According to research undertaken by The Bible Society in New Zealand, 68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible, and yet only 23% of Bible owners pick it up and have a read at least once a month.  

The research shows that 7% of Bible owners read it daily while 9% read it weekly.  The survey also revealed that 46% of New Zealanders describe themselves as Christian.  Among Christians, only 11% read the Bible daily and 13% read it weekly.

Results also showed that the Bible’s influence on peoples’ lives is low.  47% of Christians said that the Bible does influence their life, while 39% said it only sometimes influenced their life.   60% of Christians rarely or never discuss the Bible’s teachings with others.  In fact, only 26% of Christians regularly discuss the Bible’s teachings with others (weekly or more frequently).

This research confirms the growing Bible engagement crisis happening in New Zealand and many other western nations.  Despite the ready availability of Bibles in many different English versions, most New Zealand Christians do not see engaging with God through Bible reading as a priority.

“This is a serious crisis within the New Zealand church.  If Christians continue to move away from engaging with the Bible, what will the future of the church in this country look like?” Bible Society CEO Mark Brown says.

As part of a strategy to actively address this crisis, Bible Society has recently appointed Stephen Opie to the role of Bible Engagement Advocate.  His task is to explore creative ways to help the post-modern generation turn back to their Bibles.

To download the full research report, click here.

Image: Just some of the large range of English Bibles available through Bible Society.

For more information, contact:

Stephen Opie
Bible Engagement Advocate
04 384 4119 ext 9837