The Developmental Bible is believed to be a means of challenging and condemning harmful age old traditions like early marriage, female genital cutting, and transferring new knowledge that promotes safe motherhood, HIV prevention, holy-water and ART and educating girls.  The Developmental Bible Manual - with two volumes - covers messages for 365 days and 52 Sunday readings was developed by six prominent church scholars and peer reviewed by three prominent scholars and reviewed at a stakeholder's workshop.

The Developmental Bible Project was initiated by UNFPA and developed by the Development Inter-Church Aid Commission of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (DICAC/EOC) in consultation with the Population Council. The programme will be implemented in 8 dioceses in three regions - Amhara, Addis Ababa, and Tigray - in the first phase.

This innovative initiative is based on the Cannon Law of the Church- the "Fetha Negest'' and the "glossary of the day-to-day teachings of the Church", or the "Lexicon" of the Orthodox Church (or "Metshafe Gitsawe' in Amharic). It is also in line with the Five Year Program (2005-2009) of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Strategy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

UNFPA signed a two-year agreement with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Population Council in April 2008 on the implementation of the Developmental Bible Programme. The Development Inter-Church Aid Commission of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the owner and principal implementing partner of the programme and Population Council is providing technical support. UNFPA has allocated a total budget of USD 400,000 for the two years of execution of the programme from the fund secured from the Royal Norwegian Embassy as part of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme.

Archbishops of various dioceses of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and other invited guests attended the launching ceremony of the Developmental Bible Manual.