Southern Baptists to Distribute Bibles at Huge Memorial Day Event
Holman Bible Outreach International will distribute thousands of military Bibles at the largest Memorial Day Weekend event in the Atlanta area, which expects to draw around 100,000 people.
The event – sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources, United States Air Force, Task Force Patriot USA, General Motors and others – will take place May 26-28 at the popular Atlanta theme park Stone Mountain Park to honor active duty and veteran U.S. troops and their families.
During the weekend, Holman Bible Outreach International (HBOI) plans to introduce its new paperback Holman CSB Military Bible and give away 3,000 copies of it to veterans and others during the weekend celebration.
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HBOI is a division of LifeWay Christian Resources and functions as a Bible society to facilitate the distribution of the Holman Christian Standard Bible and to provide affordable Bibles and scripture portions for the purpose of evangelism and ministry.
LifeWay is a ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention and is one of the world's largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings.
Among the featured speakers will be former Southern Baptist Convention president Dr. Bobby Welch, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and author of You, The Warrior Leader.
"We are honored to be part of this great event and to provide the men and women who serve our nation with a Bible that is accurate and easy to understand," said Phil Burgess, executive director of HBOI, in a statement. "The Holman CSB Military Bible is designed to meet the specific needs of military personnel and was created a format that is easy to carry."
Each day, Task Force Patriot Salute to the Troops, which is also an official U.S. Air Force 60th anniversary event, will include activities such as spectacular flyovers by the U.S. Air Force, military bands, musicians, singers and military and civilian motivational speakers.
Then in the evening, attendees will watch the 2 ½ hour The Call to Freedom show, which combines live music, fireworks and flyovers with the park's traditional laser show.
Country music favorite Aaron Tippin is scheduled to perform on Sunday evening. Tippin was the first singer to go to Saudi Arabia to entertain the troops during the Gulf War in 1990, and he also went to Afghanistan in 2002. Since 2003, he has made annual visits to American forces in Iraq and has become the spokesperson for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
There will also be a special presentation by founders of Wreathes Across America, an exhibit of vintage racing cars and a number of Air Force demonstrations including aircraft, gyroscope rides, bomb disposal robots and a medical corps mobile museum.
"We are pleased to honor those who have served and currently serve our nation through this historic Memorial Day Weekend celebration," said Jim Freeman, retired Major, U.S Army, and founder/CEO of Atlanta-based Task Force Patriot USA, a non-profit organization that exists to help U.S. military veterans and their families in times of physical, spiritual and emotional need.
"This is an opportunity to tangibly demonstrate our appreciation and support for those who have sacrificed so much on our behalf," he added, in a statement.
