ANNUAL REPORT
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2011
Milest nes “I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.” — Jeremiah 1:12 (NLT)
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February 13, 2012 Dear Partners, What an amazing year 2011 has been! Everywhere we turned we saw demonstrations of God’s passion to get His Word to every man, woman and child in the language they understand best so they may know Him and His redeeming love.
“In the future your children will ask, ‘What
As you read this report, you’ll see how He is working in mighty ways to get His Word into the hands and hearts of people around the world. You’ll find that almost every paragraph represents thousands of changed lives through His Word.
do these stones mean?’
When we stepped into 2011, Joshua 3:4-5 was large in our hearts as we sensed the Lord leading us in ways we had never been before. We felt Him urging us to “purify ourselves and expect Him to do awesome wonders among us.”
‘This is where the Israelites
Then, as we crossed milestone after milestone throughout the year, we remembered His promise that He would do amazing things. Let me share some significant high points with you. Just a few years back the possibility of starting translation in 100 new languages in one year was a distant goal. In fact, we wondered: Is our trust in God great enough to do this? God’s faithfulness to get His Word to His people was more than enough to propel us to a record 114 languages. That brought us to a total of 466 projects under management in FY2011. This compares to 370 projects we managed in FY2010 — that’s a 26 percent increase of concurrent translation projects under management! We also saw an amazing 20 percent increase in contributions, from $14.7M in 2010 to $17.7M in 2011. The most important factor about starting new projects is seen when we take 466 existing languages off the spreadsheet and convert that figure to reflect the more than 1.1 billion people who will have access to Scripture in their heart language. A large number of these
Milestone:
Then you can tell them,
crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ … He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever.” — Joshua 4:21-24 (NLT)
In 2011, the Lord made it possible
for The Seed Company to partner with local believers in 466 language groups with a potential reach of 1.1 billion people — a 26 percent increase from 2010.
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projects are located in some of the most populous regions in the world, while others are in sparsely populated remote areas. This kind of growth underscores our need for continued intentional organizational growth and development. As our attention turns to resources needed to demonstrate faithful stewardship of God’s increase we recognize that, not only does growth require internal capacity, but more critically increased field capacity in the form of translation advisors, support workers, field partnerships, innovations in technology and methodology. In 2011 we saw growth in all these areas. One major bottleneck in the Bible translation process has been a shortage of translation advisors — and their role is critical. Advisors serve as mentors and teachers for national translators. Among other duties, they help translators navigate tough linguistic challenges and provide vital feedback for the exegesis of Scripture in mother tongue languages. To help meet the need for advisors, The Seed Company established a program to train capable men and women to work in this capacity. We also sought financial partners to underwrite the cost of the intensive four-year program for candidates. In 2011, we enrolled our 70th national advisor-in-training on our way to a goal of 200 by 2015. In addition, our first class of fully trained advisors graduated — one of whom is the first ever African woman to serve in this capacity with The Seed Company and partner organizations. Another tremendous milestone we crossed in 2011 was the launch of our 700th language translation project in partnership with the Etulo people of Nigeria. Typical of many oral societies, Etulo was only a spoken language when we committed to the project. Though 90 percent of the population is Christian, these beautiful and hospitable
Milestone:
In 2011, we enrolled our 70th national
advisor-in-training on our way to a goal of 200 by 2015. In addition, our first class of fully trained advisors graduated — one of
INDIA The Persistent “Woman of Peace” “Can I have that Proclaimer?” the woman asked the pastor. She was determined to have a digital player loaded with heart language Scripture. “No.” He plays it every day for the village; his church has grown from 25 to 72. “Well, where did you get it?” she asked. He told her. She went to Faith Comes By Hearing and asked for one. “No. You’re one woman. There are 200,000 churches waiting. We don’t have enough.” She kept coming back and figured out the program — 30 minutes of listening followed by a discussion time. “If I start a listening group, can I have one?” No, she was told. “If I start three … five …” Finally she wore him down. “Just take it. Start your listening groups.” One “woman of peace” took one Proclaimer and started a movement. It’s grown to 10 group leaders, 34 listening groups with 1,000 listeners weekly! The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, “... this woman is driving me crazy ... she is wearing me out with her constant requests!” — Luke 18:4-5 (NLT)
whom is the first ever African woman to serve in this capacity with The Seed Company and partner organizations.
