Zondervan Plans Massive Tour for NIV Bible
by Daisy Maryles, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 10/8/2008
In may be the largest tour for a new title—a 90-city, 44-state tour called Bible Across America. That is Zondervan's plan to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the New International Version Bible. A team of four is driving a 42-foot luxury motor home, more than 15,000-miles, criss-crossing the U.S. over the next five months. The tour will make scheduled stops at events, churches, universities, retail stores, American landmarks and other venues.
Bible Across America began September 30, starting at Zondervan headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mich. Stops range from a NASCAR race in Charlotte, N.C. to a young church leaders conference in Atlanta to the National Pastor's Convention in San Diego, as well as signing events in New York City and for legislators at the Capitol in Washington D.C. (Tour stops and real-time blog updates can be found at www.BibleAcrossAmerica.com).
This nationwide tour is also engaging more than 31,000 Americans to hand write the NIV Bible. Writers of America's NIV will pen a single verse on actual thin-stock Bible paper. Each verse and each page will be published together and Zondervan plans to create two original editions—one will be offered to the Smithsonian Institution and the second will be auctioned off to benefit the International Bible Society in support of its Bible translation and distribution efforts around the world.
Moe Girkins, president and CEO of Zondervan noted: "We couldn't think of a better way to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the NIV Bible than by inviting Americans to join us on this monumental tour and open more hearts to the Word of God."
When the NIV Bible was first published in 1978, its first printing was 1.2 million copies. To date, it claims more than 300 million copies in print worldwide. The NIV was commissioned by the International Bible Society, which owns the copyright and is a long time partner of Zondervan, and was translated by a team of more than 100 scholars.
