Sudan (MNN)–International pressure is mounting to stop Sudan’s bloodshed in the West. While attention is focused on the Darfur region, the persecution of the Christians in the South has fallen off the radar screen, but it still exists.
Many of the believers are on the move, but the church is still growing. One obstacle to growth is the lack of Scripture portions available.
The World Bible Translation Center’s John Anderson says they’re looking to distribute 250-thousand Arabic New Testaments in the region. That’s the dream, but there’s a reality to making it happen.
The nuts and bolts of getting the Arabic New Testament to the Sudanese Christians presents a challenge. Anderson explains how they’re working around it. “One major ministry that’s located here in the United States, that has a global reach, has put Scriptures in there in lots of as low as 750 at a time.”
Small enough to get through–that’s important, Anderson continues, because, “…not only can they get confiscated because there’s a strong Muslim presence there, but they can get even get confiscated going through customs.”
Ministry has shifted to support the church, but Anderson says they approach cautiously. “We’ve tried to be very careful about who we send them to, how they’re packaged, so that they don’t get immediately identified as Scriptures, and also just send them in smaller numbers.”
Dale Randolph, CEO for the Translation Center says they released the New Testament in portions, “…because it makes it a more effective tool for evangelism in this particular culture.” The Center plans to prayerfully spread at least 250,000 copies of the New Testament across the Middle East and Northern Africa over the next three years.
