BRIEF HISTORY
Although the Bible Society in Macedonia was founded in 1994, its origins date back much earlier. In 1918, shortly after the First World War, the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) opened a representative office in Belgrade. Over the decades that followed, it coordinated activities with all Bible societies in the countries that later became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In 1955, a representative of the Bible Society from Belgrade approached Gjorgji Miloshev (later Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, Gavril) to finalize details regarding the translation of the New Testament, which had already begun in 1949. The first translation of the New Testament into Macedonian was published in 1967, while a revised edition was released in 1975. The complete edition of the Holy Scriptures in Macedonian, however, was published in 1990. Several years later, with the assistance of the United Bible Societies (UBS), the founding assembly of the Bible Society in the Republic of Macedonia was held on 29th October 1993. In 2019, it was renamed into Macedonian Bible Society.
The Bible Society officially commenced its operations on 1st May 1994 and Petko Zlateski, a professor at the Orthodox Faculty of Theology "Saint Clement of Ohrid" in Skopje was appointed as the General Secretary. In June 2020, Prof. Dr. Gjoko Gjorgjevski was elected as the new General Secretary.
The translation, printing, and distribution of the Bible are at the core of the activities of the Macedonian Bible Society. Its main task is to make the Holy Scriptures available to the Macedonian people in an understandable – Macedonian language and, at the same time, to help people comprehend the importance of the biblical message in their lives.
OUR ACTIVITIES
The translation of the Holy Scriptures
The main and fundamental activity of the Macedonian Bible Society is to make the Bible available to readers in a language that is accessible and easy to understand. Therefore, with each (re)edition, the Bible Society works in direct collaboration with theologians and linguists to translate it into contemporary Macedonian.
Printing the Holy Scriptures
The Macedonian Bible Society is involved in printing the Holy Scriptures, as well as translating and publishing other books (for children and adults) with biblical themes.
Distributing the Holy Scriptures
The key initiative of the Macedonian Bible Society is to present and make the Holy Scriptures accessible to every reader, both in printed and electronic form.
Collaboration with Local Churches
One of the notable characteristics of the Macedonian Bible Society is its professional collaboration and mutual communication with representatives from all local churches within the country and beyond.
WHAT OUR PARTNERS SAY ABOUT US?
"…To all those who have contributed, and continue to contribute today through the Macedonian Bible Society; to all who recognize the Holy Bible as essential reading, I extend my wish that they persevere in this sacred duty and endeavor. Therefore, the Bible, as a Letter sent from God to humanity, is indispensable for all generations, young and old, to understand, to read, and to live by. I hope that this Book – crafted over fourteen centuries: from thirteen centuries before Christ, through to the end of the first century after Christ – will continue to be revered as the preeminent Book for us Macedonians, as well as for the Macedonian Orthodox Church and all who honor this divine Word."
“The representatives of the Macedonian Bible Society have a passion for God’s Word. We are grateful for their work as we strive to connect people with Jesus through His Word.”
"The meeting with representatives from the Bible Society, during one of our youth Bible gatherings at the Methodist Church in Skopje, was exceptionally pleasant and positive. Their commitment to supporting and encouraging young people to read the Bible and Christian literature was particularly inspirational. Their accessibility and openness to meetings with the youth left a deep impression and evoked profound gratitude."
"As a devoted priest in the MOC–AO, I wish to express deep gratitude to the Macedonian Bible Society for their diligent preservation and ongoing improves of the biblical text (both Old and New Testaments); for promoting the Holy Scriptures among all generations and supporting the Church's numerous projects by distributing copies of their publications."
CONTACT US!
If you have any questions or would like to support our mission, please contact us.