By Lisa York-Cox The book which has been the inspiration for many during the last Millennium is being used to inspire people into the next.

The Bermuda Bible Society, located on Par-La-Ville Road in Hamilton, in affiliation with the Canadian Bible Society, formed a partnership with people from many denominations across the Island to give public readings of the Bible.

"The Canadian Bible Society is an organisation whose sole purpose is to translate, publish and distribute the scriptures in the languages of the world without doctrinal note or comment,'' according to the organisation's literature.

"This is part of the Millennium Celebration,'' added Bermuda Bible Society president, David Long.

Mr. Long, who also pastors at First Baptist Church in Devonshire, said: "The event, which started on December 27 and finished yesterday, covered selections of the Bible from both the Old and New Testaments.'' The readings, held on the steps of City Hall, lasted for two hours each day between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and covered about 25 chapters per day.

"Father Frank Reitzel, of St. Patrick's Church and vice president of the Society, is the coordinator of the project,'' Mr. Long said.

"We have some 88 people involved who read from sections of the Bible at 12-to-15-minute intervals every day,'' added Fr. Reitzel.

"Though some of the people have not been able to fulfil their obligation, we have had a good amount of people to give readings.

"There are some ministers but there are a lot more general church people doing the readings.

"Our goal is for public reading of the Bible to remind us as we come into the new Millennium that we have a word that is powerful.'' "We have quite a mix of denominations in this. We have had Baptists, Catholics, Anglicans, Brethren, Seventh Day Adventists, people from the New Testament Church of God, the Pentecostals, and people from the African Methodist Episcopal Church -- that just about covers all of us.

"We have received a very good response from those who stopped to listen,'' said Mr. Long. "People we have met in church have also seemed pleased with our readings.

"No one has given a negative comment though. We were prepared for whatever response would come. It is an inspiration for the new Millennium.'' The Rev. Malcolm Eve, presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, said: " It is a good idea that the word of God could be read in a public place. That is why I wanted to participate in this. It will be good for the community and the Island.'' A spokesperson for the Bermuda Bible Society said a young man, after listening to the readings, gave his life to the Lord that day.

"We were reading from the Old Testament to end out the year, and reading from the New Testament to bring in the new year,'' she added. "We felt it was a symbolic way to do this.''