Annual Review Year ended 30 September 2018
A man reads the Keliko New Testament after the launch in August 2018
This is the verse the Keliko people of South Sudan chose as their theme when they celebrated the launch of their New Testament in 2018. And as we rejoice with the many people from all around the world who received Scripture for the first time in their languages over the past year, it also serves as a reminder of how everyone involved with Wycliffe feels humbled by all that God is doing through the work of Bible translation. The Keliko New Testament is the 1000th completed with the involvement of Wycliffe and our partner SIL – this is a great milestone because the journey is never easy. This Keliko New Testament was launched in a refugee camp in northern Uganda as many of these people are currently living in exile from their homeland – and this is the second time they have been exiled during the period of translation. Despite the pain and suffering that war and forced migration have caused, God has been at work, and the Keliko people celebrated and rejoiced in God at receiving the New Testament in their language (see page 8). As we join with the Keliko and many other people groups in celebrating
what God has done through Bible translation over the past year, we remain aware of the great challenge that remains. 1.5 billion people are still without the Bible in their language – a number that often surprises many Christians. Because of this, we are continuing to invest in informing people about the need for Bible translation, its essential role in world mission, and the important role Christians and the Church can play through praying, helping fund, and sending more people to be part of the work. We are immensely grateful to all of you who partner with us in supporting the ministry of Bible translation. We are truly blessed to have so many wycliffe
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individuals, churches and trusts walking with us and sharing our desire that all peoples will be able to have God’s word in their own language. We are especially thankful to all our people for their wonderful enthusiasm, dedication and perseverance. May the Lord bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
David Steinegger
F THE BO ARD
Psalm 66:5
CHAIR O
‘Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!’
ion. th permiss r. Used wi ifer Pillinge 2018 Jenn Photo: Š
Reading the Rendille New Testament at the launch in August 2018
Each translation matters, because each person matters to God. This is why everyone involved with Wycliffe continues to work with such passion and urgency, so that the 1.5 billion people remaining without a Bible translation will soon be able to read about Jesus in their own language. As we look back over the last 65 years, we are humbled by all that God has done since the first Wycliffe Language Course in 1953, and we are excited by all that God continues to do through the work of Wycliffe. We are working to build on the foundations of the past as we continue to invest in making Wycliffe an organisation that is fit for the purpose that God has called us to, and is able to sustain – and accelerate – the work of Bible translation around the world.
The last year has brought encouraging signs that more people are engaging with and giving to the work of Wycliffe. We continue to work hard to identify the next generation of supporters who will sustain – and grow – this vital work for world mission in the years to come. We are also working to strengthen our relationships with existing supporters as well as deepening our relationships with our international partners.
In the year ahead, we hope to do more. This is God’s work, so we’re asking him to provide more people to pray, more people who can give, and more people to serve with us, so that before long increasing numbers of the 1.5 billion people without the Bible will know the joy and hope of having God’s word in their language.
James Poole Watch a video of James talking about Wycliffe’s work during 2018 at wycliffe.org.uk/review wycliffe
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EXECUTI VE DIREC TOR
For 65 years Wycliffe has been carrying out one of the most fundamental and significant parts of world mission – translating God’s word into people’s languages.
Ashe translator Arams demonstrates the Ashe Luke app
‘ God has sent us, indeed compelled us, to take the life-saving and life-changing message of Jesus to the whole world.
One of the languages Kathleen works with in Nigeria is Ashe. The Ashe people got their first book of the Bible in Ashe during the last year when the Ashe text and audio app of Luke was launched.
‘We are thankful to God for progress in making his word available to the Ashe people.’
We are convinced that God’s word does God’s work in God’s world.’ Kathleen Spence Training Nigerian Bible translators for meaningful translation
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Reading the Keliko New Testament at a Keliko church
The Book of joy
‘ Thank you, thank you, thank you to God, because this New Testament will now speak to the hearts of the people. Hallelujah!’
In the early 1980s Rev David Gale was at a conference in Juba, South Sudan, where all the clergy were asked to read from the Bible in their own language. But he couldn’t take part as not one word of the Bible had been translated into his language: Keliko. Rev David was so overcome with sadness that his people didn’t have God’s word in their language that he broke down and wept. But he turned his tears into prayers, and his prayers into action, and last year, the Keliko New Testament was launched with great joy and celebrating. Now the Keliko people can read about Jesus in their language.
