The Bible has played a significant role in African-American religious experience. It has been a foundation for devotion and spirituality and, for many, a primary source for literacy skills. American Bible Society has worked actively to share the Word of God with African Americans since its founding in 1816. At the turn of the twentieth century, in particular, ABS formed a new Scripture distribution structure that helped African Americans provide Scriptures to their communities.

With the launch of its “Agency Among the Colored People of the South,” American Bible Society helped put God’s Word in the hands of African-American colporteurs — home missionaries in the South. Its standard door-to-door method of distribution was enriched by the cooperation of the black churches and played a significant role in furnishing Scriptures to urban blacks. Colporteurs also engaged in furnishing the Bible to those “huddled on street corners, in saloon highways, and in rail stations.” The head of the Agency for almost thirty years, Rev. Dr. John Percy Wragg, pledged his total dedication to the Bible cause. Over the years the Agency expanded and was renamed the Haven Memorial Agency Among the Colored People of the United States. It provided spiritual refuge to the suffering communities, families, servicemen and youth.

In the late 1950s the Agency was disbanded as American Bible Society confronted its own part in the fight for human rights and chose to eliminate any aspect of its operation that bore “any semblance to segregation.” (Read more about the Agency here.)

Since that point, American Bible Society has maintained its commitment to build strong relationship with America’s heritage groups through programs for inner cities, including the Urban Word, that involved partners from African American communities joining in carrying out the mission of sharing the Good News. One highlight of that cooperation was the publication of an African-American Jubilee Edition of the Bible.