Odyssey Networks Awarded $1.25 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment for Expansion of ON Scripture – The Bible TM
Three-Year Grant Boosts Unique Digital Resource for Clergy, Congregations and Seminaries
NEW YORK, December 5, 2014 – A free weekly digital resource that helps demonstrate the relevancy of Scripture has been given a $1.25 million boost by Lilly Endowment Inc.
“On Scripture -The Bible” brings Scripture to life by linking the weekly reading from the Christian Revised Common Lectionary with a short video based on a news story, along with a commentary by one of America’s leading bible scholars drawn from a roster representing fifteen denominations.
Launched in 2011 as a preaching tool to help America’s clergy interpret current events through the enduring lens of Scripture, “On Scripture – The Bible” has grown into a popular resource now being used by lay leaders, congregations and seminarians, as well.
The $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant guarantees more than 150 new videos and commentaries over the next three years. In addition, it will help make “On Scripture -The Bible” easier to use through improved search capabilities and access via a new dedicated responsive design website. With a launch date in 2015, the site will feature state-of-the-art search functionality, including a “Smart Bible Resource Library,” a database of more than 200 videos and text commentaries already available and new ones to be added weekly.
In addition to the new website and resource library, funds from the Endowment will help support a new initiative integrating the voices of mainstream religion into pubic discussion around the topics explored in Odyssey’s award-winning, feature-length documentaries, through community-based viewings and dialogues.
“We are extremely grateful to Lilly Endowment for helping us bring alive the power and relevancy of Scripture,” said Nick Stuart, CEO of Odyssey. “The Endowment’s original grant of $750,000 in 2011 helped us start the project and this latest grant of $1.25 million will help us build. We want to help America’s faith communities find more and more ways to use the video/text / commentary combination at the heart of “On Scripture – the Bible”.
“ON Scripture – The Bible” currently reaches more than half a million viewers each month through seven diverse online platform partners including Huffington Post, Sojourners, Patheos, Day1, Textweek, Christian Post, and Religion Insights.
ABOUT ODYSSEY NETWORKS
Headquartered in New York City, Odyssey Networks is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that creates and uses media to show how people of all faiths and good will engage the world to nurture justice, compassion and hope. The sole TV producer to win four of the major awards for religion programs aired in a single year, Odyssey produces content for a variety of platforms including cable TV, the web, smartphones, e-readers and tablets. In addition to ON Scripture – The Bible, Odyssey-produced content includes highly-rated and award-winning documentaries and television shows on OWN, GSN and The Hallmark Channel. For more information on Odyssey Networks, visit www.odysseynetworks.org and www.odysseynetworks.tv.
Contact: CarolAnne Dolan