The Oasis Network for Community Transformation conducted two-week workshops in Guinea-Bissau and the Central African Republic last spring, training 100 Deaf participants to translate the Bible into their native sign languages.
Supported by regional churches, the sessions focused on developing indigenous translation methods tailored to local communities. During the workshops, Deaf trainees were photographed waving the flags of the nations represented at the event.
For many attendees, the sessions provided their first encounter with the gospel presented in their own sign language. According to the Oasis Network for Community Transformation, the experience prompted several participants to commit to the Christian faith and request baptism.
“For the first time in our lives, we are translating the Bible into our own language and training people in other countries to do it too,” said Maria, a Deaf trainer from Liberia, as reported by CBN.
“That alone is a miracle… We’ve discovered that Deaf people are not just capable of receiving God’s Word; we are capable of carrying it.”
The translation movement has moved away from Western-led missionary models toward a system driven by local communities. Meg Hunt, Vice President of Global Partnerships Engagement at Wycliffe Bible Translators, said the current work is often initiated by the people who need the translations most. The nature of the movement has become increasingly diverse, representing every country, culture, community and color.
While organizations provide technical support and financial resources, the primary expertise in language and culture now rests with local church teams. This transition has contributed to the number of language communities awaiting Scripture dropping from thousands to hundreds, though the remaining projects often face the most difficult conditions.
Translation teams in some regions operate under severe constraints, with members risking years of imprisonment to attend training workshops. One team member risked 15 years of prison time simply by traveling to a neighboring country to attend a session. Despite government restrictions and regional instability, projects continue to advance across the global South and East.
In the Philippines, the involvement of Tau’t Batu leaders has demonstrated how local ownership increases the integration of Scripture into daily life. When community leaders champion the work, the translation becomes a community-owned resource rather than an external product.
The global Church is supporting this effort through prayer, financial partnerships, and direct service. According to CBN, developments in the Bible translation movement beautifully and organically involve the entire global Church in the Great Commission. Current progress suggests Bible translation is nearing completion, unlike decades ago when thousands of languages still required translation.
