Partnership furthers goal of 20 new oral Bibles

A partnership between Dallas-based Spoken Worldwide and Seed Company to create 20 Bible translation projects for language groups that are primarily oral, not written, in their communication, is on track as it enters year three.

The ministries are currently a bit behind the timeline announced in 2021, which called for them to launch six new oral Bible translation projects by March of 2022, seven more by March of 2023, and the final seven by last month.

Spoken CEO Ed Weaver said they had already completed 380 chapters of Scripture in 10 languages in the first two years, not 13 languages as projected, but will complete 10 new projects this year.

“It has taken us a while to get into a rhythm on this,” said Weaver, but in year three, research and systems already in place have sped the process along. “It gets faster every time we launch.” He said the work completed so far shows that “we have something to add to the Bible translation community.”

In year two, the partners started new projects in these languages: Sertanejo (Brazil), Olu’ba (South Sudan), Chakali (Ghana), Sakalava (Madagascar), two projects in Nigeria, two projects in the Philippines, one in North Africa and one in Ethiopia.
Translated Scripture portions include Gospels (Mark is a favorite) as well as the Old Testament books of Jonah and Ruth that introduce people to the “story of redemption from the whole counsel of God,” not only the New Testament. These three books are also in narrative format, which makes them easier to translate and easier for people to understand.

Spoken’s motto is “Deliver truth …where written words can’t go,” and it releases its new translations in audio form via micro SD cards that people can use in phones, solar powered MP3 players, as well as the internet. “But a lot of the groups we serve don’t have online presence” Weaver said.

Weaver said the mission is to make its translations available free to other ministries that want to use them. Some have already done so. He said the new translations have already been used by ministries involved in evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.
“We are seeing fruitful impact in the community as recordings are completed and Scripture is released,” Weaver said. Each language project takes about five years to complete.

Year two of the project generated new translations in five languages:

• Rindire in Nigeria
• Sertanejo in Brazil
• And one language each in three countries — the Philippines, Ethiopia and Ghana — where revealing the languages could jeopardize the safety of the workers.

Spoken Worldwide is formally known as Dallas-based T4 Global Inc., a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that is a member of the ECFA. It raised $3.4 million in 2022 and spent $966,700 on the translation work. It also trains pastors and leaders, provides orality coaching, and funds community development.

Spoken hasn’t yet completed its 2022 financial report, but Weaver says the ministry spent 73-75% of its income on program expenditures. In 2021, it spent 73% of its $2.3 million income on programs, with approximately $300,000 going to the partnership with Seed.

Weaver said Spoken will continue to support the projects after the three-year partnership with Seed has ended. Spoken had hoped some projects might be self-sustaining, but many communities face “an extreme poverty level that may not allow local support.”