Kumasi Shows the Way to A Church-Led Bible Translation Movement

The vision that founded GILLBT was built on two pillars, namely: i) a production pillar which involved the development of our languages and the translation of Bibles into these languages, and ii) a mobilization pillar involving the ownership of Ghanaians in the support of the work in Ghana, and the African continent. After fifty-four years, the production pillar has been well developed with the mobilization component lagging behind. At the heart of this mobilization pillar is the issue of national ownership, which is aimed at creating a viable national organization whose legitimacy derives partly from the quality of our relations to Ghanaians and their institutions. The mobilization of, and embeddedness of the work in, the Churches is central to the creation of this national ownership. The end point of this ownership would be the establishment of a church-led Bible translation movement.

A major part of the reason why the Patrons conference and Fundraising initiative was hosted and launched in Kumasi, and indeed why the Kumasi chapter was established, is what we believed to be the potential of the Kumasi Chapter of GILLBT to provide leadership in the development of this ownership and church-led movement. We believed Kumasi had the potential to normatively provide leadership partly because of its historical and continuing appreciation of our linguistic and cultural heritage; and the vibrancy of the Mother tongue Christian experience there. This potential came out in the organization of the Patrons conference. The chapter became the focus of the self-organization of the Kumasi churches. If there was any doubt that a Church-led Bible translation movement is possible, the role played by Church leaders in Kumasi around this meeting should put that to rest. In the work of the churches in Kumasi, the potential of future Church-led Bible translation movement became evident.

As the GILLBT Board Chairman indicated in his speech at the Patrons conference:

The inauguration of the Kumasi chapter in June 2014 was a practical response to this desire to deepen the involvement of Ghanaians and their institutions in the work of Mother Tongue Bible Translation. It is gratifying to see this vision begin to bear fruit through the impressive mobilization work of the chapter that has made it possible for us to be gathered here today. Indeed, I was here to see their work firsthand, and was so inspired, I wanted to move to settle permanently in Kumasi so I could be part of this energy!!!

We are grateful to the Advisory Council led by Most Rev. Prof Yinkah Sarfo, and the Executive Committee, led by Rev Dr.Kwabena Darko, for showing us a glimpse of the future possibilities.