Taking Scripture to the Illiterate
Wycliffe Bible Translators has taken Scripture to a largely illiterate nation of over 820 indigenous languages, modifying their approach to reaching the isolated population.
Wycliffe Bible Translators has taken Scripture to a largely illiterate nation of over 820 indigenous languages, adapting to the diversity and modifying their approach to reaching the isolated population.
Over the last 50 years, the 70-year-old organization has worked on nearly 400 of the languages in Papua New Guinea, completing New Testament translations in 159 of those languages thus far with 200 more on the way. More recently, Wycliffe has also been working alongside church groups to offer literacy classes and produce materials that help those who can read a vernacular indigenous language transfer those skills to a language of wider communication, including English.
Prior to the joint effort, school lessons had been taught in English only, causing many students to leave their education.
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"All the work we do is at the request of the language communities," said Brian Hodgkin, director of the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Papua New Guinea (SIL-PNG). "We only go where we are invited. The work we do is in partnership with speakers of the language. They will always be the experts as far as the language is concerned.”
Wycliffe trains the indigenous people in language development, translation and other vernacular literacy skills with a goal having the natives themselves take over the teaching role.
"It's a change that's come over time, but one that we're really committed to right now," said Ruth Hubbard of Wycliffe, according to Mission Network News. "It's not just taking Western missionaries and teaching people to read and write, but teaching nationals to teach the literacy classes themselves."
Literacy classes often take place before a translation is completed, according to Hodgkin, and may continue even after the distribution of Scripture.
"We like to leave ongoing vernacular literacy classes in place when a formal relationship with SIL ends," said Hodgkin.
James Warebu exemplifies Wycliffe's strategic approach as a student was sent to school. Warebu returned to his home village of Moefe and opened his own literacy class in 2005.
"We're seeing someone who is committed to his people, committed to the Word of God, committed to the development that can happen in a people group when literacy comes," said Hubbard, according to MNN.
Wycliffe is working in partnership with the Bible Translation Association of PNG, Pioneer Bible Translators and the Bible Society of PNG.