At the launch, using traditional Keliko harps, they sang a song written especially for the occasion based on the launch theme of Psalm 66:5. It went: ‘Rev David in the beginning, he went around and tried to gather people, but the people said, “Nothing will come of it.” But now, “Come and see what God has done.”’
Read more about the Keliko translation story at wycliffe.org.uk/stories wycliffe
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Bishop Seme Nigo (left) Keliko translator (and Rev David’s grandson)
If God can change my life through one verse... As the majority of the Bydla* people of Kenya are Muslims, to ensure the safety of the small community of Bydla Christians, the launch of their New Testament couldn’t take place in their home area. Instead it was celebrated last summer in a church in Nairobi. The prayer of the Bydla Christians is that God will use the New Testament to call many of their people to him. One of the translators used to preach to Christians, trying to get them to convert to Islam. But when she was challenged to read part of the Bible for the first time, she read Galatians 5:1: ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.’ That night she had a dream in which God invited her to choose slavery or freedom. She chose freedom! Now she translates the Bible because, as she says:
Holding up the Bydla New Testament
‘ If God can change my life through one verse, then I expect that every verse I translate will impact the life of another Bydla person.’ *name changed for security reasons. wycliffe
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Currently Wycliffe has
The Book that the camel had eaten is finally here! The nomadic Rendille people of Kenya have a tradition that long ago, the ‘Book of God’ meant for them was eaten by a camel, and that this is the reason why they have not had God’s word in their own language. But that has now changed: in August 2018 the Rendille people danced and sang to celebrate the launch of the New Testament in their language – and the New Testament was carried to the celebration on the back of a camel! In his address, Rev Micah Amukobole said, ‘The work may have taken time, but God was developing his people.
359 PEOPLE from the UK and Ireland who are serving Translator Laban Eysinkeele holds up the Rendille New Testament
The Book that the camel had eaten is finally here. Read and believe it.’ The work of Bible translation has brought a paradigm shift in the Rendille community, Pastor David Gargule says:
‘ No child marriages. No female circumcisions. Give every child equal rights. Give a girl equal rights with boys.’
Read more about the Rendille translation at wycliffe.org.uk/stories wycliffe
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486 MILLION PEOPLE speaking 368 LANGUAGES in 71 COUNTRIES
A small fish Peter, Kelsie and Jamie make up the 2018 Wycliffe GradTeam serving in the Philippines. They got to experience the Buhi’non New Testament celebration. Buhi’non is a language with just 73,600 speakers. Humanly speaking, it may be tempting to think that languages with many more speakers hold greater importance. But ‘Buhi, a town where Buhi’non is spoken,’ Peter says, ‘is on a lake which contains sinarapan, the world’s smallest food fish. It just reminded me that, as the fish isn’t worth less because it’s small, God doesn’t see translations which only reach a small people group as less valuable. He loves it whenever lives are transformed.’
‘ God has called us to share the good news with all people. Let’s pray that God will use this translation powerfully to bring more people to know Christ.’ The three Wycliffe GradTeam members at the Buhi’non New Testament launch
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Peter Philips Wycliffe GradTeam Read more about the Buhi’on translation at wycliffe.org.uk/stories 12
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Kissing the New Testament After the Mbembe New Testament in Cameroon was completed, retired army officer Ando Sammy got hold of the translator’s copy and kissed it. He promised to let others know about the New Testament he held in his hand. He asked to borrow the translator’s copy. After a few days, he called the translators for a meeting and said God should bless all those who participated in enabling the Mbembe people to hear God clearly and understand him better. He said, ‘I have been a churchgoer for years, thinking that I was a Christian, but I never understood the word of God. After reading some books of our Bible, my life can never be the same again. I today confess Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour.’
