Former Fife minister contributes to first audio Bible solely recorded by women

Reverend Rosie Frew, a former minister at Abbotshall Parish Church, is one of two Church of Scotland ministers involved in the project which is being officially launched today on International Women’s Day.

She said she hoped that the free-to-access audio book, recorded by women with a wide range of regional accents, would enable listeners to engage with scripture in a new and exciting way.

Mrs Frew, who is now minister of Bowden and Melrose Church in the Borders, read Matthew’s Gospel, the longest book in the New Testament, for the project, while Reverend Shuna Dicks of Cults Parish Church in Aberdeen narrated Corinthians book one and two.

The group behind the project is called Her Audio Bible UK and both ministers heard about it on social media and submitted audition tapes. They recorded their parts separately last year.

Run by a group of volunteers, Her Audio Bible UK say this version makes the Bible accessible to people who find reading a struggle as well as for those in situations where reading it is unsafe or socially unacceptable. It says that listening to a woman’s voice can be particularly helpful for those who find it more difficult to listen to a male voice, for example people who have experienced abuse or violence that they associate with men.

Mrs Frew said the aim of Her Audio Bible UK is to widen accessibility to scripture by breaking down the barriers of class, race and gender.

She said: “As a woman who has only ever heard recordings of the Bible read by men, usually with English or American accents, I was excited by this project. Over 30 years ago now, quite early on in my ministry in Largo we were encouraged as a congregation to take part in an initiative being promoted by the Scottish Bible Society called Faith Comes by Hearing.

"The premise being that when we listen we often understand more fully, we get caught up in the drama of a passage, we get a better sense of what’s being said and faith comes, or faith is strengthened, or difficult aspects of faith are considered by hearing.”

Director and producer of the project, Reverend Katy Partridge, a Church of England curate, said between 700 and 800 audio Bibles have been recorded across the world and only eight have so far been recorded in women’s voices.

Her Audio Bible UK is the first project of a charity called Open Word UK. The four Gospels and Revelation will be released on International Women's Day with the remainder of the New Testament released on a monthly basis thereafter. Her Audio Bible UK will be available free of charge through a variety of digital audio services such as Spotify and via www.heraudiobible.org.uk.