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people had no alphabet, no written language, and no Scripture in their language. However, as Etulo churches and leaders prayed and came into agreement about Bible translation efforts and joined forces with Nigeria Bible Translation Trust (NBTT) and The Seed Company, amazing things resulted. In a matter of two weeks’ time, NBTT and Etulo translators had established an Etulo alphabet.* The Lord had answered their prayer. Jesus said, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19, NLT). The power of unity coupled with the installation of specialized computer software and a solar-powered portable satellite is enabling accelerated Bible translation to take place in this project. Now, think about this: God’s Word will be the very first thing ever written in the Etulo language. It will be the first textbook in Etulo, helping teach children how to read and write. Imagine the remarkable impact this will have! Pastors are eager to use Scripture portions in their churches as soon as they become available. Accelerated Bible translation is happening not only among the Etulo, but also worldwide. During 2011, translation teams working in 115 remote languages gained access to the Internet through the work of The Seed Company’s Information Management Team. Of these, 64 were accomplished in partnership with Wycliffe Associates. Going forward, all Seed Company translation teams will have Internet connectivity unless deemed impractical for security reasons. Then, when we participated in two pilot methodologies to shorten project timelines even more, it seemed as if God had gone before us and prepared our way. Our first Web-based TM crowdsourcing project, CrowdSeed , was in design at the close of FY2010 with a mission to enhance both speed and quality of Scripture translation.
Milestone:
Launch of the Etulo project — our 700th
PHILIPPINES
This Would Make a Good Book! As her older sister and other translators read aloud their translation of Luke 23, Nening leaned forward, eyes wide. When she heard about Jesus standing before Pilate, Nening imagined herself in the crowd. The Abellen language painted the scene vividly. She sat still as long as she could, then she blurted out, “This is really good! Are you going to make it into a book?” For the Abellen people of the Philippines, churchgoing is part of life. Until recently, Scripture was available only in languages not well-understood. And deep-seated fears have kept people dependent on mediums to cure illnesses or to avert crises through rituals. Now many Abellen are laying aside superstitions as they embrace God’s Word in their language. And yes, Nening … they are making it into a book ... a really good Book. Soon you will have your very own!
language project since the founding of The Seed Company. *Hear from the Etulo people as you watch a video at theseedcompany.org/etulo
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Our strong partnership with New India Evangelistic Association plus concurrent translation work in the region made the Angika language community a great choice for this five-month initiative. No one quite knew what to expect when the CrowdSeed project got underway in July 2011 in India. Facilitators were astonished when they received feedback from more than 3,000 volunteers from churches across the remote Bihar region that had signed up to help translate Scripture into their mother tongue with over 1 million speakers. By removing issues of distance, social barriers and political forces, Scripture was translated and feedback gathered through “virtual community testing.” More than 100,000 inputs were logged while translating and validating seven chapters of Luke in this pilot phase. In addition to accelerating the translation process, CrowdSeed gave the people and community a tremendous sense of ownership in the project and it also spurred church growth and Scripture engagement prior to publication. Based on these encouraging results, The Seed Company is pursuing a follow-on CrowdSeed project in the same language and a new CrowdSeed project in a diaspora language community. Just as promising as CrowdSeed is the new methodology of VAST — Video Audio Strategy for Translation. In this unique approach for oral communities, a video of the “JESUS” film is used as the source text for translating the film’s script, which is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke. During this 2011 pilot, more translators and advisors came together at the same location. Using VAST, the “JESUS” film was scripted and produced in another language within four months rather than the usual three years — another remarkable milestone! The Seed Company was chosen by The Mission Exchange as the recipient of the 2011 eXcelerate Award for “innovation in mission” in the large organization category. The recognition was based on our “work to fulfill the Great Commission through a variety of
Milestone:
EAST ASIA
Elly’s Road-Test Storytelling Elly was deep in thought as she joined friends after class. She needed to test her Bible storytelling skills on someone new. She had an idea — she’d take a taxi home. She told the driver, “I’m learning some stories; would you like to hear them?” “Sure,” he said. She told him stories about Jesus calming the storm and casting out demons. “Is this story clear? Do you understand my words?” she asked. “Yes, very clear — and simple,” he said. “He’s not a Christian,” Elly explained, “but he has Christian friends who gave him a Bible and CD sermons. But they were boring and he didn’t understand.” “Your stories are easy to understand,” he said. “Not just for a man over 50, but also for children. You need to translate the whole Bible into stories for people to hear.” Then he added, “You need to start right now!”
