Wycliffe Bible Translators Philippines: World Missions for Unreached People Groups

Throughout the 20th Century, translation progress increased, but it didn’t seem fast enough. Thousands of languages were being discovered, increasing the known number of languages and people still without a single verse of the Bible.

1999, translation projects started at a pace of about one every 18 days. At that rate it would have taken until 2150 before the last translation project was even begun. Wycliffe leaders challenged the Body of Christ to accelerate the pace. Vision 2025 was born. The goal? To see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025. The ultimate goal—God’s Word accessible to all people, so that everyone has an opportunity to have an intimate and life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Since the adoption of Vision 2025 in 1999, new language programs have started at an unprecedented rate. Today, a translation program is started about every five days, shortening the length of time before the last translation project in the last language is begun to 2038. Only God could make this happen!

We’ve challenged our previous ways of working and considered entirely different methods. While traditional methods are still most practical in some areas, new strategies have proven more effective in others.

A cluster approach encourages teams of translators to work on several language translations all at once. One region is looking at simultaneous translation work of an entire language family.

New computer programs have made it feasible to translate Scriptures into some related languages in as little as one to three years!

A larger-than-ever team of diverse people is working towards the completion of Bible translation. Organizations are collaborating together. The spread of education has made it possible for more frequent, deeper involvement of local people in many language projects. People from all across the world—including Asia, Central and South America and Africa—are active participants in accomplishing Bible translation in their home countries and abroad. Men and women from around the globe provide leadership in the Bible translation moments that are making this acceleration possible.

Working together, with God, Vision 2025 can be accomplished in this generation! But, Vision 2025 is not the end. It marks the entry into the last language still needing Scripture translation. Bible translation will come to an end when all people have access to adequate Scriptures in a language they can understand. The Bible reveals a picture of heaven with people from all nations and languages present. The translated Word will help to make this possible. Is God calling you to be a part of fulfilling this vision?

"No language group should be considered reached until they have the Scriptures available in their mother tongue as the foundation for building sustainable Christian thought, life and community."
—Rev. Dr. Kwame Bediako, Director of Adrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology, Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana

Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. (WBT) is an interdenominational, non-sectarian, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit mission organization,
and a charter member of the ECFA.