text.

Thadou (Manipur, India) We are thankful to the Lord that aft er several further rounds of checking, the Society’s Th adou Bible has been Nepali New Testament fully typeset and fi nal corrections are presently being made. We trust that Braille edition of the New Testament has this much anticipated Bible will soon been completed; the next stage is for this be ready for printing. It is hoped that, draft to be proofread twice, aft er which it God willing, a large print edition of is hoped that the Braille New Testament the Th adou New Testament will be can be published. A further audio record- produced at the same time as the ing—now of the entire Nepali Bible—was complete Bible at the Bearing Precious completed in November 2018; this is also Seed plant in Milford, Ohio, USA, in process of being checked. We rejoice at with fi nancial support from fi rstBible the widening means through which our International. Nepali Bible will be disseminated, God willing. Urdu (Pakistan) In God’s goodness earlier this year we Simte (Manipur, India) were able to make an initial assess- We are very thankful that aft er sev- ment of an Urdu New Testament eral further rounds of checking, the which was printed by a third party Society’s Simte Bible has been fully organisation. It is hoped that further typeset and fi nal corrections are now analysis can be carried out in the com- being made. We hope that this eagerly ing months. awaited Bible will soon be completely ready for printing. Th e writer was Vaiphei (Manipur, India) recently sent a picture of the two now To date the Vaiphei Bible revisers have elderly translators of the fi rst edition of completed work on the New Testament the Society’s Simte Bible (New Testament and are engaged in proofreading their and Psalms 1973, Bible 1993), with the work. Th ey have also started revising the caption that they too were anticipating Old Testament and have completed the the new edition of the Simte Holy Bible! Pentateuch, Joshua and Judges. We were pleased to learn in May that the Vaiphei Tamil (India) Bible revision committee had agreed to In the Lord’s providence it has not proved recruit two more members to help speed possible to build on the partial but up the work. 41 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

challenge of maintaining some continuity Rest of Asia with the Chinese Union Version, which although expressed in beautiful language is oft en not very close to the underlying Chinese Hebrew and Greek. Please pray for our Th e Society’s Chinese Bible translators Chinese Bible translators! Th e Society is press on with their new translation of very grateful for the substantial fi nancial the New Testament made directly from support given by GBS for this major the Greek Received Text. Th us far much project. of the New Testament is in second draft and Matthew, Mark and some of John Japanese are in fi nal draft . It is hoped that later In recent years, despite several attempts in 2019 it will prove possible to publish the Editorial Department has not been the four Gospels, Romans and Hebrews able to obtain an objective assessment as an interim measure to enable further of a New Testament translated from the Greek Received Text by another organi- sation. Japanese is in the top ten most spoken languages in the world, but we cannot as yet recommend any Japanese Scriptures so far published.

Korean Th rough this calendar year the Society has been providing support to a partner organisation as they carry out research into the currently available translations in the Korean language, particularly those editions which are geared towards use in North Korea.

Lhaovo (for Burma/China)

GospelGospel accordingaccording to John in ChineseChinese All of the Lhaovo New Testament and a small part of the Old Testament is feedback on the Society’s work. Both available in digital format. We are very the translators and the Society’s staff are much in need of personnel, competent in mindful that it is important to try and Lhaovo and English, to help us evaluate maintain a level of continuity between the accuracy of this text. our new translation and the widely-used and much-loved Chinese Union Version. Lisu (for Burma/China) Th erefore, in addition to the usual trans- We have a complete digital text available lation challenges of remaining faithful to of the original TBS Lisu Bible which was the Biblical text and using a standard lit- fi rst published in 1980. Sadly, we have not erary form of the receptor language, our yet been able to fi nd someone to under- Chinese translators have the additional take an evaluation of the TBS Lisu Bible 42 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 and some corrections proposed for it, and semi-autonomous region in the Republic of another Lisu Bible published in more of China). Th e Society is working in part- recent years by another organisation. We nership with fi rstBible Mongolia on the prayerfully desire the Lord to provide the various aspects of this project. personnel to enable us to move forward in this language. Tagalog and Waray-Waray (Philippines) Earlier in 2019 our main Tagalog and Mongolian Waray-Waray Bible translator moved Aft er the publication of the New from Singapore back to the Philippines Testament in 2017, work has been going in order to focus attention on his Bible on apace in the Old Testament. Th us far translation work. We hope that this sac- Genesis to 1 Kings have been prepared rifi cial move will help speed up the work in fi rst or second draft and each of these in these two languages. At present in both books is undergoing further review. It has Tagalog and Waray-Waray, our transla- also become apparent that some cor- tor and his helpers are focusing on the rections and improvements need to be Epistles of John. made to the published New Testament as is the case with any fi rst edition of a Tedim Zokam (Burma) translation of God’s Word: think about For many years a small team in Burma how many editions there were between (Myanmar) have been translating the Tyndale’s work and the publication of the Authorised Version into Tedim Zokam. Authorised Version in 1611, which itself At the time of writing the translators are then underwent four offi cial revisions. close to fi nishing their review of the Old Th us the New Testament text is also Testament, with just the minor prophets being reviewed. Alongside the transla- left to check. We pray that the text of the tion work in the country of Mongolia, whole Tedim Zokam Bible will soon be the Society is also working with a group ready for submission to the Society for who are transcribing the Cyrillic script editorial checking. of the published New Testament into the traditional Mongolian lettering Vietnamese which is used in the Inner Mongolia (a Notwithstanding heavy pastoral and family responsibilities, in June 2019 our Vietnamese Bible translator was able to submit the Gospel according to Matthew for editorial checking. Some corrections need to be made to the text following review by our Senior Editorial Consultant (Linguistics), aft er which Committee ap- proval for publication of the Gospel will be sought. It is anticipated that the primary mode of publication will be online in order to reach Vietnamese readers worldwide and to facilitate feedback, which it is hoped Mongolian New Testament will aid the translation work going forward. 43 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

