Morgan Watkins

@morganwatkins26

As Kentuckians conjure up plans and predictions for the new year, Gov. Matt Bevin has already put his own stamp on 2017 by declaring it the "Year of the Bible" in Kentucky.

In a proclamation he signed this week, the governor promoted a Bible-reading marathon that will be held throughout the commonwealth for the second year in a row starting next month.

Bevin isn't the first governor to declare a "Year of the Bible" in the Bluegrass State. Former Gov. Ernie Fletcher proclaimed 2004 the "Year of the Bible" while he was still in office.

Proclamations don't carry the weight or force of the law behind them the way legislation does, said Amber Duke, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky. But she still considers Bevin's new proclamation "disappointing."

The governor is "once again using his official position to promote his personal religious beliefs," Duke said. She suggested that the best way to respect Americans' right to religious freedom is for government officials to refrain from promoting specific religious books.

"Here in Kentucky, (and) across this country, we’re free to practice religion - or not - without our government officials giving endorsements to some beliefs over other beliefs," she said.

Duke also said she hopes Bevin, who often talks about unity, would be more inclusive in his actions and recognize that there is religious diversity in this state.

Bevin's proclamation declaring 2017 the "Year of the Bible" was issued to support the "Kentucky 120" Bible-reading marathon, which will begin at midnight on Jan. 1 and end at 6 p.m. on Jan. 4, according to organizer Mark Harrell, the senior pastor at Victory Christian Fellowship in Somerset.

State Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, is the one who actually wrote the proclamation and asked the governor to sign it, Harrell said. This declaration "brings validation" to the Christians who are contributing to this event that what they're doing is of value.

The first "Kentucky 120" marathon was held this year, during which people came together across the commonwealth to read the entire Bible in less than four days, Harrell said. He organized it in the hope of sparking a greater spiritual awakening among Kentuckians and spent six months trying to get people from all of the state's 120 counties to take part in the initiative.

In the end, 90 counties were involved in the 2016 event and 30,000 people participated, Harrell said. He wasn't planning to do a second marathon in back-to-back years, but Bevin "really encouraged us to do it again" when he visited the Governor's Mansion for a gathering of ministers in September.

Bevin and his family actually kicked off the marathon in Franklin County this year by reading from the Bible starting at midnight on Jan. 1, he said.

Seventy-two counties are set to participate in the 2017 marathon at this point, Harrell said, and his son is helping organize the event in Louisville.

Andrew Harrell, 32, works with his father at Victory Christian Fellowship but also works with the Wings of Refuge, a ministry in Louisville that is spearheading the Bible-reading marathon there.

The event will be held at an old church facility on Lytle Street in the Portland area, Andrew Harrell said. People have signed up for different time slots, and the plan is to read the Bible from start to finish to ring in the new year.

The 2016 marathon had a restful, reflective atmosphere most of the time. "You could just sit there and listen," he said. "And then certain passages come alive for certain people."

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Reporter Morgan Watkins can be reached at 502-875-5136 or mwatkins@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @morganwatkins26.