Short stuff

Mary Christner Borntrager, author of the popular Ellie’s People series of Amish fiction, died on Dec. 9. From 1988, when her first volume, Ellie, was published, until 1997 and the publication of Annie, Borntrager authored 10 Amish fiction titles and 593,000 copies of her books are now in print.

—Mennonite Publishing House news release

Canadian Bible Society has appointed Glen Pitts to the position of National Director. Pitts, an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, has worked with Youth for Christ, Every Home for Christ International and as a pastor. Canadian Bible Society, founded in 1904, is a member of the United Bible Societies, and exists to promote, encourage the translation, publication, distribution and use of the Bible. Scripture portions are available in 111 foreign languages, as well as in 23 Canadian aboriginal languages.

—Canadian Bible Society news release

India International Bible Society released the recently translated New Tamil Bible in Colombo, Sri Lanka. More than 66 million people speak Tamil; 64 million are located in India and Sri Lanka. The translation used by the majority of Tamil-speaking Christians up to this point had been translated in 1871 by British missionaries.

—International Bible Society news release

A recent study reveals that 31% of e-mail addresses are changed annually, resulting in lost Online relationships. The e-mail address turnover is driven by ISP switching, job changes and consumer efforts to avoid SPAM.

—Practical Ministry Innovations

A website containing scanned versions of all of the Jan Luiken illustrations from the 1685 edition of the Martyrs Mirror has been prepared by John D. Thiesen, archivist at Bethel College.

No. 87, Anneken Hendriks, Amsterdam, 1571

The 2003 God Uses Ink writers conference will be held June 12–14 in Guelph, Ont. on the theme “Expressing the Invisible”. Keynote speaker is Mark Buchanan, lead pastor of New Life Community Church in Duncan, B.C. and author of Your God is Too Safe and Things Unseen: Living in the Light of Forever. Five-hour workshop tracks include “Taking Journalism to the Highest Level” (for professional writers) with journalism professor Lois Sweet; “Getting Ready for Prime Time” with Cecil (Cec) Murphey; “Writing a Non-Fiction Book”, with Terry Whalin, acquisitions editor at Cook Communications Ministries; “Special Fiction Intensive” with Linda Hall and Hugh Cook; “Writing for Children” with Mona Gansberg Hodgson; and “In the Beginning” with Nancy Lindquist. Further information is available on the World Guild website.

—The Word Guild