Translate
the Bible.

Wycliffe Bible Translators leads this work. Their process rests on four practices:

• Source texts. Translation works directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek — not from secondary English translations.
• Exegetical accuracy. Teams of multi-denominational scholars, linguists, and native speakers guard against cultural or theological bias.
• Meaning-based translation. Because word-for-word translation can lose meaning across cultures, Wycliffe carries the original biblical concept into the local language naturally.
• Community testing. Drafts are tested with native speakers so Scripture reads naturally and stays true to the original meaning.

This project also uses Oral Bible Translation (OBT). Instead of starting with written text, local teams translate Scripture orally, check it rigorously for accuracy, and record the audio for distribution via media players, apps, and radio. OBT follows the same draft, check, and revision steps as written translation — just through spoken language. Because oral communities engage with audio far faster than written text, this method significantly shortens the timeline.

For 80+ years, Wycliffe has been one of the world's leaders in this work. As of June 2026, Wycliffe and its partners have contributed to 801 full Bible translations, 1,835 New Testaments, and 1,516 portions of Scripture, with translation underway in 4,426 languages. We're partnering with a tested, trusted organization doing this work faithfully around the world.

Together, Luke and Acts tell one continuous story — the life of Jesus and the birth of the Church. For a people group meeting Scripture in their language for the first time, that arc is a meaningful place to begin: a full account of who Jesus is and what He set in motion.

Wycliffe uses oral Bible storying to share culturally appropriate summaries of biblical narratives, helping communities with little or no biblical background grasp the overarching story of Scripture. The team we support has just finished translating and recording 36 stories from Scripture.

Southeast Asia—we can't be more specific for security reasons. This unreached language group has roughly 4 million people who have never had Scripture in their language. The Wycliffe project name is Cantik (pronounced "Chantik"), meaning "beautiful" in several regional languages.

The stakes here are real. For the believers and translators on the ground, exposure can mean imprisonment, torture, or death. That isn't an exaggeration—it's the reality they live with to bring Scripture to their people.

The location, the language, and the identities stay private because a single detail in the wrong hands can put lives at risk and end the work. This is a long-standing Wycliffe practice, and the most meaningful way you can honor these brothers and sisters is simply to respect the line: pray for them, support them, and trust that the silence is part of keeping them safe.

Directly to the translation work: paying skilled translators, funding consultants who verify accuracy, supporting community testing, and preparing Scripture for print and digital distribution.

Yes. Gifts go through Asbury Church, and you'll receive a tax-deductible receipt as part of your year-end giving statement.

Yes to both. Any amount helps—$35 is simply the cost of translating one verse. The giving form lets you choose a one-time amount or set up a recurring monthly gift.

We keep going. As of Tuesday, June 23, we reached our goal to fund Luke and Acts. In less than 48 hours, our congregation heard the call and said, “Here I am, Lord.”

But we're not done—we're just getting started. Our plan is to keep going until we've funded the entire Bible for this people group. Every gift from here forward carries the work further: more books translated, more translators trained, and Scripture reaching people who have never had it in their own language.

Translation begins summer 2026, with Luke and Acts targeted for completion around Christmas 2027. And because we've already moved past that first goal, the work won't stop there — each additional book we fund extends the timeline as we press on toward the whole Bible.

The progress tracker on the main page here shows current verses adopted. When there's a meaningful update from the field—a milestone, a completed book, a new phase—we'll share it here and churchwide.

No. Asbury is committed to ongoing partnership in Bible translation. Luke and Acts is the first step, and as the Lord provides, we hope to keep investing in this work for years to come.

• Pray for the translators, consultants, and the people group who will one day hold this Scripture in their own language.
• Share this page with someone who might want to join.
• Give what you can.
• Watch for updates and celebrate each milestone with us.