Some of the Many Solutions
When Wycliffe Associates became a Bible translation organization in 2016, there were already 103 other translation organizations in existence.[i] Did the world really need Bible translation organization number 104, especially when the price to be paid was losing the invaluable support WA had given to Bible translators for half a century?
No, that price is simply too high.
Wycliffe Associates obviously has a good heart and has many employees and volunteers who care for the Bibleless people of the world.
What could Wycliffe Associates do instead of the difficult detail-oriented work of translating the whole Bible. Let’s look at the resources that are already out there that Wycliffe Associates could support, promote, or translate.-
In 2002 Katy Barnwell published an amazing book for use with local
translators called An Introductory Course in Translation Principles.[ii] She is an experienced translator and this is a description of what is happening with her amazing course in her own words.“The training materials Bible Translation: An introductory course in translation principles has been widely used over many years. A new edition (4th edition) includes more on oral communication and drafting, on availability of software and online resources designed for translators, more on Old Testament translation, more on teamwork and partnership in translation, also planning translation with a view to promoting local responsibility and ownership (wherever possible). The materials are designed for use in a classroom situation but also suitable for self-study.
“Concerning ongoing training, the goal is that a trainee should be ready to begin translation after completing the course - the course includes some practice translation exercises. However, translators always need ongoing training! As they gain experience new questions come up, also they move on into translating different genres. So, we always recommend consultant links, so that the first experience of checking translation with a qualified translation consultant is also an ongoing training opportunity.” Translated into many languages, field tested and used many times, Katy Barnwell’s course can be completed in 4 weeks. Wouldn’t it make more sense for WA to use this course to train Bibless people groups that are interested so they can be trained when they work with an experienced Bible translation organization like WBT.
- From reading Bruce Smith’s book, Living Translation- My Life, I believe he has a heart for evangelism. I think that’s a wonderful thing. He obviously cares about education because he himself spent years studying: missions, aviation, Islamic studies, and organizational leadership. The list is extensive and impressive. What he doesn’t have, however, is a heart for learning Bible translation principles and accurate translation. I believe Wycliffe Associates could become an evangelistic organization, and they could do wonders.
- Use the MAST process to translate, but only things that are easy to translate with inexperienced and untrained workers. I think translating an abridgement of the Old Testament would also be a great possibility. There is so much history and so many stories there that would provide the context and background for a great translation of the New Testament. Children’s book, literacy materials, and Jesus stories that didn’t involve crucial theology or key terms would be easier to translate and with less consequences if translated imperfectly.
- Translation is an important tool to teach people and then have them translate other things that will strengthen the church. What about resources for pastors? For example, Pastor Rick Warren provides free resources for pastors around the world. They check their email once a week at a nearby town and download the resources provided. They then study those resources all week, and use them in their sermon prep. Thus, a pastor with insufficient training but a good heart can still guide his flock. Translating these resources into the more obscure languages could have a huge impact. Check out more here.
- Have you heard of this amazing little series of books that has been used around the world? Healing the Wounds of Trauma series.
“It is a resource for leaders in churches and NGOs who care for
people who have suffered horrific events like war, civil unrest, ethnic
conflict, rape, and natural disasters. It will also help individuals struggling
with suffering. It provides core mental health principles within a biblical
framework, an approach that has been field tested since 2001 with leaders from
Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and independent churches. It has been adapted
into more than 150 languages and cultures around the world. It is designed for
use in groups and written in simple and non-technical language.”
I have a dream of using this material someday as I want to work
with children who have experienced trauma in Southern Africa.
Wycliffe Associates wants to translate? They should translate
things that the church desperately needs, like these.
to teach people Bible stories. They have already done translation into 180 languages, but there are about 7,117 languages in the world. What a great organization for to support! You don’t need to be a Bible translator to do this work. It’s perfect for those who love God and want to translate scripture into their own heart language.
- Speaking of translating Bible stories, Robin Rempel, who mentored my sister in High School, has worked with students at Cedarville University to create the Story Producer App which can be used to record translations of Bible stories with videos.
- What about translating for Christian radio? Chuck Swindoll’s powerful messages are translated into 70 languages and need translating into more languages. What other Biblical programs could go out with the resources of a 37-million-dollar enterprise?
- I love receiving prayer letters from Bill and
Lenore Martin. They are friends of mine who also worked in Papua New Guinea. Their
son was in Kurt and Heidi’s class. Bill is the team technical lead of a program
called Adapt
It. Adapt It is a free open-source tool for quickly translating
between related languages. They seek to create, as a community, an adaptation
tool that will run on all major platforms and facilitate translation. What a
great tool for Wycliffe Associates to support and promote.
- My last suggestion is really a wish. I wish Wycliffe Associates would do what they were doing before.
In 1998, John and Bonnie Nystrom, Bible translators for the Arop language group in Papua New Guinea, experienced a horrific event. A tsunami triggered by a magnitude seven earthquake wiped out whole villages, claimed hundreds of lives and forever changed the way Bible translation previously had been done in that country.
I had the privelege of teaching their son, Eric,
at the time of the tsunami. We as a class raised money and collected books for
their village.
The Nystroms and their partners developed the Aitape
West Translation Project "an
experimental multi-language Bible translation and literacy project that
includes at least 11 languages and dialects."
"And all of these pastors, 20-plus pastors, from 11 different
languages, multiple different denominations, they all walk to this translation
centre in one day and they come five times a year for a month at a time to work
on the translations together," said Mr. Nystrom. “They work on the same
Scripture, at the same place, at the same time.” You can read more about this
story and this process in their book ‘Sleeping Coconuts’.
Wycliffe Associates seems to believe themselves the inventors of the clever idea that grouping people together could speed up the translation process. They didn’t invent cluster projects; there are already many being done around the world. Wycliffe Associates just has the distinction of doing it badly, and at a reckless pace.
In the past Wycliffe Associates would have supported projects like this
with money, volunteers and supplies. Wycliffe Associates filled a critical role
in the Bible Translation field, and left a hole when they abandoned their
long-honored mission.
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