What is Bible Translation without Partnership?

 

Deacon Josiah is the partnership manager of Mission for Language Translation 

“[God] will enable us to go ahead. Whether it’s through one organization or a hundred organizations, I don’t know. I hope it is through a hundred.”   -Cameron Townsend

There are over 500 languages in Nigeria and by my last count, over 40 Bible translation organizations represented in Nigeria. I can't think of any translation project that is accomplished without partnership. Partnership starts from the initial training of translation staff all the way through publishing stages. Most projects partner with various churches, some partner with local traditional rulers, community development organizations, local government agencies and mission organizations. And I can paraphrase a few things I have learned in my own training:

• We don't do anything except through partnerships.
•  Partnership is part of God’s nature. 
• Translation projects are developed and designed collaboratively with the participation of multiple local partners.

These are principles that go into planning all the Bible translation projects that I am involved with.

 

Another example of partnership in Bible translation is adapted from a story I read by Bob Creson. Among other things, Bob reflected on the continuing and increasing complexity of working in partnership in Bible translation. Historically only a few organizations engaged in this work, and now there are hundreds. While complex, the engagement of multiple organizations is to be celebrated, and Bob shared a prescient quote by Cameron Townsend from 1960: “[God] will enable us to go ahead. Whether it’s through one organization or a hundred organizations, I don’t know. I hope it is through a hundred.”

To further illustrate, Bob shared the example of the Roviana translation in the Solomon Islands. The translation work began in 1982 with SIL partnering with the local Methodist Church. The team finished the New Testament in 1998, and the complete Bible in 2017. In addition to SIL, the local Bible society was involved. Funding initially came through Wycliffe USA and later through Seed Company. Faith Comes By Hearing recorded the New Testament. The Jesus Film Project worked to complete the “JESUS” film. Wycliffe USA (in part through a staff fundraising campaign) paid for full Bible printing. To cap things off, YWAM took responsibility for distributing the complete Bibles. Fully eight different organizations participated in different ways on one translation.

The multi-partner environment requires us as organizations to lean into interdependence, to listen carefully, and to allow those we serve and serve alongside to speak into how we can best contribute. Listening itself requires time and commitment.