‘After reading our Bible, my life can never be the same again.’ Ando Sammy
Translating the Mbembe New Testament
The library of Bible translation
Full Bible
683
New Testament
1534
Some portions of Scripture
There are 7361 known living languages, including sign languages, around the world 683 of these have the Bible – up from 670 last year 1534 have the New Testament – up from 1521 last year 1133 languages have Scripture selections and stories – up from 1121 last year Bible translation is in progress in at least 2658 languages
1133
No known Scripture
4011
But 1.5 billion people are still waiting for the Bible in the language they understand best
65 years of ongoing impact The first Wycliffe Language Course started at London Bible College in 1953. Since then, the world has changed in many ways, and the world’s population has grown from 2.7 billion people to over 7.6 billion people, but the need for people to come to know God through having access to his word in their language remains the same. In previous pages, we have celebrated some of the New Testament launches over the past year – and the coming of God’s word in a people’s language should be celebrated! We also celebrate the ongoing impact of God’s word after it has been published. The impact of Wycliffe’s translation work over the last 65 years continues today as God’s translated word plays a vital role in bringing people to Jesus, in deepening their faith, and in growing the local church all around the world. One example of this is the continuing impact of the Hanga New Testament in
Ghana, which was the 200th New Testament when it was launched in 1984. Geoffrey and Rosemary Hunt arrived in Ghana in 1970 to work amongst the Hanga people, who at that stage did not have a written language, and there was no local church. Developing a way to write the language was not easy, but after a breakthrough discovery about why Hanga vowels are so variable, progress was made in writing Hanga, in teaching Hanga people to read and write, and in translating the New Testament. wycliffe
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One junior Hanga shaman, called Jindeewu, did not believe it was possible for his language to be written, so, thinking it was magic and wanting to know everything about magic, he started learning to read and write.When the Hanga New Testament was launched, Jindeewu won the Scripture reading prize. He then read the New Testament all the way through, gave his life to Christ, was baptised, and became a leader in the Hanga church. There are now ten strong and growing Hanga churches. Now the Old Testament is being translated. One of the translators is
The New Testament is the book that changed, and continues to change, the Hanga people
Gaje and Bugiri, two Hanga men, talking with Geoffrey Hunt in 1975
Barnabas, who was a Muslim who regularly walked about 15 miles each way to attend the Mosque. When he learned to read Hanga, he read the New Testament. When he reached John 14:6 he thought to himself, ‘Muhammad never claimed any such thing, but here Jesus claims it.’ So he kept on searching, and became a Christian. He was punished by his father, but he went on to compose many Hanga Christian songs and now works translating the Bible into Hanga. ‘The New Testament – Naawun Bukupaali in Hanga – is the book that changed, and continues to change, the Hanga people,’ Geoffrey says. ‘I had no idea how God would use it to have A church such a transforming effect on in Ghana the Hanga people.’ wycliffe
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FINAN
CES 0 Septem ber 2018 ended 3
for year Accounts
Programmes and partners
Supported people
Wycliffe directly supports Bible translation programmes and partners around the world:
£1,406,000
Supporting charitable costs
63%
18%
Expenditure £7,795,000
Finance, IT, administration and governance costs of running Wycliffe:
£492,000
The majority of people working with Wycliffe do not receive a salary. Instead they are supported through the giving of supporters and churches. This, along with expenditure on caring for our people and training needs, enables our people to do their work:
£4,868,000
6% 2% 8%
Office accommodation For our offices in High Wycombe, Belfast and Edinburgh:
3%
£137,000
Raising funds and support
Advocacy
Working to raise increased funding so we can expand the urgent work of Bible translation:
Raising awareness of the need for Bible translation and communicating about the exciting work that God is doing:
£657,000
£235,000 wycliffe
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Wycliffe’s expenditure in 2018 was higher than our income for two main reasons:
Individuals We are thankful for the 6590 individuals who gave to Wycliffe last year:
A significant amount of legacy income received in 2017 was delivered to translation programmes around the world in 2018.
£3,545,000
Churches Serving churches is central to all that Wycliffe does. We are grateful for the 645 churches who gave to Wycliffe:
50%
22%
£1,584,000
Income £7,177,000 8%
We are working hard to raise more funding so that we can fulfil the purpose to which God has called us – translating the Bible for the 1.5 billion people who are still waiting for the Bible in their language.
20%
Legacies We thank God for those who have left a legacy to Wycliffe:
£588,000
Further financial information can be found in the audited accounts, which are available on request. All numbers rounded to the nearest thousand.
