I first began using electronic Bible study software sometime around 2000. If I recall correctly the first software I used was e-Sword. As a new Christian, I loved the ability to quickly search the Bible and cross-reference other material. I had a lot of questions so the resources and tools that electronic Bible software offered me were fantastic. It was very helpful for being able to work through content, discover the answers to my many questions, and grow in my faith. However, it was clear that as I continued my theological studies something more powerful was needed, especially something that supported original languages and more academic works.
These needs brought me to BibleWorks. For a few years I was an avid BibleWorks user. I loved the power of the tool, the flexibility, the original language support, and the availability of some resources I lacked in e-Sword. However, there were things I still felt like I was missing. Sometime around 2003 a friend of mine introduced me to Accordance. I recall sitting down with him as he showed me the resources, tools, and features that were available in Accordance and especially the graphical search functionality. I was blown away. It was obvious that this was the software that would meet the majority of my needs in an easy-to-use interface.
At the time I was attending Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. The church book store sold Accordance so I decided to give it a shot and purchased (I think) the 6.1 Introductory Level. I immediately loved it and my library grew quickly and I purchased resource after resource. At the time, I remember being really helped by the Timeline tool and the original language support.
The other thing that really caused me to stick with Accordance was the user community. I soon engaged in the user forums (member since 2005) and was an active member there. I loved the support and help the community offered. It wasn’t long before I considered the people there virtual friends. Through the user forums I learned a lot and was soon helping other people use Accordance effectively, including many at my church. It wasn’t long before I also taught a few Accordance classes in Minneapolis and at Bethlehem.
When I look back on nearly 20 years of being a Christian I can barely imagine what it would look like without Accordance. The tools and resources that OakTree has offered me over that time has been a real blessing from God. Congratulations, OakTree on 25 years. I’m excited to see what the next 25 years will bring!
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