Record-breaking Bible-reading attempt underway in Danville

Group trying to read Bible nonstop cover-to-cover in less than 113 hours

DANVILLE, Va. – A group of people in Southside are trying to break a mark recognized by Guinness World Records.

They are trying to read the Bible nonstop -- cover to cover -- in less than 113 hours.

Students from Westover Christian Academy, members of First Pentecostal Holiness Church and employees at the Roman Eagle rehabilitation center are participating.

They started Monday.

Each day, students will read in 20-minute segments from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Church members take over for a few hours after that, and then employees at the rehab center take over.

"Mrs. Brenda, who is the activities director here at Roman Eagle, she's got a daughter at Westover. So...I guess this was her brainstorm," WCA Administrator John Cline said.

Cline said close to 100 students signed up to read and they are excited.

"I've talked to some of the students, especially the elementary students, and they're really excited about getting their name on a world record," Cline said.

Janet Bruce is the wife of First Pentecostal Holiness Church's pastor and has been helping coordinate the record-breaking attempt.

"We set the pace for 111 hours," Bruce said, "which would mean we would have to complete 280 verses per hour."

As of midnight Monday, however, the group was reading at a pace of 400 verses an hour.

If that pace is maintained, the group will finish Thursday afternoon.

"That's also National Day of Prayer, so that's kind of another motivation for us to finish on Thursday," Bruce said.

She said the reading has become a family event.

"It's been so cool. Families come in, they have a 30-minute slot. The children will read 10 minutes, then the parents will read," Bruce explained. What a great thing for the families to do together, and they're doing it every night this week."

The group is recording the reading as proof of exactly how long it takes.