Our first Web-based
crowdsourcing pilot program launched with a mission to enhance both the pace and quality of Scripture translation. Even students were enthusiastic to participate.
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collaborative initiatives that have accelerated Bible translation around the world through the use of technology.” We are able to see God’s plan come together in amazing ways largely because He has joined us with people and organizations that are committed to Bible translation. Last year, SIL International worked with us in about 80 percent of the language communities where we had a presence. We simply could not do what we do without them. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we partner with the American Bible Society and the Bible Society of the DRC to help nationals translate Bible stories and help facilitate Scripture-based trauma healing workshops that bring God’s restorative power to those suffering from the atrocities of war. Around the world, many national believers are desperate for the power of God’s Word to comfort and heal their brothers and sisters during natural disasters, ethnic wars, famine, extreme poverty and societal dysfunction. Lives are transformed by God’s Word only as we work together with on-the-ground partners, financial partners, prayer partners and end-users who are in the trenches distributing God’s Word in their language and bringing hope to their people.
“Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.” — Psalm 25:4 (NLT)
Our appreciation for our partners is deep and profound. Thanks to the generosity of investors, in 2011 we were able to respond to immediateimpact translation efforts like the trauma healing workshops. In addition, an ongoing grant from The Bolthouse Foundation helped marshal churches to reach many of the people groups with fewer than 10,000 speakers. By matching church contributions dollar for dollar, the Bolthouse grant doubles congregational impact in fulfilling the Great Commission through Bible translation.
Milestone:
In partnership with the Bible Society of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we came alongside national colleagues to help them translate Bible stories and helped facilitate Scripture-based trauma healing workshops. God’s restorative power was brought to those suffering from the atrocities of war.
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As you can see, 2011 was a remarkable year. We borrow the Apostle Paul’s words to sum up 2011 by saying, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT).
The Seed Company:
Our prayer for 2012 is that we would be relentless in our consecration to Him — that we might grow more dependent on the Lord, immerse ourselves in His Word, and allow His Holy Spirit greater liberty in directing our lives.
Wycliffe Bible Translators, founded in
As we lay our gifts and abilities at His feet, we partner with Him in the ever-increasing urgency to reach the more than 340 million people still waiting for just one verse of Scripture in their heart language. We are eager to make a way for His Word to touch the lives of those individuals who will one day be part of that great throng the Apostle John described in the book of Revelation: “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9, NLT). What a beautiful opportunity God has given you and me. He has called us for this hour and invited us to make an eternal impact in the lives of millions of people through His precious, life-giving Word. Thank you for the honor of joining with you in this amazing opportunity. What an incredible gift!
History
1942, paved the way to the modern Bible translation movement. In the latter part of the 20th century, translation organizations began to place emphasis on national translators and national leadership. During that same time, Great Commission organizations realized it would take 150 years to reach every people group without Scripture at the current pace of translation. In 1991, Wycliffe leadership built a model to accelerate the pace of Bible translation and involve more national partners. The Seed Company was launched; work began in 1993 with pilot projects in 10 languages. By 2002, The Seed Company was
In adoration of Him,
working in 200 language groups, and national translators were leading every project. By 2007, that number had increased
Roy L. Peterson
to 400; and by October 2011, the number of language projects had burgeoned to 700.
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Reaching milestones. Leading Across five continents, impacting 64 countries, thousands of islands, and 466 languages, lives are being changed as God’s Word is translated into heart languages for the very first time. Through today’s technology, frontline initiatives, and organized prayer cover, Scripture is coming alive and making rapid impact. Through a resurgence of Bible storytelling, as well as new VAST methodology, audio-video media and the CrowdSeed pilot, The Seed Company and partners race to bring God’s Word to every language in this generation.
