The biggest obstacle to world mission is being dismantled faster than ever
By 
James Poole2025-09-08T14:18:00
On World Literacy Day, James Poole from Wycliffe Bible Translators, explores how translation of the scriptures is speeding up and changing millions of lives for the better
“The biggest impact the New Testament has had,” says Komi Sena, an Ifè Bible translator in Togo, “is that the number of Christians and churches has grown hugely because people can understand the word of God in their language.” Before the Ifè translation started there weren’t many Ifè churches. “But now,” Komi says with a big smile on his face, “almost every Ifè village has a church.”
The Bible changes lives. Many of us have experienced the Bible change us personally, and many of us have seen the power of the Bible to change lives in our churches.
But fundamentally, for the Bible to change lives, as it is doing amongst the Ifè people in Togo, people first need to be able to understand what God is saying through his word.
But 1 in 5 people – that is over 1.5 billion people – around the world don’t yet have the Bible in their language. The message of hope, love, and salvation contained in God’s word is locked in languages they don’t understand.
This lack of scripture in people’s languages, has been referred to by Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), as the biggest obstacle to world mission.
But we are living at a time in history when that obstacle to world mission is being dismantled at an unprecedented rate.
Related articles
-
Real Life‘How we built an AI translator to help everyone in your church hear the gospel’
Kingdom Code’s hackathon saw a room of Christian coders come together to tackle the language barrier isolating churchgoers whose first language isn’t English. Mike Ashelby tells the story behind the innovative AI translation tool they created
-
OpinionThe UK’s Christian heritage is rapidly deteriorating. Pausing football games for Ramadan is just another example
From Ramadan breaks in football to halal food in workplaces, Islamic practices are becoming more visible in Britain today. Tim Dieppe says the real issue is not Muslim assertiveness but Christian retreat – and argues the Church must regain its boldness and courage to stand up for the truth of the Gospel
-
OpinionIran’s future hangs in the balance, but it’s people are more open to the gospel than ever
Despite the massacres of the January uprisings and now the chaos of war, Iranians are still turning to Christ, says Chrissy Parkes. She calls on Christians around the world to pray for peace in Iran and the Middle East - and for the Church to keep shining a light in the darkness
More from Opinion
-
OpinionWant your church to grow? Welcome children and let them be noisy
A church in Pennsylvania has sparked widespread debate after announcing its policy to welcome noisy children. “The sound of children in worship is not a distraction. It is evidence of life, growth and the future of the church,” its memo declared. Rev Ben Sleep explains how embracing a similar philosophy brought renewal to his own congregation on the south coast of England
-
OpinionWhy UKIP’s ‘Walk with Jesus’ march is a cynical manipulation of our faith
As a new form of Christian Nationalism rises in the form of UKIP’s ‘Walk for Jesus’ marches, the Dean of Liverpool Cathedral is right to say he wants nothing to do with it, says Rev Dr Keith Brindle
-
OpinionThe Archbishop of York is right to call out the BBC’s lack of religious literacy
The Archbishop of York has criticised the BBC for its “appalling lack of religious literacy”. Former head of religion at the BBC, Michael Wakelin agrees, but believes the remedy is not to be found in producing more religious programmes
- Issues
- Topics A-Z
- Writers A-Z
- © 2026 Premier Christianity
Site powered by Webvision Cloud