NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Chairman of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) announced the immediate availability of the first-ever English edition of the New Testament and Psalms for Orthodox Christians serving in the Armed Forces. This edition is a joint effort between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the American Bible Society, and SCOBA.
“It is my heartfelt prayer that these sacred words of Scripture, icons, and the accompanying daily prayers will serve as a source of strength and encouragement for our dedicated service men and women in the Armed Forces”, the Archbishop remarked. “Wherever the tour of duty calls them, may this pocket edition of the New Testament be a constant reminder of the fervent intercessions that are offered to God by those whom they protect, for their health, safety and well-being.”
The Orthodox Military New Testament and Psalms features a camouflage cover and conforms to military specifications so that it can easily be carried in a uniform or backpack. Unique to this edition are the Orthodox Christian morning and evening prayers; mealtime prayers; an article on living an Orthodox Christian life while serving in the military; full color icons of military-specific saints; a daily Bible reading guide; a prayer list to remember the names of those living and deceased; maps and many other useful aids.
“The American Bible Society is proud to have been part of this pivotal publication of the New Testament and Psalms that will provide the sacred words of the Scriptures to Orthodox Christians serving in the Armed Forces”, said Dr. Lamar Vest, President of the American Bible Society. “We deeply value and treasure the strong bonds of genuine friendship that have developed into shared ministry over the past several years among the American Bible Society, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Orthodox Christian Church.”
The Orthodox Military Edition was formally presented to the American Bible Society’s Board of Trustees on Friday May 15th by Fr. Mark Arey, General Secretary of SCOBA; Fr. William Bartz, a Captain in the United States Navy and the senior-ranking Orthodox Christian Chaplain in the Armed Forces; Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, a Captain and the senior ranking OCA Chaplain in the United States Navy and a Marine veteran of Desert Storm; and Mr. Theo Nicolakis, who serves as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s representative to the American Bible Society.
“This 10oz Bible is worth over ten tons of protection” remarked Fr. Bartz during his presentation to the Board of Trustees. Likewise, Fr. Cwiklinski stated, “The publication of this Military New Testament is perhaps the most significant event for Orthodox Christians in the military since they were permitted to carry the "Orthodox" designation on their dog-tags.”
The Military Edition of the New Testament and Psalms is being formally launched in Greek Orthodox parishes in the United States starting May 31 and will be given to service men and women in active duty. Anyone wishing to acquire a copy of the New Testament & Psalms for Orthodox Christians: Military Edition may do so online at either: http://www.goarch.org or http://www.scoba.us/military.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the largest Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the First Throne of the Orthodox Christian Church. Founded in 1922, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the national headquarters that serves the ministerial, philanthropic, and educational needs of its 1.5 million members in the United States .
Founded in 1816 and headquartered in the City of New York , the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message.
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