basis to some American independent The Americas Baptist missionaries who are overseeing a project to translate the Authorised Version Dakota (USA) into Haitian Creole. Last year it was established that the family in the USA with some Dakota Biblical languages projects knowledge had self-published their draft work, which was made available through Digitisation of the Society’s Hebrew the Amazon online bookstore. Since then Masoretic Text several contacts have kindly given help to Our editorial consultant in Israel is cor- fi nd native speakers to build on the initial recting mistakes in the digital Hebrew work that is now in the public domain. text obtained in 2015 and making the Regrettably none of these leads came to few consonantal corrections needed fruition and so we await the Lord’s provi- to match it to our published Ginsburg sion in His time of suitably-qualifi ed text. It is planned to include with it the labourers to advance this project. qere and ketiv footnotes which pro- vide helpful marginal assistance to the Haitian Creole (Haiti) Biblical Hebrew reader. It is our desire to Haitian Creole is a French-based creole conclude this project as soon as possi- language spoken by 10–12 million people ble so that we can make a sound digital worldwide, and the only language of most Hebrew text available. Th is is in addition Haitians. Th e language emerged from con- to the Greek Received Text which was tact between French settlers and enslaved made ready in 2017, and which we hope Africans during the Atlantic slave trade soon to make available on our Online in the French colony of Saint-Domingue Bible App. Our sister society, GBS, has (now Haiti). Based largely on eighteenth- been working in partnership with the century French, it also has infl uences Society on the digitisation of the original from Portuguese, Spanish, English, Taíno (Biblical) languages texts. and West African languages. It is not fully mutually intelligible with standard French Footnotes and has its own distinctive grammar.3 1. ‘Sanga’, Ethnologue, www.ethnologue.com/ During the past twelve months the Society language/sng, accessed 10 June 2019. has been providing help on a consultancy 2. ‘An Act to provide for the adoption of Kannada as the language to be used for the offi cial purposes of the State [Karnataka] and for continuance of the use of English for transaction of business of the State Legislature.’ dpal.kar.nic.in/ 26%20of%201963%20(E).pdf, Karanata Offi cial Language Act 1963, p. 3, accessed 19 June 2019.

3. Albert Valdman, ‘Creole: Th e National Language of Haiti, Indiana University of Bloomington, www.indiana.edu/~creole/creolenatllangofh aiti.html, accessed 19 June 2019.

44 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Financial Highlights 2018

by David J. Broome, Resources Director

Introduction ust as the Lord Jesus tested the faith of His disciples on that memorable even-venn ing in the desert place, by instructing them concerning the multitude to ‘give Jye them to eat’ (Matthew 14.16), so the faith of those involved in the work of the Society in the UK was tried during 2018 by the fi nancial challenges that we faced during the year. Yet the Lord’s thoughts and ways are always higher than ours (cf. Isaiah 55.9) and He saw fi t to provide by diff erent means to what we had expect- ed at the start of the year.

In this annual report, the key points from the Society’s fi nances over 2018 are highlighted and summary fi nancial statements are given at the end. Th e full Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements for 2018, which includes considerable additional informa- tion about the activities and administration of the Society, is available both on our website (www.tbsbibles.org/page/AnnualReport) and in printed form; we would encourage members and supporters of the Society to visit our website or contact our Headquarters to request copies.

