New Bible Translation Dedicated in Sierra Leone
March 3, 2008, Grand Rapids, Mich. - A dedication ceremony was held recently in Sierra Leone to celebrate the translation of the Bible into Kuranko, the language of people living in the northeast part of the West African country.
Paul Kortenhoven, who served for many years in Sierra Leone with Christian Reformed World Missions, was visiting that country the same time the new Bible translation became available.
?This could be the most significant event in missions history among those people,? says Kortenhoven. ?Whenever you can hear the message in your own tongue, it is better. That is how the gospel moves forward.?
The translation was done under the auspices of the United Bible Societies, which has branches in countries all over the world.
?I understand that the translation of the New Testament, which I would judge to have been the first part of the task, was put in hand around 1972,? says Andrew Mathewson, an editor for the United Bible Societies Word Service Centre in England. Since then, work on the Old Testament has moved ahead.
The new Bible, says Kortenhoven, was translated directly from the ancient Greek and Hebrew into a popular dialect of Kuranko.
Kortenhoven began his ministry in Sierra Leone more than 20 years ago. Most recently, he has been phasing himself out of the work and traveling there occasionally to consult with Rev. John Phiri, who took his place.
?The church is growing quite rapidly in that part of Sierra Leone,? he says. ?With the new Bible, it will probably grow even more quickly.?
Ron Geerlings, West Africa director for CRWM, says he saw one of the first copies of the new Bible when he was visiting Africa last October. ?This is an important development,? he says.
Kortenhoven and his wife, Mary, remained in Sierra Leone during most of its bloody 10-year civil war, which ended in the late 1990s. Since the war ended, he says, the Christian Reformed Church in Sierra Leone has added members and churches.
When they first started work in Sierra Leone, there were no CRC congregations. There are now nearly 50 churches and worship centers, drawing hundreds of Christians to services every week. The area is predominately Muslim, and yet, says Kortenhoven, ?there is a lot of desire to learn about Jesus.?
As an example of the vitality of the church in Sierra Leone, Kortenhoven notes that about 180 people are to be baptized into the CRC of Sierra Leone within the next few weeks. Another example is the recent opening of a CRC-supported Christian elementary school in Kabala, which is a base for CRC work in Sierra Leone.
-Chris Meehan, CRC Communications
Home | About the CRC | A-to-Z Index | Find a Church | Contact Us | For website questions or corrections, email webmaster@crcna.org Copyright © 1996-2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America. All rights reserve
----------------------------------
Chris Meehan News and Media Relations Christian Reformed Church in North America www.crcna.org