Medellin, Colombia…[Angela Barrios/IAD Staff]
It took just 70 hours for hundreds of students at Colombian Adventist University (CAU) to read the Bible from cover to cover. The historic reading, which was streamed live on the internet, was one of many events scheduled this year to celebrate CAU's 70th anniversary.
Themed “The Voice is Ours but the Word is God’s”, more than 400 students and dozens of faculty and staff participated in the reading, which took place May 18-21. As the reading began on the evening of the 18th by Pastor Gamaliel Florez, president of CAU, a special torch was lit to mark the start of the event. To achieve the goal of reading the entire Bible uninterrupted in the allotted time, a team of 30 students and 6 professors worked together to monitor progress and ensure that the final verse in the book of Revelation was finished by six o'clock on the evening of the 21st.
“The experience was very significant and inspiring,” said Pastor Hans Palacios, dean of the institution and organizer of the reading. “We brought the young people together for the study of the Bible, and there was a spirit of enthusiasm and togetherness which brought a spiritual environment that was felt throughout the campus.”
Nancy Lopez, a senior business major, said that the experience of participating in the Bible marathon was a wonderful one.
“It was so enriching because there are so many parts of the Bible that I had never read or heard,” said Lopez. “It was exciting to see the enthusiasm…some would go to bed early to wake in the middle of the night to fulfill their commitment.”
Days before the Bible marathon took place, students received special conferences on the study of the Bible to help prepare them spiritually for the event, organizers said.
Established in 1937, Colombia Adventist University offers ten undergraduate degrees and two post-graduate degrees to more than 1,200 students today.
For more information on the university and its programs, visit