Change of approach for 2018: TBS (Brazil) For many years the accounts of TBS (Brazil) had been consolidated into the TBS worldwide accounts, but in 2017 the Society’s incoming auditor Kingston Smith LLP was unconvinced that TBS London had the necessary level of control over TBS (Brazil) to justify consolidation under the terms of the statutory accounting standards; as a result, TBS (Brazil) was not included in the Society’s 2017 Financial Statements. However, TBS (Brazil) subsequently changed its constitution to give the necessary control to TBS London (i.e. a veto over appointments to its Board), and as a result, the Net Assets of TBS (Brazil) at 1 January 2018 of £857,524 were added back into the 2018 Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities. As a result, please note that the 2017 comparisons in this Financial Highlights report have been shown including TBS Brazil (where appropriate), to give a more meaningful like-for-like comparison with 2018, so some fi gures quoted may diff er from the Financial Statements. 45 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 The Result for the year Th e Society’s Total Funds reduced by £140,304 (UK £801,425) during 2018; with gains and losses caused by movements in foreign exchange rates removed, the Net Expenditure for the year was £65,670. However, without the off setting re-consolidation of TBS (Brazil) of £857,524, this would have been a defi cit of £923,194. Th is shortfall was largely the result of planned use by TBS London of Restricted and General Funds given in previous years (£801,425), with the balance being the combined net loss of the fi ve branches (£121,769). However, when the 2018 Budget was set, we planned for legacy and rental income worth around £425,000 more than we received, which would have contributed to 2019 expenditure, but the Lord in His wise providence did not see fi t to give that.

Th e Net Expenditure of £923,194 is broken down by branch in the following graph; the fi gures are presented both excluding and including sales and funding exchanges between London and the branches.

UK Sterling UK HQ Australia Brazil Canada New Zealand USA £200,000 £100,000 £0 -£100,000 -£200,000 -£300,000 £2,308 -£400,000 -£7,257 -£53,608 -£43,274 £104,051 £156,577 £146,899 -£860,046 -£167,322 -£174,207 -£149,084 -£801,425 -£500,000 -£600,000 Excluding inter-branch funding exchanges and sales -£700,000 Including inter-branch funding exchanges and sales -£800,000 -£900,000

Th e key points to take from this are:

• TBS (Australia) and TBS (USA) employed translation consultants who are overseen by and funded from London (hence these branches’ losses reduce or become profi ts when inter-branch funding is added back). • TBS (Canada) sent very signifi cant funding to London for distribution and translation projects (hence their profi t reduces signifi cantly when inter-branch funding is included).

Incoming Resources Th e 2018 worldwide income was £3,871,846, but with the inclusion of the net assets of TBS (Brazil) removed, this reduces to £3,014,322. Th e like-for-like income fi gure

46 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 from 2017 was £3,796,032 (i.e. Brazil included), giving a reduction in comparable income of £781,710. Th is was signifi cantly due to:

• A reduction of £133,341 (56%) in Investment Income to £104,901, the vast majority of which was because the Society was unsuccessful in letting its investment prop- erty (John Wycliff e House) for eleven months of the year. At the time of writing, the sale of this property has just taken place, and a review is commencing on how to invest this money in the future. • A reduction in Sales & Royalty Income of £289,040 (18%) to £1,319,841; TBS (Brazil) saw a reduction of £381,474, whilst three of the fi ve other branches saw increases in Sales Income. Around half of the drop in Brazil was due to a reduction in Sales, with the other half caused by the loss of Royalty Income now that Gideons International are no longer paying the Society for use of our Portuguese Bible text (although they are still being given permission to use the text, giving the Portuguese Gideons Bible readers the most accurate text). • A £402,292 (63%) reduction in income from Legacies down to £233,222, of which £152,861 was received by TBS (Australia). Th e remaining £80,361 was received in the UK and is around £300,000 lower than the long-term annual average, and some £555,153 lower than 2017. Legacy Income would usually be used to support the fol- lowing year’s budget, but this was very limited for 2018.

Legacy Income 2004–2018

£1,400,000

£1,200,000

£1,000,000

£800,000

£600,000

£400,000

£200,000

£0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Th e Society continued to pursue our goal of distributing Holy Scriptures by way of sales in 2018, oft en at heavily discounted prices. Th e total number of items sold worldwide in 2018 was signifi cantly higher than the previous year: 15,519,741 (2017: 7,771,670), of which 14,271,414 (2017: 6,707,233) were under royalty. Of the total, 14,770,188 (2017: 47 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

7,130,116) were Holy Scriptures or Scripture portions and 749,553 (2017: 641,554) were calendars, leafl ets or text cards. Total Sales income in the year was £1,308,207 (2017: £1,405,347); the production cost of these items was £818,508 (2017: £806,103), and there was additional Royalty income of £11,634 (2017: £203,534).

