 From
the very outset of his ministry, Bro. Dr. Mathews Vergis was
burdened with the vision of reaching the common man with the
gospel in his own contemporary language. He was saddened,
by the limitations and antiquity of the existing Malayalam
translation of the Bible which was over 100 years old. No
real efforts were made to update the translation even though
the Malayalam language had made tremendous progress and development
over the course of the past century. Furthermore, the literacy
rate of the Malayalam speaking state reached a staggering
100%, which was the highest in India and one of the highest
in the world. This made a new contemporary translation a need
of the times. So Bro. Mathews Vergis besought the Lord to
grant him the gifts and graces to make a new contemporary
translation, and after a strenuous single handed struggle
of over 14 years, filled with numerous fasts including three
40 day fasts, Brother published a new version of the Holy
Bible in Malayalam, the Vishudha Sathyavedapusthakam (VSV)
on 22nd December 2000 with 24 new features - the first Bible
of its kind in any Indian language.
An interactive CD of the above Bible by Bro. Dr. Mathews
Vergis was also produced and this is the first of its kind
in any Asian language. |
Bro.
Dr. Mathews Vergis wanted to introduce a daily Bible reading
plan for the members of Inter Denominational Childrens Christian
Fellowship (IDCCF) which he had founded so that daily Bible
reading and study would be a part of their lives. He placed
his plan before his Master and was immediately guided by the
Holy Spirit to start a plan not only for the children but also
for the adults. Brother's Bible Lover's League was inaugurated
on 12th May 1995 with the objective of reading, sharing and
striving to spread of the Word of God. In this ministry what
matters is, 
Birthday
Bible Donors is a Bible ministry founded by Bro. Mathews Vergis
on 10th September 2000. The members of this ministry dedicate
themselves to gift at least one Bible or Bible portions to others
on their birthdays. The members are informed prior to their
birthdays of the number of Bibles available for distribution
by virtue of their membership, (Diamond, Gold, and Silver).
The Bibles are then dispatched according to their directions.
Thousands of Bibles are given away every year to prisons, hospitals,
and the poor by the members on their birthdays.
In
a country where Christians form only 2% of the entire population,
there is a great need for free distribution of Bibles, in order
to spread the gospel. With this great vision, Bible Gift Mission
was founded by IDCF Kuwait unit under the leadership of Bro.
K. C. Varghese in 2002. With the cost of Bible being as little
as $2.00, the Bible Gift Mission accepts the smallest amount
that would provide for the distribution of even a single Bible.
Thousands of Bibles continue to be distributed, as members of
other foreign units too have started chapters of the Bible Gift
Mission in their cities.
