Annual ReviewYear ended 30 September 2017

1.5 billion people still

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Who we are1.5 billion people around the world are still waitingfor a Bible in a language they understand well.

Wycliffe works with urgency to provide access, giving all people the chance to read, hear and respond to God’s word.

Chair of the board

These words were said by one of the translators at the launch of the Lunyole New Testament in Uganda in 2017 – this is a project that individuals and churches have supported through Wycliffe over many years.

In many ways these words sum up why everyone involved with Wycliffe works so hard to play their role in the work of Bible translation. For we desire that people from ‘every tribe and language and people and nation’ (Rev. 5:9) will be able to understand God, and come to know him, through being able to engage with the riches of his word in their own language.

Yet we find that many Christians are unaware of the critical need for Bible translation and the crucial role it plays in world mission. Often when people hear that 1.5 billion – that is 1 in 5! – people around the world do not have access to the Bible in their language, they are astonished that there is still so much work to be done.

Because of this we are increasing our investment in letting people know about the ongoing need for Bible translation,

of the work that Wycliffe is doing to meet that need, and of the important role they can play through praying for the work, financing the work, and in sending more people to be part of the work.

In doing this we also aim to serve churches through offering them a way to facilitate their commitment to the Great Commission and by reminding Christians everywhere what a privilege and blessing it is to have God’s word freely available in their language.

We are immensely grateful to all of you who partner with us in supporting the ministry of Bible translation. We are truly blessed to have so many individuals, churches, trusts and corporations walking with us and sharing our desire that all peoples will be able to hear God speak to them in their own language. We are especially thankful to all our people – members, employees and volunteers – for their wonderful enthusiasm, selfless giving, dedication and perseverance. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

‘God speaks to be understood. That is why we have translation.’

David Steinegger Wycliffe UK is a charity registered in England and Wales no 251233; a charity in Scotland no SC039140; and a company registered in England and Wales no 819788. Registered office: The Clare Charity Centre, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, High Wycombe HP14 4BF

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‘It is hard for us to imagine not being able to read the Bible in our mother tongue. What better gift could the Mbembe people receive than God’s word? It has been a privilege to have prayed together for the translation work, literacy programmes, and above all, that God’s word would have a real life-changing impact on the people. The little we have contributed has been made so much more in the hands of our Lord.’

John Johnstone, church leader

‘Mission history shows that no church planting movement has been sustained long term without access to the whole Bible.’

Samuel Chiang, Lausanne Catalyst for Orality

Executive director

Because the work of Bible translation is so critical to the cause of mission worldwide – and because there is so much yet to be done – it is necessary for us to invest in building an organisation that is fit for the purpose God has called us to, and is able to not only sustain, but also accelerate, the work of Bible translation around the world.

The past decade had seen a reduction in our capacity due to a slow decline in income as well as in new people offering to serve overseas. We have been working hard to reverse these trends, through investing the proceeds from the sale of our former site, and in restructuring parts of the organisation so we are well placed to meet coming challenges.

In particular, we are focussing on identifying the next generation of supporters who will pray and give, and of people who will serve overseas with us. We are also working to strengthen our relationships with existing supporters and towards raising our standards of care for our current personnel. Deepening our relationships with our international partners and

projects worldwide is likewise a crucial part of sustaining and expanding the work.

The most visible change in 2017 was the launch of our new identity, including our new logo, and a new website and magazine. These allow us to communicate more clearly and effectively. But behind the scenes there have also been significant changes, including a new IT platform and the recruitment of key staff to enable more rapid progress.

In 2018 we will be seeking to find new supporters who will give to and pray for Bible translation ministry around the world. We pray that we would increasingly become a preferred partner for Christians who share our passion and desire that all peoples should be able to engage with God’s word, wherever they are from, and whatever language they speak.

We see tremendous opportunities in the years ahead and the great need that this work is meeting. As this is God’s work, not ours, we look to him to provide the growth we seek for his glory.

Translating the Bible is one of the most fundamentally significant parts of world mission today. The Great Commission simply can’t go forward without the Bible being available in people’s languages – and there are still 1.5 billion people without the Bible in their language.

James Poole

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The Bible in the local language is essential in order to make disciples rooted in the word of God. We train and support local translators and seek to build community involvement from the very beginning, fostering local ownership and working together towards an accurate, clear translation for every community that needs one.

Bible translation

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As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,and do not return to it without watering the earthand making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Where necessary, we train local literacy teachers and help start up literacy initiatives. Literacy is not only so people can read books; literacy gives people the tools for everyday tasks such as telling the time and reading and writing emails. Learning to read can even open doors to new opportunities such as running a business, and lead to economic growth and wider community change. Above all, literacy opens the door to transformation through reading God’s word.