As part of our strategic plan we are investing in raising support for Wycliffe. This is necessary as translation programmes are frequently delayed, and new programmes postponed, because of insufficient funding.
Organisations We also thank God for the trusts, foundations and other organisations that give to Wycliffe:
£1,460,000 wycliffe
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Thank you to all who support the work of Wycliffe – we are grateful to God for our valued supporters.
What your team has done for our Father and his kingdom ‘Forgive me for getting a bit emotional; I just couldn’t believe that your colleagues would spend many years working on a Nastaliq-style Arabic digital font with the hope that Scripture might be translated into this language one day. The devotion, commitment, and sacrifices are what we won’t be able to find in our business and social enterprise. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for what your team has done for our Father and his kingdom! Thank you!’ So said a potential new funding partner in the middle of a meeting in Asia last year. The font she was talking about is called Awami Nastaliq, and it was developed by the Writing Systems Technology team of Wycliffe’s main partner, SIL International. Awami Nastaliq is an Arabic-script font specifically intended for a wide variety of languages of Southwest Asia. Awami is an Urdu word meaning ‘of the people’ and Nastaliq is the name given to the sloping style of Arabic writing which is based on a centuries-
old calligraphic tradition and, because of its beauty, has sometime been called the ‘bride of calligraphy.’ Its sloping beauty (see right) means that it is a much more complex font to render on computers than the flat Naskh-style Arabic font. Peter Martin, who is based in Scotland, was the type designer for Awami Nastaliq, working alongside programmer colleagues Sharon Correll (USA) and Martin Hosken (Asia) to produce the correct shaping for the slope of the font, while avoiding any overlapping of dots and
Read more about the development of Awami Nastaliq at wycliffe.org.uk/stories wycliffe
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diacritics – no small task. ‘For me as a designer,’ Peter notes, ‘it was very daunting. It is by far the most complex project I have ever worked on.’ Peter explains why he does this work: ‘We see font development as primarily a critical component of Bible translation and literacy. However, it is also a service to the wider community in that it is enabling that culture to have a voice in communications – you can’t print books or newspapers, use a mobile phone, or email, or have a website in your language if you don’t have a font for it.’
Text in the Balti language of South Asia from The Lives of the Prophets book using the Awami Nastaliq font. The Lives of the Prophets book comprises the life of Joshua, Gideon, Ruth, David, Solomon, Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Haggai and Zechariah, and prophecies about the Messiah, and is used as a way to introduce people from a non-Christian background to the Bible.
The ripple effects of Bible translation Wycliffe’s vision is to end Bible poverty, so that all peoples can engage with the Bible in their own language. We know that having the Bible changes lives. We also see how the work of Bible translation, which includes writing down the language of some of the most marginalised people on earth, often for the first time, as well as teaching people to read and write, changes lives.
Photo: Ru
A roadside poster in the Lunyole language of Uganda, a language Wycliffe was involved in writing down for the first time. It reads: ‘Dispose of all faeces in a pit latrine to prevent diseases.’ Without Wycliffe’s translation work health messages like this wouldn’t exist in Lunyole.
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The effects of this ripples out beyond Christians and churches to touch the lives of whole communities. When people learn to read and write in their own language, it means that: They can communicate in new ways and access technology they had been cut off from
Gain new opportunities to get work Learn their legal rights, so that it is harder for corrupt officials to abuse them Women and girls are empowered Education is transformed Parents can read the correct dosage of medicine to give their children Poverty has many faces – spiritual, economic, social, physical. The ripple effects from translating the Bible play a part in reducing them all. That is why Wycliffe works so that everyone still waiting for the Bible can experience the transformation God brings through his word. And also benefit from the wider ripple effects that come through each translation. Watch our animation video about the ripple effects of Bible translation at wycliffe.org.uk/review
The first known example of graffiti in the Bamunka language of Cameroon, a language Bible translators wrote down for the first time. It reads: ‘I’ve gone to bed.’
‘ Thank you for your support, for your prayers, for everything you have done for us. We pray that God will bless you. Thank you very much!’ Komi Senna (left) head translation consultant for the Ifè translation team in Togo Reading the Ifè New Testament
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Come and see what God has done
Testamen
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launch in
Psalm 66:5
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Psalm 66:5 in Keliko and English
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