Three ministries have worked together to create a new tool that streamlines the process of translating the Bible for cultures that are lacking a written language.

Experts say there are more than 1,800 oral cultures – representing perhaps one billion people – that don’t have the Bible in their own language. Now, three ministries – Faith Comes By Hearing, Pioneer Bible Translators, and Seed Company – have partnered together to make Bible translation more efficient by developing new software called Render.

“What Render does is allow people to listen to the Bible in one language that they understand, translate it orally into the mother tongue, and then record their translation,” explains the project manager, Robin Green. “So it doesn’t require a written language in order to get a Bible translation.” (See video below)

Green tells OneNewsNow that the software allows non-literate people to join in the translation process. She gives the example of a gentleman she met in Indonesia who doesn’t have a lot of formal education.

“[However, he] is well respected in the church and in his community as being an expert in their oral traditions,” she continues. “And so whenever there’s a wedding or a funeral, they always call him to come and tell a story or sing a song.

“… That’s an important role that he plays in their community – and now he can participate in a Bible translation project, whereas in a print translation someone like him would be excluded.”

Their first project is scheduled for May in Uganda.