LiteracyBecause the Bible is more than a book to be read or listened to, we partner with communities to find the best ways for them to engage with the Bible and connect with God through it. This includes training local church and Sunday school leaders, starting Bible study groups, offering Bible-based trauma healing workshops and more. We support communities and empower churches to worship God through songs and other local cultural expressions inspired by Bible verses.

Scripture use

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This means a total of 3312 languages have some Scripture

Bible translation is in progress in at least 2584 languages

…but 1.5 billion people are still waiting for the whole Bible in their first language

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We are making progress…

There are 7099 languages in active use around the world

670 of these have the complete Bible (up from 636 last year)

A further 1521 languages have the New Testament (up from 1442 last year)

And 1121 languages have Scripture selections and stories

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Moving towards the goal of universal accessBible translation progress over the past 40 years

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

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ber

of la

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000)

New Testament Whole Bible

20173312

translations(Scripture of any amount)

180068

translations

Currently we have 362 people from the UK and Ireland serving 461 million people speaking 326 languages in 56 countries

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2015 2020

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A Bible in their own language

In the early 1970s, one Bagwere man, Sam Mubbala, had a vision to see a Bible for his people, but the political regime at the time made any official Bible translation work very difficult. Sam and others worked quietly on a Lugwere translation for a number of years. In the 1990s, Wycliffe became involved and things really started to take off.

The Lugwere New Testament was launched in July 2017: finally, the Bagwere people had a New Testament in their own language! Jackie, a local teacher, broke down in tears of joy when she received her very own copy, and is excited because she knows the translated Scriptures will help her to bring many to Christ.

Now the team has started work on the Old Testament – an even bigger task that will require long-term commitment from the Bagwere themselves as well as overseas partners.

There are thousands more people groups around the world just like the Bagwere, who are still waiting to hear God speak their language.

We are working to make universal Bible access a reality, and donations make this work possible.

For many, many years, the Bagwere people of Uganda have felt limited by the dominance of the local trade languages, English and Luganda. Their own language, Lugwere, wasn’t recognised at the same level. Even for those who could understand the trade languages, they didn’t communicate at the deepest level, and proved a barrier to understanding and applying God’s word. They longed to know: Did God speak their language?

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‘Serving this community gives me full joy and satisfaction for our ministry among them. The coming and launch of the Lugwere New Testament was the climax of our joy as we witnessed thousands of people celebrate the arrival of the Lugwere New Testament.

I sincerely thank all those who have taken time to think about the Bagwere, to pray for the Bagwere and to financially support us and this project over the years. Your generous financial gift through Wycliffe makes a difference among the Bagwere and it is a legacy the Bagwere will ever remember. You have invested in the Kingdom and brought Jesus to the Bagwere.’

Gift Asiku, Uganda language programme coordinator (pictured here with his wife Kathryn)

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FinancesIncome Total: £6,528,592

Individuals £3, 744,902Churches £1, 647,030Trusts and others £ 592,495Legacies £ 544,165*

Expenses Total: £6,533,665

Members £4,198,611Projects £ 773,937Partners £ 242,797Advocacy £ 279,957Raising funds and support £ 436,670Office accommodation £ 141,054Supporting charitable costs £ 460,639

‘Our mother tongue is the language in which God speaks to each of us. He does not speak in a sacred language, but in ordinary language, that we may hear him and realise that this gospel is about us and that we have been invited to join a company drawn from every people, tribe, tongue, nation and language.’

Kwame Bediako, former director of Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology, Ghana

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Further financial information can be found in the audited accounts, which are available online or on request.

Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2017

* We are grateful to God for the legacies received during 2017, which will be delivered to projects and partners in the current financial year.

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After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’

Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)

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We had finished translating Matthew and needed to make sure the translation was clear and natural to mother-tongue speakers. I spent several days reading it through with the Imam (the local Muslim leader). On our third day together, he seemed troubled by something. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, ‘these words are very powerful – they trouble me and force me to think about my life.’ Later he said,‘When you have finished translating the Bible, this town will come to know the truth and will be changed…’ Imam in a sensitive 99% Muslim part of West Africa (anonymous for security reasons)

Wycliffe Bible Translators UK

@wycliffeuk

Wycliffe Bible Translators UK

wycliffe.org.uk

The Clare Charity Centre, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, High Wycombe HP14 4BF01494 569100info@wycliffe.org.uk

The Mount Business Centre, 2 Woodstock Link, Belfast BT6 8DD+44 (0)28 9073 5854northernireland@wycliffe.org.uk

10 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AA0131 2609772scotland@wycliffe.org.uk