If you purchase Bibles for your church – for classrooms, as gifts, or for use in Bible Drill – and are accustomed to buying NIV Bibles, you must now consider whether you agree with the 2011 NIV translation before purchasing new Bibles. At issue is the “gender-inclusive” translation of words dealing with people (man, brother, he, him, father, son).

Because of concerns that this new translation changes the meaning of some verses and “goes beyond acceptable translation standards,” the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution at their national annual meeting stating that they “cannot commend the 2011 NIV to Southern Baptists or the larger Christian community.”

Leaders who have been using the NIV in their children’s ministries but disagree with the new NIV may decide to choose a different translation when purchasing new Bibles.

Here in South Carolina, the state convention has decided not to use NIV translations in our State Bible Drills after 2012. A letter explaining the transition, as well as an information sheet about which Bibles will be used in drills, has been sent to Bible Drill leaders.

To read a Baptist Press article providing more detail on the changes in the new NIV translation, including examples of specific verses, click here.