Church of Yunnan to Celebrate 10th Founding Anniv. of Bible Translation for Ethnic Minorities

Yunnan CC&TSPM will celebrate the 10th founding anniversary of the Bible translation ministry for ethnic minorities in Kunming Trinity International Church on the evening of October 21. It invited 230 minority believers to attend the ceremony.

Yunnan CC&TSPM reports that there are 25 ethnic groups in the province and almost one of each minority has Christians. The minority believers account for about 75% of the total believers in Yunnan.

Yunnan CC & TSPM prepared for the translation ministry since 1989 and begun to translate the Bible into the languages of the ethnic groups in 1998. In 2006, the Bible translation ministry for ethnic minorities was founded. 

The ministry has published the translated versions of the Bible in the languages of Miao, Eastern Lisu, Western Lisu, Wa and Black Yi, as well as the translated New Testament in the White Yi language. It has also reproduced the Bible in Jingpo and Lahu languages. Currently, it is translating the Bible into the languages of Gan Yi and Zaiwa and the Old Testament into the White Yi language. "Listening to the Bible in my ethnic language is like hearing my parents' talk." Rev. Luo Shuyin, who is in charge of the ministry, said that this is the most touching word she has heard so far.

It is said that many things need to be put into the Bible translation, which also includes funds, manpower and material resources. What's more, it is time-consuming to complete the translated version in an ethnic minority language, such as translating the New Testament into White Yi language which took 8 years and the Bible into Miao language which took 19 years.

In a world where Chinese is popularizing, why would they pay so much to translate the Bible into some certain minority languages? Rev. Luo answers that missionaries created scripts for some minority groups and the translation of the Bible, a classic of Christianity, into certain minority script, will be a precious historical and cultural heritage in the future.