Contact: Mr. Whitney T. Kuniholm, President, Scripture Union USA, 610-935-2807 ext 403, Whitneyk@ScriptureUnion.org

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Oct. 1, 2010, over 200 people gathered to give thanks to God and celebrate Scripture Union's 50 years of ministry in the US. Highlights of the evening included honoring the former mayor of Philadelphia, The Honorable Dr. W. Wilson Goode, greetings from international evangelist Luis Palau and an address by the Chair of the Scripture Union International Council.

Palau Commends Scripture Union
Luis Palau sent the gathering a pre-recorded video greeting and congratulations. Mr. Palau told how he had come to faith through SU as a child in Argentina and how he highly valued SU to this day. "I can't say enough good about the work of Scripture Union. It made me realize the importance of the Word of God. After all these years the impact of Scripture Union is still with me. I commend Scripture Union; it is Bible centered and worthy of prayer, support and the greatest possible expansion around the world," Mr. Palau said.

Former Mayor, Seminary President Honored
Each year, the Board of Scripture Union presents the Lamp Award to a person or persons "for faithful and sacrificial effort to advance the cause of Bible engagement" and the ministry of Scripture Union. This year the award was presented jointly to the former mayor of Philadelphia, The Honorable Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr. and to Dr. Peter A. Lillback, President of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Dr. Goode and Dr. Lillback were honored for their roles in co-chairing the 2009 National Bible City campaign in greater Philadelphia and for similar efforts to promote Bible engagement throughout the area.

"No Award Means More to Me"
In accepting his award, Dr. Goode said that "of all the many awards I've received during my lifetime, none means more to me than this one." He spoke movingly of his passion for God's word and for children. He is currently director of the Amachi program, a national faith-based mentoring model for children of incarcerated parents. Dr. Lillback, who was traveling in South Korea at the time, spoke to the crowd via a pre-recorded video.

SU USA's International Impact
The Rev. Colin Sinclair, Chair of the Scripture Union International Council, brought greetings from the other 120 SU movements and shared an overview of what God is doing in and through SU in its seven regions around the world. He noted that The Essential 100 (E100) Bible Reading Challenge, developed in the US, is spreading to many other countries and making a significant contribution to the SU goal of helping people read and live by God's Word around the world.

Specially Commissioned Art Work
In honor of this anniversary, the SU Board commissioned Christian calligraphy artist Timothy R. Botts to prepare an artistic rendition of SU's theme verse, Psalm 119:105 ("Thy Word is a Lamp to my feet and a light to my path"). Timothy R. Botts is a nationally recognized artist whose works have appeared in Christianity Today and other publications. His work is now on display in the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, IL.

Scripture Union USA (www.ScriptureUnion.org) is a non-denominational, non-profit organization dedicated to helping people of all ages read and live by the Bible. Its publications and programs, in partnership with The Salvation Army and the American Bible Society, serve churches throughout the country in reaching both children and adults with the Bible's message. Currently, over 1,500 churches and 150,000 individuals have participated in Scripture Union's Essential 100 (E100) Challenge. Through a partnership with the American Bible Society, the E100 is also being widely used in military installations in this country and around the world.