CAMDEN, S.C. — In the heart of downtown Camden, you can hear the echoes of people with a deep calling to share their faith by publicly reading the Holy Bible.
“We’re reading from Genesis 1 to the end of Revelations,” Pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church Steven Lee said.
Lee and his wife, Diane Lee, are leading the endeavor and anticipate that the public reading will take around 10 days.
“A lot of times it’s easy to stumble over and slow down and reading lists of names,” Diane Lee said.
With unwavering determination, they've set a schedule to read for ten hours a day, except on Sundays, when they will dedicate four hours to this faith-based task. They say their inspiration stems from a biblical directive found in 1 Timothy 4:13-16.
“Until I come, give attention to reading, public reading to exhortation to doctrine, ” Diane Lee said as she as she read the scripture.
The Lees firmly believe that hearing the words of scripture is a transformative experience.
“The Bible reads us when we read it," Diane Lee said. "We want people to realize we honor God by reading his word, and we honor the word of God, so it gives life. The Word of God is living. It is alive. It's active and sharper than any two-edged sword.”
If the Lees stay on pace, they plan to finish their public Bible reading by October 15. They will be reading weekdays and Saturday from 8 am-6 pm and Sunday from 2 pm-6 pm on the City Green.