Audio Bible Technology Growing in Popularity, Necessity

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Although the Bible is the best-selling book of all-time, a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows that 55% of Americans can't name the four Gospels of the New Testament.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090210/DC68397LOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090210/DC68397LOGO)    

The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey recently polled roughly 3,400 people on a series of wide-ranging historical, literary, political and religious questions.  The survey revealed that only 36% of Americans read the Bible on a weekly basis, outside of religious services.

"Bible access in America isn't the problem," said Troy Carl, national director of Faith Comes By Hearing, the world's foremost Audio Bible ministry.  "Engaging in the Bible is the problem.  We all have the same amount of time in a day—24 hours."

For more than three decades, Faith Comes By Hearing has developed and discipled people around the world with the Word of God in audio.  Recently, the ministry released a series of free mobile phone apps, called Bible.is, which allow people to read, listen to, and share the Bible on their iPhone, Android, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Carl said that Bible engagement through on-the-go devices is very popular.  Since their Bible.is launch, Faith Comes By Hearing reports more than 5 million Bible touches—averaging more than 37 minutes of listening time per user.

The Bible.is apps offer six different Bible engagement programs.  For example, the Bible Survey program is a 61-day overview, consisting of key stories from the Old and New Testaments.  The You've Got The Time program allows listeners to complete the New Testament in 40 days by listening just 28 minutes a day.  

"Listening to the Bible makes Scripture come alive, easy to understand and memorable," said Carl.  "This survey shows that those who engage the Bible once a week know their Bible better.  Other research points out how people who interact with the Word of God on a regular basis live differently."

Faith Comes By Hearing's free mobile Bible apps are available at www.Bible.is.  Carl added that U.S. cell phone users can receive a daily text message containing a chapter of the Audio Bible by texting "YES" to BIBLE (24253).  

The ministry's goal is to record Audio Bibles in 2,000 languages and begin 2 million Bible listening groups by 2016, reaching the majority of the world's population.

Contact:  Jon D. Wilke, Faith Comes By Hearing, 505-881-3321, [email protected]

SOURCE Faith Comes By Hearing