Sales & Royalty Income 2004–2018

£1,800,000

£1,600,000

£1,400,000

£1,200,000

£1,000,000

£800,000

£600,000

£400,000

£200,000

£0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Resources Expended Worldwide operating expenditure in 2018 was £3,789,065, with the comparable 2017 fi gure (i.e. Brazil included) being £3,784,941, a rise of £4,124. Within this tiny cost increase, there are two main areas of variance (i.e. over 5% change) between the two years:

• Expenditure on Education and Promotion rose by around £54,000, the largest com- ponents of which related to publicity of the newly launched Romanian Bible and eff orts in Central and South America in connection with the Society’s Spanish Bible Revision Project. • Scripture granting from the UK fell by around £97,000 (22%) due largely to an ac- counting technicality. Grants worth nearly £90,000 had been committed very late in 2017, but not physically sent until 2018; these had to be taken back into the 2017 accounts. Without this adjustment, Scripture granting would have risen by nearly £83,000 in 2018, caused by increased use of the Legacy for Grants Fund.

During 2018, 864,858 (2017: 2,296,643) Bibles and Scripture portions and 790,945 (2017: 642,175) calendars, leafl ets and text cards were supplied free of charge to

48 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 institutions and individuals including churches, missions, prisons, schools and mis- sionaries. Th e production cost of these items was £340,094 in 2018, compared with £437,504 in 2017.

Cost of Scriptures Granted 2004–2018

£500,000

£400,000

£300,000

£200,000

£100,000

£0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Short/Medium Term Resources Th e Society’s Net Current Assets have increased by £519,679 to £3,419,334 at 31 December 2018, which is almost entirely accounted for by the consolidation of TBS (Brazil). Within this the liquidity situation remains healthy, with immediately available cash balances of £1,233,847 and cash on deposit totalling £551,985, a total of £1,785,832 at the year-end.

Long-Term Resources Th e Society’s UK operation held Fixed Asset Investments of £4,005,281 at 31 December 2018, down from £4,646,020 in 2017. Th is reduction is due to the ma- turity of a fi xed term deposit which was not renewed (£500,000), a reduction in the market value of the Society’s share portfolio held on behalf of the Golden Th oughts Calendar Fund (£240,739), off set by an upward revaluation (£100,000) of the Society’s investment property John Wycliff e House.

As previously reported in these pages, aft er three months of prayerful consideration by the General Committee, it was decided in December 2018 to sell John Wycliff e House. It is with gratitude that we can report completion of the sale in early June 2019. We now seek your prayers for wisdom as to how to invest the sale proceeds in a way that 49 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 maximises the investment return for the benefi t of the work, but which is also consist- ent with the Society’s principles.

Th e freehold properties of the Society (including the International Headquarters in London) are stated at the book cost of £2,759,910 at 31 December 2018 (2017: £2,760,882). Th e increase by the addition of TBS (Brazil) (£54,830) has been more than off set by the depreciation charges for the year and revaluations of non-UK assets because of foreign currency movements. Th e leasehold properties of the Society are stated at the book value of £328,967 (2017: £321,756). Th e Trustees are of the opinion that the open market value is in excess of the book value expressed in local currencies.

Future Financial Plans Whilst it was a very challenging year in the UK, with a defi cit some £425,000 higher than would have been expected in an average year, yet it is remarkable how the Lord provides according to His own sovereign will and purpose but oft en in diff erent ways to what we would expect. Th e prospect of the funds liquidated from the sale of John Wycliff e House allowed the General Committee to avoid making hurried and precipi- tous fi nancial cuts in the 2019 Budget.

However, the Trustees are aware that the Society’s current fi nancial strategy is un- sustainable in the long term. As part of the ongoing Strategic Review of the Society’s operations and fi nances, the Trustees and Senior Management are examining how we can best deliver the priorities within our limited resources and address our de- pendency on legacy income for ongoing expenditure—the need for which has been highlighted more than ever before by the 2018 fi nancial situation.

Conclusion Despite the fi nancial challenges of 2018 the Trustees are very thankful for the contin- ued provision that the Lord has made for the work which has enabled the Society to meet its objectives, particularly the progressing of translation work in many diff erent languages and the distribution of the Scriptures to many countries, as well as main- taining the more routine activities of the Society. We encourage our supporters to be much in prayer for our fi nancial needs as well as all our other practical and spiritual needs.

Th e Society is also deeply thankful to our many supporters who have been constrained to continue supporting us prayerfully, practically and fi nancially (Matthew 6.4, 6). Anonymous donations received for the period of April to June 2019 amounted to £6,069.89.

50 188th188th AnnualAnnual ReportReport for the year ending 31 December 2018 Independent Auditor’s Statement to the Trustees of the Trinitarian Bible Society

We have examined the summary fi nancial statements for the year ended 31 December 2018 set out on pages 52 to 54.

Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees and the Auditor Th e Trustees are responsible for preparing the summary fi nancial statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law and the recommendation of the Charities SORP (2015).

