Fifteen area churches will take part in a public reading of God's Word to be held on the Bulloch County Courthouse lawn next Thursday and Friday, May 2–3. 

The faithful in pairs or small groups will read from the New Testament of the Bible, in 30-minute time slots, until the New Testament is read orally in its entirety. 

Though the event is not part of the National Day of Prayer event held on the courthouse lawn on Thursday, May 2, the reading is in conjunction with the event. Bulloch County's observance of the National Day of Prayer will take place at the courthouse at noon on Thursday.

The reading of the New Testament will commence on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. There will be a break from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Day of Prayer event and will resume at 1 p.m. Thursday, running until 10 p.m.

Reading on Friday, May 3, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Renee Perkins is the facilitator for the first-time event for Statesboro and said she learned of other cities hosting public readings of the Bible when she attended a Wycliffe Associates conference. Wycliffe Associates works in other countries, translating the Bible into the heart language of people who do not have a translation of any part of the Bible. 

"I met a woman attending the conference from Texas, and just in a conversation, she mentioned that she facilitates this in her hometown," Perkins said. "The Lord laid it on my heart for Statesboro."

Perkins mentioned verses in the Bible, 1 Timothy 4:13, that says in part, "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture," and Mark 13:31, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

The public is invited to attend the reading at any time on Thursday or Friday, as well as to join in on the National Day of Prayer event during the lunch hour on Thursday.