Not Without The Church

The role of the Church in Bible translation

“You mean there’s a plan in place to reach the ends of the earth in my lifetime?”

Beverly Donehoo, Wycliffe USA’s Church Relations Director, first read about Vision 2025 just over four years ago and wondered at Wycliffe’s bold vision. She knew she was staring eternal significance right in the face. But there was a problem. As she began to talk of Wycliffe and Vision 2025 to family and friends—many of them long-time believers—she usually got a blank stare in response. “Most of them had never even heard of Wycliffe, let alone Vision 2025,” she said.

Beverly began to wonder how Wycliffe would fulfill Vision 2025 without the Church. Drawn to the work of Wycliffe, Beverly soon applied, interviewed, and assumed a role specifically designed to engage the Church with Wycliffe’s vision and mission.

Never intending to complete the work of Bible translation without the Church, Wycliffe’s commitment has been and is today to assist the Church in the Great Commission tasks to which God has called all of us. The Church is central in God’s mission—Wycliffe affirms that world evangelism and discipleship is God’s charge to the Church.

So, what can a church do to get involved in Bible translation? The first step is prayer—to search God and know where He is leading. Subsequent steps call for action, but these will be different for each church. As Beverly sees it, “Some will be called to sponsor a translation; others will be called to raise up people to go on their behalf; and some will be called to encourage other churches to get involved.”

  • Pray for talented and passionate people to work with us.
  • Pray for sufficient funds to allow them to do His work.
  • Pray that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the leaders of His Church to see His heart beating for the nations.”

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