This post shares Pastor Cam’s* story from our Thanksgiving campaign. Find out how you can help people receive the Good News of Jesus in their own language for the first time at wycliffe.ca/thanksgiving
John Wycliffe’s vision
Centuries ago, John Wycliffe faced fierce opposition from political and church leaders to translate the Scriptures into English. He worked in secret, and even after his death, his writings were banned. Yet his vision—that ordinary people should have access to the Bible in their own language—could not be stopped.
The vision grows
That same vision is alive today in communities around the world. Pastor Cam,* the first Christian pastor and Bible translator among the Ne* people of Southeast Asia, drafted the very first verse of Scripture in his language only a few years ago.
It came at an important time. Years earlier, the first Ne believers faced ostracism and were forced to flee their homes and establish a Christian village. They longed to grow spiritually, but they didn’t have God’s Word in a language they could truly understand. Seeing their need, Cam was determined to give his people a verse of Scripture in their heart language, even before the formal project and translation training workshops began.
The first verse of Scripture in Ne
Using a newly developed Ne alphabet, he translated Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Soon after, that verse was read as fourteen Ne believers were baptized. For the first time, their church celebrated with Scripture in their own language.
Like the early English believers who gathered in secret to hear Wycliffe’s translation, Ne Christians today often face opposition for reading Scripture. Many have been displaced from their homes and villages. Still, their commitment to God and His Word remains.
Pastor Cam’s motivation
Pastor Cam says that preaching is easier and more powerful with Scriptures in Ne. Before, he struggled to translate sermons on the spot from the national language. Now, when he reads from Ne passages, the people understand. Jesus speaks to their hearts.
Recently, Ne villagers embraced Pastor Cam with tears of gratitude. One elder asked what motivated him and his team. His answer was simple:
“Because of God’s love. Because God loves you, and we want to show you his love.”
*pseudonyms used due to project sensitivity