Source: Mission Network News, February 16, 2024
Approximately 1,300 languages still lack God’s Word, but that number is shrinking at a faster rate with every passing year. In 1999, new translation projects were begun every two weeks on average. Now, the pace has accelerated to every 17 hours, according to Wycliffe USA.
John Chesnut, President and CEO of Wycliffe USA, recently visited a church translating Scripture in Madagascar. “They drafted four full Bibles in four years. And then they said, ‘Hey, we want to get the quality better. Can you come help us?’”
“They will dedicate four completed New Testament translations this summer. The translations are part of a goal Wycliffe USA set 25 years ago and hopes to complete next year. They called it Vision 2025 and started praying for Bible translation to begin in every remaining language.
“It was really a God-sized prayer saying, ‘Lord, what would we need to do in order to see all these languages started by 2025?’” says Chesnut.
Praise God that churches like those in Madagascar are stepping up to the challenge. Wycliffe USA reports more and more churches are engaging in Bible translation for their local languages.
See also From Flicker to Flame, a short documentary from Ethnos360 about the dedication of the Simbari Bible (Papua New Guinea) and read an OMF report about the dedication of the new Tampuan Bible Dedication (Cambodia).
See also Wycliffe Bible Translators to Sell Florida Headquarters (Ministry Watch).