Wycliffe Splits With Bible Translator: ‘Literal Translation of Father and Son of God Not Negotiable’
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that involves people in the advancement of Bible translation, has announced that it is not renewing its affiliation with the Wycliffe Global Alliance, a network of Bible translation organizations formed in 1991. Wycliffe Associates has been serving Bible translation since 1967.
The decision was made by the Wycliffe Associates board of trustees at their Feb. 26, 2016, meeting, and announced by Wycliffe Associates President Bruce Smith on March 1, 2016, to staff and volunteers in Orlando, Florida. The decision is also being communicated to global partners in person, by phone and by email.
Smith cited several reasons for Wycliffe Associates’ departure. The first is Wycliffe Associates’ commitment to support only Bible translations that use literal common language for Father and Son of God.
“For Wycliffe Associates, literal translation of Father and Son of God is not negotiable,” Smith said in his public statement.
Additionally, Wycliffe Associates plans to provide open-license Bible resources to its church partners to further accelerate the work of Bible translation and supports local church authority for translation quality.
Smith went on to say, “The local body of Christ has both the responsibility and authority as stewards of God’s Word in their language. Wycliffe Associates supports the church’s authority in Bible translation.”
Wycliffe Associates will continue to operate under the same name, holding to the principles followed by its namesake, John Wycliffe, in accurately translating the Scriptures.
The Orlando-based organization is accelerating the work of Bible translation in 75 countries with resources, training and technology. Its vision is to see the entire Bible in every language by the year 2025.
Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training and support for Bible translation.
Because millions of people around the world still wait to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Last year, 6,279 Wycliffe Associates staff and volunteers worked to speed Bible translations in 75 countries.