Our responsibility is to report to you our opinion on the consistency of the summary fi nancial statements with the full annual fi nancial statements.

We also read the other information contained in the Annual Report and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summary fi nancial statement. Th e other information comprises only the Financial Highlights on pages 45 to 50.

Basis for Opinion Our examination involved agreeing the balances disclosed in the summary fi nancial statements to the full annual fi nancial statements. Our audit report on the full annual fi nancial statements of Trinitarian Bible Society describes the basis of our audit opin- ion on those fi nancial statements.

Opinion In our opinion the summarised fi nancial statement is consistent with the full annual fi nancial statements of Trinitarian Bible Society for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Kingston Smith LLP Statutory Auditor

19 July 2019

Devonshire House 60 Goswell Road London EC1M 7AD

51 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 Trinitarian Bible Society Consolidated Statement Of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31 December 2018

Permanent Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Funds Funds Fund Total 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 (restated) Income & £ £ £ £ £ endowments from: Donations & legacies 1,207,708 381,872 - 1,589,580 1,935,680 Charitable activities – Publication & distribution of the Scriptures 1,312,329 7,512 - 1,319,841 912,656 Investment income 14,966 89,935 - 104,901 238,242 Other Income - TBS (Brazil) Net Assets 857,524 - - 857,524 -

Total income & endowments 3,392,527 479,319 - 3,871,846 3,086,578 Expenditure on: Raising funds - 9,617 - 9,617 9,894 Charitable activities – Publication & distribution of the Scriptures 2,993,670 785,778 - 3,779,448 3,109,793

Total expenditure 2,993,670 795,395 - 3,789,065 3,119,687

Net gains/(losses) on investments 144,401 - (292,852) (148,451) 85,811

Net income/(expenditure) 543,258 (316,076) (292,852) (65,670) 52,702

Transfers between funds 86,057 (86,057) - - -

Other recognised gains/(losses): Foreign exchange gains/(losses) - fi xed assets 13,540 - - 13,540 (32,804) Foreign exchange gains/(losses) - other (87,423) (751) - (88,174) (38,220)

Net movement in funds 555,432 (402,884) (292,852) (140,304) (18,322)

Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward 6,721,031 1,077,139 2,911,903 10,710,073 10,728,395

Total funds carried forward 7,276,463 674,255 2,619,051 10,569,769 10,710,073

52 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 nancial statements. nancial nancial statements are expressed in sterling. expressed are statements nancial 31 December 2018 the year, but arise because the Society’s fi arise because the Society’s but the year, 857,524 857,524 857,524 For The Year Ended Ended Year The For ect of restating the opening balances of the Branches’ accounts in the fi accounts the Branches’ balances of the opening restating ect of £ £ £ £ £ Bible Society 1,801,719 235,929 1,183,398 249,081 3,871,846 19,083 382,636 1,801,719 235,929 2,517,100 131,878 493,196 98,613 3,789,065 16,775 531,503 t or loss in the Branches’ accounts during during accounts loss in the Branches’ t or : ect a real profi Analysis between Branches Analysis Trinitarian refl do not gures ese fi ese * Th Since exchange rates move during the year, this has the eff the year, during move rates exchange Since Donations & legacies & 971,389 189,593 activities income 4,109 217,986 and endowments Income 2,950 203,553 1,589,580 Donations 1,319,841 179,073 103,893 183 321,765 31,021 15,392 Charitable 726,437 46,153 - 104,901 74 741 Investment 10 funds net assets TBS (Brazil) Other - Income incomeTotal and endowments activities 9,617 Expenditure on: 9,617 - Raising Charitable 2,507,483 131,878 493,196 UK 98,613 16,775 531,503 3,779,448 expenditure Total income/(expenditure) t/(loss)Net operating profi Australia on InvestmentsGain/(Loss) Net Brazil 104,051 690,202 146,899 (860,046) (149,084) 2,308 (65,670) transfers Inter-branch (715,381) Canada Net income/(expenditure) Consolidated (144,665) Zealand New 104,051 on revaluation Gains/(Losses) USA 690,202 gains/(losses)* exchange xed assetsForeign of fi 58,621 2018 TOTAL - in fundsNet movement (801,425) 150,468 52,526 156,577 - 683,317 - 2,308 (801,425) (53,608) (6,885) (6,221) (7,257) 150,305 (148,867) (200,507) (3,569) (43,274) (85,126) 592,444 (65,670) (9,565) 82,781 - (51) (62,212) - (8,603) 105,810 (5,747) (7,670) (413) (217) (11,746) - 12,189 (148,451) (140,304) (88,174) (1) - 19,339 13,540

53 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 Trinitarian Bible Society Consolidated Balance Sheet At 31 December 2018

