Anglicans to address lack of Bibles

LONDON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Members of the Church of England's General Synod said they will discuss the lack of Bibles in their churches at an upcoming meeting in London.

Tim Cox, a Synod member from Blackpool, raised the issue after finding that "all too often" the churches he visited had no copies of the holy book available for worshippers to follow along with the readings, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"Sometimes they have the passages printed in their notice sheet, sometimes they even have bibles available -- but have them locked away in a cupboard without the key being available," he said.

"The saddest thing about this is that whilst our churches fail to make available the scriptures, hotels, prisons, schools, hospitals and even offices can often be found to have a Gideon's Bible available for each and every visitor," Cox said.

The Anglican Synod, or Parliament, is expected to discuss the issue during its four-day meeting next month in London.