An anonymous donor gave a huge sum of $50 million to Wycliffe Bible Translators this week making it possible to translate Scripture for the last people groups still without the Bible in their native tongue more quickly.
The gift, the largest in the ministry’s 75-year history, will be used towards Wycliffe’s Last Languages Campaign. The campaign seeks to bring language development and, in most cases, first-time literacy alongside the Bible translation program to more than 200 million people by 2025.
Interestingly, the gift comes in advance of the campaign’s official launch on Nov. 22 at the Wycliffe USA headquarters in Orlando, Fla.
"Literacy is key to helping people work their way out of poverty and resist oppression by others," said the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, in a statement released Wednesday. "Children who first learn to read in their own language are more likely to become literate and to stay in school than those who first learn in a different language."
Today, there are 6,912 language groups in the world, with one third of the world’s language groups having no Bible translation program in place.
The Last Languages Campaign will use cutting-edge translation techniques to accelerate the pace of language development and Bible translation for the world’s remaining language groups from 125 years to 17 years.
Wycliffe USA President Bob Creason is very thankful for the donation.
“A gift towards Bible translation and language development is perhaps the surest investment anyone can make in these uncertain financial times,” Creason said.
Last year, another large donation was made to Wycliffe when the deputy chairman of the New York Stock Exchange holding company, Marshall N. Carter, donated his personal million-dollar aircraft to Wycliffe Last Languages partner JAARS for the effort.
Besides Bible translation, Wycliffe also contributes to community development by establishing water purification systems, AIDS education, human rights and community empowerment programs.
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It is very interesting that this donor places such a high value on literacy, obviously a primary motivation for his giving, while SIL is being influenced strongly by the orality movement, the "oral Bible", etc. which takes a dim view of literacy in many ways.
I hope this doesn't discourage people who give slightly smaller amounts. Please, everyone, keep on giving; the Lord knows your circumstance.
wrhalver, in relation to your comment that "God inspired events were passed down by word of mouth.", you may want to take a look at Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, especially Section 2.
Praise God!!
Praise the Lord !. It was only last week we read how some aethists were getting their acts together to put up posters on buses, that there was no God in this sinful world of non believers, we do have a powerful Living God to show the world of believers that there are indeed genuine hearts who could contribute such large sums for the work of the Lord in his vineyard... towards human rights, and uplifting the lives of the poor and downtrodden. Bles this soul O Lord !!
Praise the Lord. What a wonderful day for all Christians. May the work go forward.
Just a thought here.....
It is said that until Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Covenant, these God inspired events were passed down by word of mouth.
It was by the Holy Spirit that the truth prevailed from generation to generation, and through various language differences.
These events could only have been related so well due to personal experiences.
Again, just a thought....
I salute to the anonymous donor who gave a huge sum of $50 million to Wycliffe Bible Translators. Money is the dearest thing after one's life, giving such sum for the path of Almighty The-God "That is absolutely Credible".
Amen;
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).