At its spring, 2004 meeting, SBL Council continued strategic planning and adopted a revised and expanded statement of its vision for the Society. The Council regularly reviews the SBL strategic vision statements to ensure that they are both consistent with the mission of the Society and offer an appropriate set of goals. The Society currently affirms seven vision statements:

• Offer members opportunities for mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development as teachers and scholars.
• Organize congresses for scholarly exchange
• Facilitate broad and open discussion from a variety of perspectives
• Encourage study of biblical literature and its cultural contexts
• Collaborate with educational institutions and other appropriate organizations to support biblical scholarship and teaching
• Develop resources for diverse audiences, including students, religious communities and the general public
• Publish biblical scholarship

The sixth statement, though implicit in earlier ones, has been newly adopted. It represents a long-standing commitment of the Society to serve those beyond its immediate membership. In the past, SBL has published various resources for use in the classroom. As well, the Society has produced resources that have been used both by religious communities and the general public, most notably volumes such as the HarperCollins Study Bible, Dictionary, and Commentary. The creation of this vision statement represents the conviction that such work should not only continue, but be developed in new ways.

Citation: , " SBL Council Sharpens Strategic Vision," SBL Forum , n.p. [cited July 2004]. Online:http://sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleID=294