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Funds Funds Fund Total 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 (restated) £ £ £ £ £ Fixed assets: Tangible assets 3,137,325 - - 3,137,325 3,127,299 Investments 1,809,808 - 2,203,302 4,013,110 4,683,119 4,947,133 - 2,203,302 7,150,435 7,810,418 Current assets: Stocks & work in progress 1,343,480 923 - 1,344,403 1,183,413 Debtors 507,401 14,451 - 521,852 633,592 Investments (< 1 year to maturity) 547,223 - 4,762 551,985 597,970 Cash at bank & in hand 163,979 658,881 410,987 1,233,847 884,257 2,562,083 674,255 415,749 3,652,087 3,299,232 Creditors Amounts falling due within one year 232,753 - - 232,753 399,577 Net current assets 2,329,330 674,255 415,749 3,419,334 2,899,655 Net assets 7,276,463 674,255 2,619,051 10,569,769 10,710,073 Financed by: Total Charity Funds 7,276,463 674,255 2,619,051 10,569,769 10,710,073

Note to the Summary Financial Statements The summary fi nancial statements are only a summary of information included in the Society’s fi nancial statements and Trustees’ report. These summarised fi nancial statements may not contain suffi cient information to allow for a full understanding of the fi nancial aff airs of the Society. For further information, the full accounts, the Auditors’ report on those accounts and the Trustees’ Report should be consulted, copies of which can be obtained from the Society at William Tyndale House, 29 Deer Park Road, London SW19 3NN. The Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements for 2018 were approved by the General Committee on 20 May 2019 and signed on its behalf by G. D. Buss (Chairman) and R. A. Clarke (Treasurer). A copy will be submitted to the Charity Commission. The report of the Auditors on the full accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 was unqualifi ed.

54 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

TThehe WWordord ooff GGodod AAmongmong AAllll NNationsations

Although certain phrases and expressions used in these letters may not be doctrinally accurate or in correct English, we reproduce the letters essentially as received, knowing that the Lord is using His Word to the glory of His Name and the furtherance of His Kingdom as the Scriptures are distributed among the nations of the world.

back to you on that one? If so, what Europe would be the deadline? As regards the Gospels of Matthew we have a stock of literature which should be enough From a distributor in for the moment, thank you. Th ank you Northern Ireland for your prayers, support and practical help over the years which are such a [ed.: Following are letters of appreciation blessing to us. from a customer who buys Scriptures from us for many contacts around the • Th ank you so much for your support world. He buys Bibles, etc., to give away in donating English Bibles for the west freely. A customer who buys for the of Ireland. It is very much appreciated purposes of free distribution gets a 35% and they will be well used for God’s discount. Some of his grantees then dis- glory. May the Lord bless you in this tribute the Scriptures further.] new year of 2019.

• Bonjour from Brittany and we trust • Greetings from Ukraine, Kiev! Russian that this fi nds you well. Th ank you Words of Life Calendars and Russian for the calendars and Gospels of New Testaments are to be used in Matthew which have arrived safely. A Ukraine. I appreciate very much your number of the calendars have already kindness for sending to us Russian been taken by church members to and Ukrainian coloured Scripture give out to friends and contacts. At calendars for 2019 and small Russian the moment, 80 seems to be the right New Testaments! Th is delivery safely number, though depending on how arrived on the last Th ursday at the things develop with the new meetings offi ce in Irpen. Th anks a lot for your in our area of central Brittany, we may such good and blessed help for our be able to make good use of more. We ministry to children in Ukraine! We will have a better idea a few months still have an outreach programme for aft er these meetings begin. Can we get children till the end of this month. 55 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

I am involved with this and use my Testaments for our ministry in violin playing during the programme. Argentina in which you collaborate Th ank you very much again for all ever with the Spanish work. your kindness and help! May the Lord richly bless you! • We are missionary couple from Northern Ireland who work in • Th ank you so much for this kind gift the Rio Branco area of Brazil. of Spanish Gospels for central Spain. We received a donation to assist We have just received it! Yes, they will be very useful indeed. We shall use them with people who show some interest to read God’s Wonderful Word!

• We did receive the Catalan calendars for Barcelona. Great! Th ank you very much. We will gladly distribute them.

