Every Tribe, People and Tongue

The team coordinating gospel-centred translation work in Chinese: Andrew Leung, Perry Wang, Fengyu Ji and their wives.

It’s a joy to know that God is propelling his gospel forward among all nations. It’s an even greater joy to know that Sovereign Grace churches get to play a small part in this Great Commission. I have been privileged to be coordinating much of the translation work that is undergoing in various parts of the world, and I would love to share some of the highlights over the past year and what’s coming down the line for your encouragement, but also to enlist your prayers for all things developing for Sovereign Grace Churches in these nations.

Over the past year, we have seen Pastor Fengyu and his wife lead a team of pastors to translate the Sovereign Grace website and the Statement of Faith into Chinese. They are also in the process of finishing translating CJ Mahaney’s Humility and Living the Cross Centred Life and are looking to have these published by a Chinese publisher in the coming months. For the first time, Christians in China (and beyond) will be able to access these gospel centred materials! These materials will also be of great benefit to two potential Chinese-speaking church plants in the US this year.   

With the explosion of the number of churches in the Philippines wanting to partner with Sovereign Grace, translation work is in full swing on the Statement of Faith, Seven Shared Values, Book of Church Order, website and even ordination materials to have them translated into Tagalog and Cebuano. These materials will assist greatly in the further training, equipping of pastors, and the development of Sovereign Grace Churches, Philippines.

Translation work in Thailand has also been progressing full steam ahead, led by our key leader in Thailand. CJ Mahaney’s Living the Cross Centered Life has already been translated, and is expected to be published in print and available on the internet in the coming months. This will help fill the gap in gospel centered resources in Thai, which prayerfully will help strengthen His people in Christ, and reach out to those who are yet to follow Him. The Statement of Faith and Seven Shared Values are also being translated for a Thai website, which will house these translated materials, along with select Sovereign Grace songs that are also being translated into Thai.

Further translation work is also being done in Korea in the coming year. Pastor Songhwan, lead pastor of Lord’s Grace Church in Seoul, South Korea, is coordinating the translation of the Book of Church Order, as well as the recent journal articles on Seven Shaping Virtues and Seven Shared Values into Korean. These materials will assist greatly in the training of three interns and the development of Sovereign Grace Churches, Korea.

Work translating the Seven Shared Values, as well as the Statement of Faith and parts of the BCO into Russian are also in full swing. This is being led by Kyle Huber and being done off the back of several potential Belarussian churches being interested in partnership with Sovereign Grace. 

All in all, there is lots to give thanks for. God is on the move, and what a sheer joy it is to be able to go along for the ride! Come on board, join us and pray into all this work around the world, and let’s together see what God continues to do in the nations through Sovereign Grace. For his glory and our joy!     

Reposted from the Sovereign Grace Missions blog, February 2, 2023.