BIBLICA
Biblica, the International Bible Society, is a worldwide ministry that has been helping people engage with God’s Word for over 200 years. We are committed to bringing the Bible to people in a way they understand, so they can be transformed by Christ and inspired to join His mission for the world.
History
Biblica is a global Bible ministry, releasing the world’s most widely read Scriptures for maximum Gospel impact. Now in its third century of mission, Biblica continues to produce relevant and reliable Scripture translations and innovative resources that power the Bible ministry of hundreds of global mission organizations and invite millions to discover the love of Jesus Christ.
Biblica has a rich and amazing history. In 1809, a group of Christians gathered in New York’s Lower Manhattan neighborhood to discuss the city’s spiritual needs. Among them was Henry Rutgers (Rutgers University). Together, they formed the New York Bible Society (NYBS). The NYBS began by sharing God’s Word with the residents of the city as well as immigrants, sailors and soldiers as they passed through New York. In 1810, the Society funded its first translation: William Carey’s Bengali Bible translation in India. Two years later, the NYBS began its ministry to the military, and in 1815 they began ministry to prison inmates. Both of these ministries have continued to the present day. When Ellis Island opened in 1892, the Society continued providing Bibles to the flood of immigrants entering the country.
Members of NYBS went door to door throughout New York City to make sure everyone had the opportunity to hear about Christ and have a copy of the Bible in their language. Over the course of the next two centuries, the NYBS began placing Bibles in hotel rooms, providing Bibles for hospital patients, and providing braille Bibles for the blind.
During the 1950s, the Society became the publishing sponsor of the New International Version of the Bible. When it was completed in 1973, the NIV quickly became the best-selling contemporary English translation of all time. In 1988, the NYBS changed its name to the International Bible Society to better reflect its new and widening scope of ministry. In the last quarter of the 20th century, the International Bible Society translated God’s Word into dozens of the world’s most-spoken languages.
In 2009, the International Bible Society changed its name to Biblica. Today, Biblica partners with like-minded organizations to minister God’s Word in 55 countries. Biblica’s global ministry continues to include Bible translation, access, and engagement programs, and the key strategies are Gateway Translation, Frontline Church, and Rising Generations.