The Bible House arose out of the need for a dedicated Bible depot to facilitate the growing Bible Mission work in Singapore and Malaya. With the acquisition of the site at 7 Armenian Street in 1907, the Bible Society obtained its permanent house and has kept it by God’s grace to this day. Through the years, the Bible House went through numerous upgrades, expanding the Society’s scope of service to peoples in the Asia Pacific and beyond. In commemoration of its 110th anniversary, here are some key milestones of Bible House’s history.
1823: The Bible Mission commenced and operated from the Singapore Institution, which was formed in 1823 and functioned as a place for printing and distributing Scriptures.
1879: The first Bible depot was established at a rented location at 591 Victoria Street to accommodate the growing needs of the Bible Mission.
1886: The depot was moved to the Agent’s own residence on Robinson Road.
1901: The depot relocated again to 13 Raffles Quay.
1907: 15 Nov: The land at 7 Armenian Street was purchased, becoming the site for the Society’s permanent home.
1909: 22 Feb: The Bible House was fully constructed and opened. It functioned as the Bible depot, the Agent’s new residence, and the headquarters of the Bible Mission in Malaya.
1942: Apr 1942: The Japanese took possession of the Bible House until the end of the Japanese Occupation.
1945: Nov 1945: The British Military Administration occupied the Bible House and used it as a university for British troops until early 1946 when it was returned to the Society.
1968: The plan to rebuild the Bible House into a six-storey, contemporary-style building was approved by the government.
1974: Apr: After two years of reconstruction, the new Bible House was reopened.
1982: A separate warehouse unit was purchased, boosting the Bible House’s capacity for storing Scriptures.
1990: A Computer-Assisted Text Processing Centre was established, enhancing the Society’s ability to serve the needs of Bible Societies in the Asia Pacific.
1995: The Scripture Publishing Centre was launched, an integral step to making the Bible House a Bible Knowledge Centre.
2005: Jul 2005: The Christian Resource Centre, jointly set up by the Society and Fellowship of Evangelical Students, began operations, selling a wide selection of Christian books.
2011: 3 Mar: The Bible House was reopened after a second rebuilding to meet the needs and challenges of the new millennium.
2012: The Bible House’s Bible Shop was renamed Bible Resource Centre @ Armenian to reflect the wider range of resources made available besides Bibles.
2013: Nov 2013: The Bible Museum was completed, showcasing the history of the Bible and the local Bible movement.
2017: 26 Apr: The brand-new rooftop Pavilion of the Nations will be opened, further enhancing the Society’s ability to serve the local and international communities.