Wycliffe Associates Working to Launch 30 New Bible Translations Amid Tribal Violence in Papua New Guinea

Wycliffe Associates, an international organization involving people in the advancement of Bible translation, is undertaking efforts to launch at least 30 new Bible translations in the next month in Papua New Guinea despite recent civil unrest and tribal violence in some regions of the country.

“We have seen how God’s Word heals even the most ancient conflicts and brings together even the oldest enemies when people encounter the Scriptures in their own heart language,” says Bruce Smith, President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates.

The majority of the nation’s 6.9 million people reside in the Highlands and eastern coastal areas, with only one-fifth of the population living in urban areas.

Comprising the eastern half of the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific region, Papua New Guinea is home to approximately 12 percent of the world’s languages.

Savage fighting began among members of one tribe when a pastor died of cancer, and superstitious villagers blamed it on “sanguma,” or witchcraft.
“People believe in black magic, believe that witchcraft controls their lives through curses and spells and magical poisons,” says Smith. “They’re trapped in the same animistic worldview that controlled their ancestors.”

Wycliffe Associates is bringing together mother-tongue Bible translators, including some from warring clans, to begin new Bible translation projects using a collaborative Bible translation method called MAST (Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation).

“We’ve seen the Holy Spirit at work,” says Smith. “We must share the Scriptures to bring hope and healing to these people.”

“For generations, Christians have ached to experience God’s Word in their own heart language—and today they are still waiting,” Smith says.

Along with MAST training, Wycliffe Associates equips the translators with computer tablets, Bible translation software, and digital translation resources.
A new language translation project can be launched at a cost of $19,500.
To date, there are 873 Scripture translation projects in progress using MAST. Wycliffe Associates currently is accelerating the work of Bible translation in 92 countries.

About Wycliffe Associates

One of the world’s leading Bible translation organizations, Wycliffe Associates was organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators to accelerate the work of Bible translation. Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.

Because millions of people around the world still wait to have the Scriptures in the language of their hearts, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Wycliffe Associates is directly involved with speeding Bible translation by providing technology, training, resources, logistics, networking, expertise, volunteers, discipleship, church planting, and support. Last year, 7,402 Wycliffe Associates staff and volunteers worked to speed Bible translations in 73 countries. For more information, please see www.wycliffeassociates.org.

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