Rare Bible Collection Reconnects Handwritten Bible Contributors

A handwritten World Changers Bible created by young people at a South Pacific Division (SPD) youth congress 13 years ago became an unexpected point of reconnection for some attendees at the recent South Pacific for Christ launch in Brisbane, Australia.

Displayed as part of the traveling Legacy of Faith exhibition during the event at Watson Park Convention Centre from April 28 to May 2, the Bible made a return visit to the site where it was collectively handwritten by 1,700 delegates during the 2013 World Changers Youth Congress. 

Among those revisiting the Bible during the launch of South Pacific for Christ was Lorraine Suti, from New Britain New Ireland Mission in Papua New Guinea, who contributed a handwritten page from the book of Psalms.

“As one of the people who contributed to writing this Bible, I feel impressed,” Suti said. “When I came back after some years and saw the Bible is still here, it was very interesting and enjoyable.”

While viewing the Bible, Suti excitedly flicked through the pages, recognizing the names and handwriting of friends and fellow contributors. “I feel satisfied and blessed as well, knowing that some of these people are still in ministry as well. We thank God for being part of this team. He uses us, and we’re still in this ministry today,” she added.

SPD Institute of Discipleship director Nick Kross, who spearheaded the World Changers Bible project while serving as the division’s Youth director, explained that the handwritten Bible was created as part of the initiative’s launch.

“The World Changers Bible project was to put a Bible in the hands of every young person in the Adventist Church. The congress was themed the World Changers Youth Congress because we were launching the Bibles at that congress. We had 1,700 delegates here for the week, so we thought, ‘Why don’t we actually write a Bible in a day?’” Kross said.

Organizers commissioned a bookbinder from the Gold Coast to create the Bible cover and printed individual pages for each chapter of the Bible.

“On Sabbath afternoon, we all gathered down in the dining room at the time, which was the youth tent, and 1,700 people sat down and each wrote chapters of the Bible,” he said. “It only took about an hour and a half and we actually wrote an entire Bible.”

The World Changers Bibles include discipleship and Bible study resources and were launched in more than 70 locations across the South Pacific. In 2022 the project went global after the General Conference signed a memorandum of understanding to take on the rights.

Now part of the Legacy of Faith exhibition’s collection of rare and historic Bibles, the handwritten World Changers Bible sits alongside centuries-old copies of Scripture.

“How much value can you put on God’s Word?” Kross said. “People died to give us the Bible. People such as Martin Luther were hunted down when they were translating the Bible. Today we can go and buy a Bible in a bookshop for [a few dollars], but back in those days, Bibles were handwritten. They were very valuable items. I’m just very happy and honored to know that the World Changers handwritten Bible has now become part of this collection of Bibles.”

The Legacy of Faith exhibition by Adventist Heritage continues to travel to churches, schools, camps and events across the South Pacific Division..

The original version of this story was posted on Adventist Record.