Ghana’s Komba people receive complete Bible that could help preserve language from extinction

Ghana's Komba people received their complete Bible after 16 years of dedicated translation work. Speaking during the launch event last month, the Rev. John Kwesi Addo Jr., general secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG), emphasized that this Bible will deepen faith while serving as a major repository to preserve the Komba language and culture from extinction.

"This was more than a dedication. It was a cultural event that united the entire community: Christians, Paramount Chiefs, elders and Muslims, all celebrating 16 years of tireless translation work," BSG noted in a statement.

BSG partnered with the Lutheran Bible Translators to deliver the Komba Bible in the hope that the Bible “will shape lives, strengthen families, and combat moral decay.”

The Komba people live in Ghana's northeast region. Unlike many neighboring groups with centralized chieftaincy structures, the Konkomba traditionally organized themselves without a central ruling authority. Social life centers around lineages, clans, village elders, and local religious and spiritual leaders.

Historically, their worldview embraced traditional spiritual beliefs: reverence for ancestral spirits, belief in natural spirits inhabiting rivers, trees, and land, plus rituals led by traditional healers or priests.

Many Konkomba have since adopted Christianity, while others follow Islam. Traditional beliefs and practices still influence some communities.

According to Lutheran Bible Translators, Baptist missionaries established the first congregation among the Komba in Namong during the 1950s. In the early 1980s, Lutheran missionaries Tim and Beth Heiney moved to Ghana to serve the Konkomba area.

In 1968, church authorities assigned Rev. Walter Demoss and his wife Helena to plant churches and train local leaders in Northern Ghana. Though called specifically to serve the Moba people, Demoss also mentored a young Komba man, Rev. Samuel Konlaan.

Rev. Konlaan later voiced concern that the only existing Bible translation remained difficult for his people to understand because of the many dialects within the Komba language.

After years of preparation, organizers fully launched the New Testament translation effort in 2005 and assembled the team to translate the New Testament. Members included Mr. Elijah Matibin, project coordinator with expertise in Scripture engagement and literacy; Mr. David Federwitz, literacy and Scripture engagement advisor; Rev. Samson Bilafanim, translator; Rev. Emmanuel Mananyina, translator; Mr. James Adongo Wajak, translator; Rev. Nathan Esala, linguist and translation advisor; and Dr. Fabian Dapila, translation consultant.

Lutheran Bible Translators reports that the community played a vital role in the translation, ensuring the work not only conveyed God's Word but addressed the community's needs.

"The translation team sends them a printed copy. In some translation projects, reviewers choose to meet in a group, but the Komba reviewers decided to make their suggestions independently," LBT explained.

On Nov. 1, 2014, the Komba community gathered for a joyful celebration when they finally received the New Testament. Rev. Mananyina expressed his delight: "Reading the Bible has become part of my people. They are reading it day in and day out, and they have taken it upon themselves to do so. They have learned to read, and now they can go out and preach because they can read the Bible, something they were unable to do in the past."

Soon after the dedication, work on the Old Testament translation began in 2015. Mr. Elijah Matibin took on leadership of the project as KOLIBITRAP Coordinator. Lutheran Bible Translators, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana, KOLIBITRAP, and the Bible Society of Ghana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the Old Testament translation effort.

During this period, the team also recorded the New Testament in audio form and integrated it with the text to create a smartphone app. One Way Africa has now produced the full Bible in audio format to enhance Bible engagement.

Earlier on Nov. 2, the Bible Society of Ghana launched the Dagaare Bible after 18 years of work. Today, many Dagaare people, located in North West Ghana, are Catholic or other Christian denominations, while a number also practice Islam.

"The vast grounds of St. Andrew's Cathedral overflowed with people from every corner of the Upper West Region: men, women and children, Reverend Ministers, and the Regional Minister, all eager to witness this historic moment," the society reported.

In a 2023 report, BSG revealed that lack of financial support hinders their work to translate the Bible into numerous languages. The organization estimates that translating a single verse costs $20, bringing the overall cost to complete one language to $622,040 (GH¢7.2 million) over 10 to 15 years.

This article was originally published at Christian Daily International