International (MNN) — Nearly 3 billion people – a third of the world’s population – wait in darkness for the light of Christ. Many find themselves in one of over 1600 language groups without translated Scripture.
Through provision of Biblical resources and training, unfoldingWord partners with Church leaders around the world to establish sound doctrine in their congregations despite having incomplete Scripture in their heart language. Partnerships across Bible translation organizations are gaining traction, yet cross cultural ministries often face growing pains.
Dane* of unfoldingWord says it’s important to overcome mindsets on either side of cultural divides that contribute to barriers in evangelization and translation efforts. He says Westerners need to be especially careful to support local churches without taking the reins. Many non-Western contexts assume that Westerners have all the answers, which is simply not the case.
“You have to remind yourself as a Westerner that we are not in charge,” he says.
unfoldingWord partners with discipleship-making and church-planting movements that operate in environments where people were former Islamic terrorists or animists. “They’re brand new to Christianity, and they’re figuring this out as they go,” Dane says.
The challenge is to forge partnerships that support rather than interrupt. “Can we understand them, communicate with them, and share our resources with them without gumming up the work of the mission?” Dane asks.
His ministry takes a Church-centered Bible translation approach. “When churches have God’s word in their heart language, they endure,” he says.
Dane says discipleship-making and church-planting movements are designed to be culturally adaptable as they grow. But there are drawbacks.
“If you’re not careful,” he says, “before too long it becomes a system and then an institution. And once it becomes an institution, it loses a lot of its flexibility.”
Dane says even in the Western evangelical church, it’s easy to lose focus on the Great Commission. “I think sometimes we’re more concerned with preserving a sub-culture than we are with pursuing a mission.”
The team at unfoldingWord believes partnerships with local churches can help remove barriers to Scripture translation.
“We’re not coming in and saying that we’re smarter than these guys. God has gifted his church all around the world with brilliant, highly educated, Godly leaders. And they need to be the ones that are leading. That’s how the gospel and the Bible become acceptable to them.”
At the start of this new year, in the comfort of our Western homes and lifestyles, may we not forget those who face life and death without Jesus. Whether called to go or stay, all of us can be involved through prayer, giving, and advocating.
Please prayerfully consider what next step you can take toward sharing the Gospel with those who have not heard it. Will you give to Bible translation efforts like those at unfoldingWord? Will you advocate with Alliance for the Unreached? Will you join a local organization reaching out to refugees or diaspora in your community?
Wherever you are: will you faithfully head to the fields? They are ripe for harvest.
*full name withheld for security