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Africa
South Asia
Reaching the Victims of War
Leveraging Collective Wisdom
From the ashes of burned villages and the horror of seeing family members tortured and killed, victims of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are finding new hope. Trauma healing workshops are now providing a path forward for survivors through the power of heart language Scripture and stories of healing.
In May 2011, The Seed Company launched CrowdSeedTM in India, a pilot initiative. By removing distance as well as social and political barriers through crowdsourcing, Scripture was translated and feedback gathered through “virtual community testing.” More than 3,000 people contributed 6,630 hours. The project produced dramatic increases in local church attendance as volunteers engaged in Scripture translation.
forward. Faithfully following.
Eurasia
Pacific
Americas
Creative Solutions for Sensitive Situations
Scripture Storytelling for Oral Societies
Prayer Paves the Way!
All projects in this area are sensitive as Christians are often an oppressed or persecuted minority. Oppression can mean threats to translators and to other believers. With distance communication technologies, no people group will remain beyond reach. Scripture that may not be accessible in print is rapidly becoming available in electronic formats, including audio, text and video. Small groups gather to hear Scripture in their mother tongue. These believers often form the core of a new church.
About half of the world’s population lives in oral societies. Word-of-mouth is the most prevalent form of communication in Papua New Guinea where men, women and children are hungry for God’s truth. Bible storytelling is an effective way to reach the hearts of these eager listeners. At Seed Company workshops, nationals translate Scripture and learn to “tell” God’s Word effectively. Listening groups spring up, lives are transformed and churches are planted as the Good News spreads rapidly throughout the land … one Bible story at a time.
In 2011 as the Holy Spirit drew The Seed Company into a more intentional prayer focus, He also drew others to join with us. The result? An astonishing 67 percent increase in prayer partners who helped pave the way for substantial growth in other areas. Social media tools, an updated Web presence and a new prayer video helped inform people of the need for prayer partners for specific translation teams. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. — Romans 1:9 (NLT)
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The Seed Company:
Financials Administration
900 800 700 600
19% Translation Expenses
81%
500 400 300 200 100
Language Program Expenses
God Provides the Increase
0 1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Languages Impacted (cumulative)
Because of His great love, God is working in mighty ways to get His Word into the hands and hearts of people
$17.7 M
around the world. Thanks to the generosity of our partners, we saw an amazing 20 percent increase in contributions from FY2010 to FY2011. The leap from $14.7M in 2010
$14.7 M
to $17.7M in 2011 exceeded all expectations; and enabled
$13.6 M
us to start translation in 114 new languages.
For God is the one who provides … he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest …. — 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NLT)
Eighty-one percent of all gifts to Seed Company translation projects are used directly for translation expenses, including 6 percent to start new or sustain existing translation projects.
$9.9 M $7.7 M $4.2 M
2006
2007
2008 2009 2010
Contribution Income
The leap from $14.7M in 2010 to $17.7M in 2011 exceeded all expectations. 16
2011
THE WYCLIFFE SEED COMPANY, INC. STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES For the Year Ended September 30, 2011 With Comparative Totals for the Year Ended September 30, 2010
Unrestricted
Temporarily Restricted
2011
2010
SUPPORT AND REVENUE Contributions
$
4,435,534 $
10,974,720 $
15,410,254
$ 14,108,712
37,395
2,258,500
2,295,895
631,936
Member support
3,771,208
-0
3,771,208
3,656,292
Investment income
807,464
-0
807,464
703,201
33,743
-0
33,743
41,210
1,083,253
(1,083,253)
(19% administration & fundraising)
2,237,001
(2,237,001)
-0
-0
Satisfaction of program restrictions
7,754,901
(7,754,901)
-0
-0
20,160,499
2,158,065
22,318,564
19,141,351
13,616,704
-0
13,616,704
9,716,446
1,799,925
-0
1,799,925
1,414,868
4,272,083
-0
4,272,083
3,446,350
19,688,712
-0
19,688,712
14,577,664
471,787
2,158,065
2,629,852
4,563,687
9,107,896
12,787,222
21,895,118
17,331,431
Support from affiliates WBT contributions
Other Net assets released from restrictions: Field operations assessments Administrative assessments
TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE EXPENSES Program services Administration services Fundraising services (Includes communications, marketing) TOTAL EXPENSES CHANGE IN NET ASSETS Net Assets, Beginning of Year NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR
$
9,579,683 $ 14,945,287 $ 24,524,970 $ 21,895,118
Program Services note: At September 30, 2011, The Seed Company was working to complete translations of the Scriptures in nearly 466 languages spoken by more than 1.1 billion people.
