One of the questions which increasingly concerns me in my ‘day job’ with Wycliffe Bible Translators is how churches and mission agencies should work together. This is obviously extremely important to an organisation such as ours which can only exist as long as churches continue to provide resources for the agency.
This question is increasingly my concern because I am still transitioning into my new role with Wycliffe UK. I am going to direct my readers to my boss Eddie Arthur’s recent blog with the same title.
However one of Eddie’s 8 points is this one…
There are some mission activities, Bible Translation being one, which require specialised knowledge and skills. Churches, for the most part cannot realistically take on these activities, whereas there are a number of specialist agencies which are are well equipped to do them.
Of course you may debate this point. However I am very encouraged that in the past year or so, this very point has been recognised by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) – and this is what they say on their Board of Mission Overseas website (slightly edited for clarity)…
Specialist agencies are doing what no one church or denomination can easily do, playing a vital role in the building of God’s Kingdom around the world.
Recognising the importance of Wycliffe Bible Translators, in Presbyterian Mission Overseas we are beginning to explore ways in which we can forge closer links with Wycliffe (acting through its office in Belfast).
To this end, we commend the work of Wycliffe and would encourage our congregations to support them in any way they can.
I encourage you to read Eddie’s whole blog and comment on it.
Meanwhile our task throughout the UK is to develop similar links to that with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
To this end you may like to fill in the online survey referred to in a recent Wycliffe UK Blog…
We would like to know what you think about the future of partnerships between churches and mission agencies. We’ve even put a survey online so you don’t need to move from where you are to answer the questions… http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wycliffeuk
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