In Argentina, as in many Latin American countries, September is a month to celebrate the Bible. Churches coordinate lectures, workshops and conferences for youth, according to a news release from the World Council of Churches (WCC).
“Spending a month each year focusing on the Bible helps us to affirm the Word as an essential nutrient to our faith and our commitment to life and justice,” said Pastor Gerardo Oberman, from the Reformed Churches of Argentina associated with the Evangelical Church of the River Plate (IERP), the WCC reported.
“The overall experience has different local nuances, but we are also motivated by the spirit of the Reformation in which one of the main slogans was the Sola Scriptura — that is, [salvation by] Scripture alone,” said Oberman.
September activities help believers “remember the centrality of the word of God” and highlights the work of Bible societies, said Bishop Nully Frank Brown of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina.
The Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of Argentina is inviting their members to fast and pray for 40 days, seeing the time as an opportunity to reflect on the Bible and the difference it can make in the life of the country as well.
In September, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates Saint Jerome, who translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. It was also during this month, in the 16th century, that the first Spanish translation of the Bible, la Biblia del Oso, appeared.
The Geneva-based WCC is an ecumenical fellowship that brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in more than 110 countries. It works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church.