The General Assembly of the World Communion of Biblical Societies (UBS)

Egmond Aan Zee, North Holland, 12-18 October 2023 

About 400 delegates from 160 Bible institutes around the world travelled to Egmond aan Zee, a small seaside town in the province of North Holland, for the World Assembly of the United Bible Societies(UBS) to be held from 12-18 October 2023. The hosts of this meeting, the Bible Societies of the Netherlands and Belgium, organised the whole meeting very efficiently. Participants were picked up from Schippol Airport, or the train station in Amsterdam, or from the various pick-up points for participants that had been informed to the organisers, and transported to the meeting venue, the Hotel Zuiderduin. Likewise, after the meeting is over, the participants are transferred back from the hotel to the airport or to their next destination around Amsterdam.

(John 14:27) All participants supported in prayer the representatives of Bible institutes who were unable to attend due to conflicts in their region, such as those in the Middle East.

The meeting began with opening activities where worship was an integral part of the event. Each day's activities begin with morning prayer using various Christian denominational traditions, in keeping with the interconfessional, or oikoumenical, character of UBS.

The development of spirituality in this meeting is knitted with topics that are the struggles of biblical institutions as well as things happening in the world that require the attention of biblical institutions in their work and ministry, for example: Bible Translation, Diaspora Communities, Creation Care, Bible Engagement, Mission Resilience and Distribution, Good Governance. These topics were further discussed in various workshops that resulted in a determination to develop co-operation among Bible institutes, which is a concrete manifestation of UBS's commitment as a fellowship of work and witness in the world, so that the Word of God reaches all.

Discussion of these points began with a session on Global Perspectives, in which the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches, Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, provided an overview of the challenges and opportunities for the church's witness in the midst of the critical issues facing the world.

Representing the Indonesian Bible Institute in this global meeting were Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat Lebang as Chairperson, and Dr Sigit Triyono as LAI General Secretary. In the plenary discussion, based on the experience of ministry in Indonesia, we encouraged Bible institutes to pay attention to pluralistic communities in their programmes, and to use opportunities to discuss together the problems of society from the perspective of the Scriptures of various religions.

Thus the message of salvation for the world, which the Bible testifies to, can be shared in a spirit of open and respectful dialogue.

Several matters concerning the common life of the worldwide fellowship of biblical institutions that required decision-making were discussed at the Members' General Meeting, which lasted only one hour. The follow-up to this meeting was considered very important. How to make the theme of this meeting alive in the sense of being realised in the ministry of Bible institutes in the future, was discussed in regional groups, for example Asia Pacific.

Regional co-operation was a topic of discussion, how Bible institutes in the Asia Pacific region can co-operate and support each other in ministry.

The Revd Henriette Hutabarat Lebang

LAI General Chairperson