Portuguese Bibles for Brazil • Hi from Athens, Greece. I want to tell you that today I received the box with 50 Arabic and 50 Farsi calendars. in providing Scriptures in the Th ank you very much for everything. Portuguese Language sent from We are going to give them at the next the Brazilian TBS Branch. Th ese months to the refugees we serve here Scriptures were given to some of our in Athens contacts who wanted a personal copy of the Portuguese Holy Bible. Other • Th ank you for your wee note and for supporters give donations to assist the Portuguese Calendars/Bibles that this cause as well as myself. have just arrived. We are very thank- ful for these great pieces of literature From Northern Ireland that are so useful for evangelism in Portugal. Many people ask for a Many thanks for the left over calen- Bible especially the older genera- dars. On Saturday I took a lot of the tion who don’t know how to use the Portuguese calendars to Co. Tyrone internet. So thank you very much for where several thousand Portuguese these great means of transmitting speakers live. Th ere was a great reception God’s Word. on the street with about seventy or eighty given out, and also a number of Russian • Th ank you for the Spanish Words and Polish. On my way home I stopped at of Life calendars and Spanish New a Baltic shop and gave out many Russian, 56 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018

Polish, Lithuanian and Romanian overemphasize how much calendars are calendars and had a great time also. I appreciated and sought aft er in Latin want to keep the rest of the Portuguese America. for Brazilians on the streets of Dublin. Many thanks. From children in the USA who have completed the From Greece William Tyndale Quizzes Last Tuesday we received the Bibles you sent. Th ere was great rejoicing. We have already given some to other sister churches. Let us begin with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, that once again you have stood alongside us in the diffi cult struggle for the spread of the Gospel of salvation through grace. Money comes and goes. Material bless- ings are transient. Th e Word of God remains forever. Small churches, local meetings, home Bible studies thank the Lord for your love gift , as we receive it from Him and for His glory. Prisons will open their bars, poor people who cannot aff ord to purchase the message of Truth will rejoice in spirit. You are in my prayers. Along with our thanks in Children express thanks for Bibles Christ, we would crave your prayers that the holy seed might fall on good ground in hearts prepared by the Holy Spirit. Th at it might fi nd rich soil and put down deep roots and bring forth fruit a Australasia hundredfold. From Australia We received the following letter and photos from a grantee in Australia who travels around Queensland The Americas with the Australian Bible Van handing out TBS Bibles and Scripture portions.

From Mexico We are writing to convey our deep ap- I thought you might like to preciation for your generous gift of Royal know of the Spanish Golden Ruby Bibles and other items donated to Th oughts calendars being distributed in the work of spreading the Gospel. Th ese Sinaloa and Tamaulipas, Mexico. I cannot are beautiful Bibles and we will pass them 57 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019 on to needy souls at shows and towns protection. Th e trip one-way took 24 we visit. Th e Royal Ruby Bibles will be hours driving and 10 hours on the Spirit given to our Year 2 Religious Instruction of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne students at the school. Th ey ask each to Devonport. Once in Wynyard the week—have you got our Bibles yet? So Bible Van motor was running rough. now we have! Th ere’ll be great excite- We drove it into the tent and hoped to ment when they receive them aft er the get time to look at it, but a man driv- holidays. We feel it’s a real provision from ing past saw the Bible Van and asked the Lord Himself and we want to say a a number of questions. He then said sincere ‘Th ank you’. that he sold the carburettor parts for it 25 years ago when it was being restored by the present owners. We told him it was not running smoothly and he off ered to come the next day to get it running well, which he did. Truly the hand of the Lord—way down in Tasmania sending the right person, for the right job, at the right time.

We stopped at Shepparton The Bible Van parked at a show Motor Museum and they wanted the Bible Van parked out An update on our recent travels with the front for photos, and we were able the Bible Van: Before leaving home on to leave them with Scripture literature. 9 January this year for a Bible Exhibition We have a colouring sheet of the Bible in Tasmania, every spare moment was Van for children with John 3.16 clearly used to build a cover for our car trailer, printed on it, and the curator from the so that in the event of bad weather along Museum was keen to use these in their the way the Bible Van would have some children’s corner inside the Museum. On our return trip home, we got half The Bible Van in its trailer

58 188th Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2018 an hour from Wellington in NSW and truly love it. Most of them are Burmese- the car alternator started over-charging. speaking people but some of them can Th is was incredible timing for the read English and they know the days of fault to happen, as we know believers the week. Some can speak English and I in Wellington who have a mechanical explained to them the names of the Bible workshop. Just one of their 6 suppli- books and also how to use this calendar ers in the region had the right part. for their spiritual construction by having Th e owner’s wife picked it up, and it regular devotion with God. Th is is a won- was fi tted to our car and we were on derful calendar that can make us nearer our way the next morning. Of all the to God. remote places this could have happened—once again the Lord went before us.

