When the American Bible Society sold its Manhattan headquarters (in New York) and moved to Philadelphia, its leadership realized it had empty wall space that could be well used.
images on the 'Changemakers' wall of the American Bible Society in Philadelphia.
When the American Bible Society sold its Manhattan headquarters (in New York) and moved to Philadelphia, near the iconic sites of America’s independence, its leadership realized it had empty wall space.
Leaders of the American Bible Society planned to fill the wall with photos and stories about prominent people who have influenced and helped spread the Word of God.
The project, dubbed the Changemakers initiative, wanted to celebrate individuals making an incredible impact on Bible ministry worldwide, not just in the United States, even as the U.S. was nearing its 250th independence anniversary.
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Rebecca Richman, then marketing director, was brought in to curate the Changemakers initiative. In an interview, Richman described the project as “challenging and exciting.”
Internal discussions focused on identifying people to feature on the wall. The team looked back at the history of American Bible Society and United Bible Societies. Richman said the discussions included both those with historical impact and modern-day changemakers.
Historical figures chosen included the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), who also served as the vice President of the American Bible Society for 30 years; and Elias Boudinot (1740–1821), an American Founding Father, lawyer, statesman, and early abolitionist and women’s rights advocate. He was the first President of the American Bible Society and viewed Scripture as the moral and spiritual foundation for the United States.
A more recent contributor to the Bible movement was Dr. Eugene Nida (1914–2011), a pioneer linguist and the father of modern Bible translation.
Among modern changemakers, the wall features Mart Green, the ministry investment officer for Hobby Lobby and founder of Every Tribe Every Nation, and Dr. Diane Langberg, who helped pioneer Bible-based trauma-healing ministry.
Richman said that, when considering current leaders, a strong argument was made for including the late Labib Madanat. She noted that Labib was one of the changemakers that everyone recognized as irreplaceable in the story of American Bible Society: “He’s had an incredible impact on Bible ministry. Many of our colleagues worked with him over a great many years.”
Prior to Labib Madanat’s death in 2021, he served as the executive director of the Palestinian Bible Society for 14 years and initiated a project to translate the Bible into local Palestinian Arabic dialects. He was a major influence on Bible ministry throughout the Middle East and served faithfully at American Bible Society as the senior Middle East advisor. According to Richman, “Labib was a great example of the kind of modern leader we wanted to feature.”
Born in Jerusalem to Jordanian parents, Labib passed away suddenly from heart failure while on mission in Iraq six months before the planning of the wall was discussed. “From the beginning, it was very clear that we needed to include Labib”.
Labib’s wall biography notes that he “served with American Bible Society from 2012 until his death in 2021, living out his mission to live and give, to serve and proclaim the Word of God.”
“It took a while to write biographies for each person and collect the right photos,” Richman explained. “But now, it is a great space where people can reflect on the legacy of those who have left an impact on Bible ministry over decades and, in some cases, centuries.”
The Changemakers initiative eventually expanded beyond the wall. “We later added the Change Lab, an event gathering space that allows us to expand the reach of these changemakers’ stories,” Richman says.
“Despite disruptors like the COVID-19 pandemic, it has allowed us to bring people together in that space to talk about opportunities in Bible ministry.”
Richman said that American Bible Society is exploring the use of the space in its former Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, which closed in 2024: “There is ongoing conversation happening around that; for example, can we open our archives to the public?”
The Changemakers wall, in the American Bible Society’s 9th-floor Philadelphia headquarters, was intended primarily for visitors and staff. Nevertheless, many people have come through to view it because they knew they were featured. “Whenever visitors are here, we make a point of walking them through it so they can see it—especially if they or a loved one are featured,” Richman explained.
“It is definitely a well-visited hallway. It’s something we are proud of, and something we think is worth showing people.”
While there was no public unveiling of the wall, Richman and the rest of the American Bible Society are happy to have people around the world learn about the changemakers they chose to honour at the American Bible Society’s headquarters, as well as the enduring impact people like Labib have had on the Bible movement.
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