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The Seed Company:
Leadership
The Seed Company:
Board of Directors
Roy L. Peterson President/CEO
Larry Jones Senior Vice President of Bible Translation
Dal Anderson Senior Vice President of Operations
(Top row – left to right.)
(Bottom row – left to right.)
J. Todd Peterson — 2005-present Chairman Chairman of the Board, Pro Athletes Outreach
Bob Creson – 2003 - present President, Wycliffe Bible Translators USA
Michael Stoltzfus – 2007 - present Vice Chairman President/CEO, Dynamic Aviation
Scott Anderson Senior Vice President of Advancement
Jeffrey Brown – 2005 - present Corporate Secretary Corporate private practice attorney Freddy Boswell – 2008 - present Executive Director, SIL International
David Beroth Director of Finance and Office Operations
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Rick Britton – 2009 - present President, Digital Monitoring Products Samuel E. Chiang – 2011 - present Executive Director, International Orality Network
Bill Williams – 2008 - present CEO, National Christian Foundation Lisa Cummins – 2008 - present President, Urban Strategies LLC Jeff Johns – 2009 - present Vice President, National Christian Foundation Joyce Williams – 2010 - present Board Member, Cornerstone Trust
the Gospel of Mark demonstrating the power of God over spiritual realms. Local believers also determine which medium is best for distribution.
3. Production
4 Translation Steps
to Successful Scripture Impact The Seed Company’s core focus is life transformation through Bible translation that serves the needs of the local church. By equipping the local body of believers with Scripture-based materials, they’re empowered to fulfill the God-ordained incarnational mandate to the Church — “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, NLT).
1. Language Selection
Language translation needs are evaluated with local partners to determine who speaks the language, the needs of the local church and how we can use our resources to help them meet their Scripture needs.
2. Project Proposal
The Seed Company seeks the most expeditious means to help local believers produce the most needed Scripture, including utilizing new technology when appropriate. Translation initiatives may initially include Bible stories, the Gospel of Luke and the “JESUS” film for evangelism and church planting, and booklets of 100 verses from
Translation is a rigorous process from outset to completion. The translation team goes through these six steps to ensure accuracy and clarity: 1. First Draft: Study and produce a first draft. 2. Team Check: Together translators check each verse for accuracy and clarity. 3. Community Testing: Drafts are shared with local speakers to determine how natural they sound and how well they communicate. 4. Back Translation: The team translates drafts “back” into a major language for an advisor to evaluate accuracy. 5. Consultant Check: Advisors check the translation for expected high standards. 6. Editorial Checks: All copy is rigorously proofread by multiple people to eliminate any errors before publication.
This same process is slightly modified for video production, Bible storytelling and Deaf translations. During the translation process, financial and prayer partners are vital team members who receive quarterly updates from translators who share translation progress, testimonies and challenges they face. Scripture impact is ongoing from start to finish of translation, and for generations to come.
4. Distribution and Impact
As people receive Scripture in their heart language, transformation occurs. They often say, “God speaks my language! He is one of us!” Distribution and impact occur through local and organizational partnerships, and local churches. Over the course of time, translated Scripture may be produced and circulated in multiple formats. In oral cultures, Bible storytelling, Proclaimer recorders from our partner Faith Comes By Hearing, and the “JESUS” film may be produced for immediate impact. Later, a print version of Scripture might be released.
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God’s Word For Every Language— In This Generation
3030 Matlock Road, Suite 104 Arlington, TX 76015 Toll free 877-593-7333 theseedcompany.org A Wycliffe Bible Translators affiliate