BP and NIV

R. Laird Harris, 1911-2008 Founder of Bible Presbyterian denomination, translator of NIV Bible dies peacefully at 97 The Layman Online Tuesday, May 6, 2008 The Rev. Dr. R. Laird Harris The Rev. Dr. R. Laird Harris, a founder of the former Bible Presbyterian Church denomination that later joined the Presbyterian Church in America, has died. He was 97. Harris, who also was involved for 35 years in the translation of the New International Version of the Bible and was a founder of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and the Evangelical Theological Society, died peacefully April 25 at Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community in Quarryville, Pa. "Dr. Harris was a man of great curiosity whose wide-ranging interests led him to explore with eagerness science, theology, people and the world around him in his quest to better understand and appreciate God's creation," the Rev. Dr. Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Seminary and a former student of Harris, said in a news release on the seminary's Web site. "His love for God's Word and the goodness of the Gospel made him a great teacher who demonstrated that brilliant thought and simple faith were not contradictory," Chapell said. "His humble and fun-loving heart was a great gift to the two generations of church leaders he helped to train." Harris was born March 10, 1911 in Brownsburg, Pa., son of the Rev. Walter T. Harris and Pearl Graves Harris. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Delaware in 1931 and began studying chemical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, but was called to the ministry in 1932. He then studied theology under J. Gresham Machen at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Harris received from the seminary a bachelor of theology degree in 1935 and a master of theology degree in 1937. He received a master's degree in Oriental studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1941 and his doctor of philosophy degree from Dropsie College of Hebrew and Cognate Learning in Philadelphia in 1947. In 1937, Harris began his teaching career at the newly formed Faith Theological Seminary in Wilmington, Del. He moved with the seminary to Elkins Park, Pa., and also taught Hebrew part time at the University of Pennsylvania from 1946 to 1947. Harris continued on the Faith Seminary faculty until 1956, when he became one of the founding faculty members of Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. He taught in the Old Testament department and served as its first chairman. He also served as dean of the seminary from 1964 to 1971. He retired from full-time teaching in 1981 but continued to serve as a visiting professor and lecturer worldwide, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands and Taiwan, until 2000. Harris was licensed in 1935 by the New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America – the original PCUSA – and was ordained in 1936 at the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America, the original name of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In 1937, Harris left that denomination to join the newly formed Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC). He served as moderator of the BPC's General Synod in 1956, the year in which the denomination divided. He defended the validity of church-controlled agencies against those who insisted on independent agencies. Harris remained active in church leadership, serving as chairman of the fraternal relations committee of the BPC's Columbus Synod during the late 1950s when discussion began of union between the BPC and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod. He remained on the committee through 1965 when the union occurred, forming the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. In 1982, that denomination joined the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). That same year, in recognition of his role in uniting three Reformed denominations, Harris was elected moderator of the 10th General Assembly of the PCA. In addition to being a teacher and church leader, Harris was an author. His works included Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible; Introductory Hebrew Grammar; Man: God's Eternal Creation; and Your Bible. He also wrote on the book of Leviticus for the Expositor's Bible Commentary series and wrote articles for Wycliffe Bible Commentary. He also was a consulting editor of and contributor to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible and editor of the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. From 1965 through 2000, Harris was involved in the translation of the New International Version of the Bible. He translated key sections of the NIV Old Testament and served from 1970 to 1974 as chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation, the editorial board that produced the NIV Bible. In 1949, Harris was also one of the founding members of the Evangelical Theological Society. The association of Bible-believing North American scholars meets annually for "intellectual stimulus and spiritual fellowship" and encourages Biblical and theological research and "the publication of significant monographs," according to its Web site. In addition to his parents, Harris was preceded in death by his first wife, Elizabeth K. Nelson Harris of Snow Hill, Md., in 1980. Harris is survived by his second wife, Anne P. Kraus Harris; three children, Grace Sears, Allegra Smick and Robert Harris; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Visitation and a memorial service were held May 1 at Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church in Quarryville, Pa. Harris was buried May 2 at Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church in New Hope, Pa., where his father ministered for 14 years. Memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Theological Seminary, 12330 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO 63141. A prize in exegesis, the textual study of scripture, has been named in honor of Harris, whose field was Biblical exegesis. Information from Covenant Theological Seminary, the PCA Historical Center in St. Louis, and Reynolds Funeral Home in Quarryville, Pa., contributed to this report.