Wycliffe Canada’s work is focused around four key “pillars” that help strengthen individual believers and churches around the world, as they gain access to God’s Word in the language they know best. These pillars include Bible translation, Literacy, Engagement with Scripture, and Capacity Building. Throughout March, we’ll feature a brief overview of each pillar and share stories that illustrate how they are making a difference for language groups across the globe.
Bible translation is a global task, best owned and carried out by God’s growing and maturing local church everywhere. It requires training, teamwork, painstaking accuracy, precision and faithful translation.
As the global church embraces the opportunity to translate Scripture into every living language, Wycliffe seeks to increasingly share knowledge, skills and tools developed over eight decades of ministry.
In Cameroon, local translation teams from the Ndop Plain are working together to translate Scripture for nine distinct—but related—language groups. The translators who serve in the Ndop Cluster project must work remotely due to civil unrest and violence in the region. At the same time, they do their best to help colleagues from a tenth language group gain literacy skills and engage with their translation of the New Testament.
While Ndop translation teams benefit from the guidance of experienced Wycliffe members, the language communities are taking greater ownership of the work, making it more sustainable. Furthermore, some team members have nearly completed their training to receive accreditation as translation consultants, a crucial role in the translation process. Others are aiming to serve as consultants in literacy and Scripture engagement. As people who have a deep understanding of the culture and languages they serve, they are already making valuable contributions to the work of Bible translation.
“Around the world, there’s a critical shortage of qualified translation consultants, especially nationals,” says Wycliffe Canada staff member Alan Hood. “Local translators often labour as long as 15 years to complete the New Testament in their language. Then, to qualify as a consultant, they have to do additional studies and work with other consultants to complete practical assignments related to translation checking.
“The process can span 20 years or even longer . . . so Wycliffe and our partners want to help streamline the path for our national colleagues to become consultants.”
An eye for detail
In 2023, Alan visited Cameroon on a photojournalism assignment for Wycliffe Canada. He was able to meet with Alfred Njinyo (pictured below), one of several Cameroonians who have gained certification as translation consultants. Alfred’s primary task is to ensure that translated Scriptures are clear, accurate and natural sounding.
The path to becoming a certified translation consultant is long, and it’s one that Alfred nearly didn’t take. When he was a young man, some family members encouraged him to move to Europe or Canada for better opportunities. However, Alfred chose to remain in Cameroon instead, convinced that God was leading him into Bible translation.
Over more than two decades, he has gained valuable experience in what it takes to translate Scripture.
“This is the Word of God. I will take the time to make sure we [translate correctly].” – Alfred Njinyo
“I want to do my utmost,” Alfred told Alan, when asked about the remaining Scriptures that still need to be translated. “What is really moving me is that I have [great] passion for the Scripture.
“Maybe I’m too meticulous or too detailed,” he added, “but . . . this is the Word of God. I will take the time to make sure we [translate correctly].”
The team hopes that Alfred’s workload will lighten once his colleagues Novethan Shanui and Pius Mbahlegue are fully accredited as translation consultants later this year.
Translation and more
As Alan prepared for his visit to Cameroon, he packed a spare camera and flash unit to share with Ndop translator Gershom Rweye, who is keen to hone his skills as a photographer. Alan was able to share some of the skills he acquired while working as a photojournalist for Wycliffe Canada. Gershom proved to be a keen and eager student, which encouraged Alan, because it can be challenging to source quality photos from the field for Wycliffe Canada’s communications needs.
“Often, we receive good quotes from people saying how much the Word of God has had an impact on their lives . . . but sometimes we don’t have a quality photo of the person who said it, or even the context of where the picture was taken.” In addition, the photos are often taken with cellphones, where the camera quality may not be good.
“So I wondered, could we raise their capacity to produce photos . . . and really show what they are doing, so that they themselves can start to drive their media.”
Gershom was able to take some quality photos in a region Alan was unable to visit due to ongoing conflicts. Two of Gershom’s photos, featuring a co-worker named Stella, were published in the Winter 2023 issue of our newsletter, In Other Words.
The work in Cameroon is just one example of how the skills of local teams are being strengthened as they serve in Bible translation, and how they apply those skills to strengthen others. Capacity building means strengthening the global church’s ability—today and tomorrow—to carry out Jesus’ Great Commission.
Ultimately, it means transformed lives giving glory to God.
Watch: Capacity building, a motion graphic that illustrates the impact of sharing Wycliffe’s knowledge, skills and tools with our field partners and indigenous churches around the world.