Diamond Jubilee New Testaments fly off the shelves

A specially produced Diamond Jubilee New Testament has become a runaway success.

More than 400,000 copies have flown off the shelves since going on sale at the start of April.

The special editions were produced by the Church of England, HOPE and Biblica as a souvenir to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

They were created for churches to give away for free at schools, street parties and Diamond Jubilee events.

Dr Rachel Jordan, National Mission and Evangelism Adviser, Archbishops’ Council, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response from local churches with a heart to give the New Testament away to those in their local communities.

"Many homes that don’t have a copy of the key Christian stories about Jesus Christ will now be given this wonderful gift so they can read and think about the Christian faith for themselves.”

Orders have come in from churches of all denominations and even from outside the UK, with sales reaching double what was expected.

The special editions had been published on a limited run, but due to the huge demand, the deadline for ordering has now been extended to noon on 14 May.

The New Testaments feature eight pages of images from the Coronation and the Queen's life, linking her 60-year reign and her Christian faith. There is a suggested reading section with Bible references on various topics and a clear guide to help readers understand the significance of Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection.

The text is the British New International Version 2011, which has been ‘donated’ by Biblica.

Mark Finnie, Church and Bible Engagement Director, Biblica, said: “Our passion is to distribute Bibles and New Testaments in creative and culturally engaging ways.

"We are delighted to be working with HOPE and the Archbishops’ Council to provide churches, schools and organisations with the Diamond Jubilee New Testament, in what is possibly the largest single distribution of scriptures within our country in living memory.”

Roy Crowne, Executive Director of the national mission movement HOPE, said: “We are thrilled with the response so far. We are making this souvenir New Testament available at cost price - so that churches can give them away as a lasting reminder of the Queen’s 60 years of faithful service to the country and Commonwealth.

"We hope that many more churches will use this opportunity to give this special gift to people in their communities as they celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.”


Copies can be ordered via email from lynn.robinson@biblica.com or by calling 028 9073 5875