We look forward to further trips to shows and towns (DV) later in the year—we are in prayer about this, and look for opportu- nities as the Lord leads. A local cafe owner who is a professing believer wants us to come with the Van outside his shop on Market days and give away Scripture Golden Thoughts in Myanmar portions and various groups ask us to park outside their establishments for historic purposes—and we’re glad to be able to display the Word of God. Once Africa again, we sincerely thank you for your gift of Bibles and other items to help in the spread of the Gospel in this vast From Kenya land of Australia. Won’t it be an eternal A year ago I received a goodly privilege to share in seeing souls won shipment of 1,316 Flexible for Christ. Bibles which have all been given out as I reported to you aft erward, with a handful remaining for my own personal distribution as opportunity may present itself. Th ey are beautifully produced Asia and so welcome, specially by the youth of our churches. I will attach to this letter a picture of those in the church From Myanmar who received these. Th e church has fi ve Today in my church I distributed dioceses covering most of Kenya, from calendars to my church mem- Kisumu on Lake Victoria in west to bers and some other visitors and they Mombasa on the coast; in existence for 59 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 628 – July to September 2019

Th ey want any more Bibles I can supply them.

From Zambia We are over- whelmed with great joy to receive the gift of Golden Th oughts Calendars, your exten- sion of love to us has given us the real joy and wealth of knowledge. We are done with dis- tribution and people are Bibles in Kenya so hungry for Bibles. Kindly consider praying to send us more Bibles as we half a century, an off shoot originally of are planning for 3 big conferences, one the Anglican Church, conservative in in April, August and December, Bibles theology with the Th irty-Nine Articles books, posters and other items and as part of their Constitution. Th e church articles will be appreciated. Herewith a has its own Bible training centre as its picture of the calendar distribution to eff ort to build up its youth and train the church. leaders and pas- tors. For further Calendar distribution in Zambia studies they send their graduates to the College of the Bible. Th e lead- ers travelled—to secondary schools and universi- ties—to stir them to personal Bible reading and study in an eff ort to revive the whole denomination.

60 Trinitarian Bible Society

International Headquarters International Branches Trinitarian Bible Society William Tyndale House Australian Branch 29 Deer Park Road National Secretary: Mr. A. Brown, B.E. London Trinitarian Bible Society (Australia) SW19 3NN P.O.Box 1381, Grafton NSW 2460, Australia England Tel.: +61 2 6642 8880 Fax: +61 2 6642 8881 email: [email protected] Telephone: (020) 8543 7857 website: www.tbsbibles.org Brazilian Branch email: [email protected] President: The Rev. Dr. T. L. Gilmer Facebook: www.facebook.com/tbsbibles Executive Secretary: Pr. H. R. Gilmer, M.A. Sociedade Bíblica Trinitariana do Brasil Offi ce Hours: Rua Julio de Castilhos, 108/120 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Belenzinho, 03059-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil Registered Charity No.: Tel.: (11) 2693-5663 Fax: (11) 2695-3635 233082 (England) SC038379 (Scotland) email: [email protected] V.A.T. Registration No.: GB 215 9219 67 Canadian Branch Auditors: General Secretary: Mr. A. Stoutjesdyk, B.Ed., M.Ed. Kingston Smith LLP Trinitarian Bible Society (Canada) Devonshire House 9136 Young Road 60 Goswell Road Chilliwack, B.C., V2P 4R4, Canada London EC1M 7AD Tel.: (604) 793-2232 Fax: (604) 793-2262 Solicitors: Toll free: 1-855-793-2232 email: offi [email protected] Bates, Wells & Braithwaite 10 Queen Street Place New Zealand Branch London EC4R 1BE Chairman: Mr. B. de Boer Bankers: Trinitarian Bible Society (New Zealand) Arbuthnot Latham & Co Ltd PO Box 137025 Arbuthnot House Parnell, Auckland 1151, New Zealand 7 Wilson St Tel.: 09 263 5919 London EC2M 2SN email: [email protected]

Account Name: Trinitarian Bible Society USA Branch Sterling Account No.: 71529601 General Secretary: Mr. W. Greendyk, B.A. Sort Code: 30-13-93 Trinitarian Bible Society (USA) Swift ID Code/BIC: ARBUGB2L 927 Alpine Commerce Park, Suite 100, Euro Account No.: 31529601 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544, USA IBAN for Euro Account: Tel.: (616) 735-3695 Fax: (616) 785-7237 GB35 ARBU 3013 9331 5296 01 email: [email protected] The Aims of the Society

To publish and distribute the Holy Scriptures throughout the world in many languages. To promote Bible translations which are accurate and trustworthy, conforming to the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus Spanish New Testament of the New Testament, upon which texts distribution in Bolivia the English Authorised Version is based. To be instrumental in bringing light and life, through the Gospel of Christ, to those who are lost in sin and in the darkness of false religion and unbelief. To uphold the doctrines of reformed Christianity, bearing witness to the equal and eternal deity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, One God in three Persons. To uphold the Bible as the inspired, iner- rant Word of God. For the Glory of God and the Increase of His Kingdom through the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God. For introductory literature and catalogue please contact the Society.

QR628/AR188 Trinitarian Bible Society William Tyndale House ISSN 0049-4712 29 Deer Park Road London SW19 3NN, England email: [email protected] www.tbsbibles.org 9 770049 471000