DENVER, CO (ANS) -- More than 6 million of his commentaries have been distributed worldwide by David C. Cook in 35 languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Billy Graham called him, "one of the greatest Bible expositors of our generation."

Warren Wiersbe

Now Warren Wiersbe has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) for his "Be" Bible Commentaries at its annual convention, July 12.

Wiersbe, the former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago and teacher on the popular Back to the Bible radio series, is internationally recognized as someone who has given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God.

Wiersbe credits the worldwide popularity of his commentaries to the fact that they are not tied to American culture.

He said, "I stay away from clichés and 'Americanisms.' If a study is too complicated, it becomes shallow. If it's simple, it's profound."

According to a media relase, Wiersbe's commentaries on every book in the Bible are called the "Be" series because all titles begin with "Be"—'Be Delivered' about the book of Exodus, or 'Be Courageous' about the Gospel of Luke.

Eric Thurman, President of Global Mission at David C. Cook says, "Cook gives millions of resources each year to church leaders in places like China, India and Cuba. No matter what the culture, these pastors constantly tell us that the Wiersbe commentaries are what they want most."

Cook has provided free commentaries to over 90 perecent of the pastors and leaders in Cuba.

In Vietnam, 83,500 commentaries have been distributed so far to church leaders, with more on the way. More than 40,000 in Myanmar. In India morethan 88,000 leaders, one-third of all the pastors in India, have received 12 titles of the "Be" series in one of ten Indian languages. In China 300,000 pastors and leaders are receiving "Be" commentaries this year alone.

Wiersbe said, "Years ago my wife Betty and I wanted to be missionaries. God said, 'No, you stay home and send others.' Now in this absolute miracle of God, He sent my books, not me, around the world."

David C. Cook is a nonprofit Christian ministry that publishes worldwide, is a major producer of praise and worship music through its Kingsway unit in the United Kingdom, and is a leading distributor of Christian books in Canada.

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael has traveled to Albania and the former Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany and the former Czechoslovakia, Israel, and Canada. He has reported for ANS from Jordan, China, Russia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.'