Ep. 385: Al Fadi on the Hijazi Bible Translation Project

MinistryWatch Podcast

Today I welcome back to the program Al Fadi, with the Strategic Resource Group, an organization that funds projects to reach unreached people groups in the Middle East and North Africa, the so-called MENA region of the world. Al has been on the program before to discuss a bible translation project for Hejazi speaking people. This is an Arabic language spoken by more than 11 million people.

More than three years ago, I started reporting on a new initiative by the Strategic Resource Group that – if successful – could have a dramatic impact on the way we do Bible translation. They are using a so-called Translation Service Provider – an organization that normally translates contracts, treaties, movie scripts, books, and all manner of other material – to translate the Bible. I wrote my first article about this process in August of 2021.

But one aspect of this project that is different from those undertaken by traditional Bible translation organizations is the remarkable degree of transparency SRG has shown to me in the process. Since this project began, I have been checking in with them every six months to get updates, and to hear lessons learned. And that’s what we are doing today.

The very fact that Al and SRG are allowing me to have these regular check-ins is dramatically different from the way the Bible translation industry normally operates. It’s an industry cloaked in secrecy and layers of bureaucracy. In fact, for the past four years or so, I’ve written about 50 articles on the industry and its practices, and I’ll have links to some of those articles in today’s show notes. I encourage you to check them out: https://ministrywatch.com/bible-translations/

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The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.   We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth.

Until next time, may God bless you.