New Opportunities — Lutheran Bible Translators

 7 February 2015

 There is tremendous new opportunity for Lutheran Bible Translators in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Dr Mike Rodewald, executive director and Rev. Rich Rudowske, Director of International Programs are spending two weeks connecting with leaders of the two largest Lutheran church bodies in Africa. Lutheran Bible Translators, a recognized service organization of the LCMS, was founded 50 years ago through the vision of a Lutheran missionary who had to leave Nigeria for the health of his family. In the last fifty years, LBT missionaries and partners have translated 40 NT and/or complete Bibles reaching an estimated seven million people with God's Word through their own language.

 

Dr. Jim Kaiser, LBT translation consultant arrived in Ethiopia three weeks ago to serve as consultant to five translation projects being accomplished by the EECMY and other partners in southwest Ethiopia. EECMY leaders have formed a translation board to advise and lead the church's efforts in translation.

   

 Dr. Albert Collver of the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM), Dr. Mike Rodewald and Rev. Rich  Rudowske of LBT, discuss areas of cooperation and networking strategy as both organizations seek to work in Ethiopia with the EECMY for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. They are looking at a Ge'ez document titled, "Aleqa Meseret Sebhat LeAb" which teaches the doctrine of justification by faith and helped lay the foundation of the EECMY at the beginning of the 20th century. It will soon be translated into Amharic and English. The LCMS mission department and Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) have had a long standing relationship where LCMS rostered workers are called by the Synod and seconded to LBT. Future opportunities in Ethiopia and elsewhere offer new avenues for cooperation.

 

The Ge'ez document "Aleqa Meseret Sebhat LeAb." Ethiopia has a history of Lutheran Bible translation efforts going back to the 17th century. Dr. Peter Heyling (1607-1652) in 1647 translated the Gospel of St. John from Ge'ez (pictured above) into Amharic which was the language of the people.  In 1652, Dr. Heyling departed Ethiopia and while traveling was captured in Turkey. Faced with the choice of conversion to Islam or death, Peter Heyling did not deny Christ and was martyred for his faith. There is apparently a direct line from Peter Heyling to the founders of the EECMY. Peter Heyling's translation efforts in the 17th century helped give birth to the worlds largest Lutheran church in the 21st century with 7.2 million members.

To find out more about Lutheran Bible Translators, please visit lbt.org.