This past month our base leadership team was invited to a conference in Kona, Hawaii. The conference gathered leaders from various YWAM bases who have been actively involved in Bible distribution and ending Bible poverty. Together they learned about the vision and heart behind the YWAM covenant, End Bible Poverty Now. They learned about the partnerships that YWAM has created with foundations such as Wycliffe, Faith Comes by Hearing, The Jesus Film and others, who are actively involved with ending Bible poverty. Together, they are all working towards one goal – the translation and distribution of The Gospel unto the last of the nations. Everyone has a different role and part to play in this vision, but together they have all agreed to:
- Pray
- Translate
- Publish
- Distribute
- Educate
- Motivate
These six things are what make up the End Bible Poverty Now Covenant, and YWAM Redding is beyond excited to have the privilege of taking part in this!
The Back Story
1967
The End Bible Poverty Now movement started with a small spark in Loren Cunningham’s mind in 1967. He was on a trip in Mexico when their bus broke down, so they started to share the Gospel in the local village. While there, woman wearing a faded red dress approached them and asked for a Bible. She shared with them that she couldn’t find one in her own village or in any of the surrounding villages. Loren and his team searched and finally found one Spanish Bible to give to her.
As they were driving away, Loren reflected on this situation, and God began to speak to him. He showed Loren the great need to bring Bibles to nations and people who don’t have access to the Word of God in their language. He contacted the Bible Society and shortly thereafter they distributed 50,000 Bibles in Mexico.
1983 and 2020
President Reagan declared 1983 to be the year of the Bible. In the two years that followed, the entirety of Hawaii received the Word of God. In 1999 Wycliffe Bible Translators declared that the translations for the last nations who have yet to receive a Bible in their own language would be finished by 2025. This is when the term “Eradicating Bible Poverty” was coined. Shortly after this, in 2003, Loren declared that every remaining language without a bible would begin being translated by 2020. This is how the official goal of End Bible Poverty Now was established. We want at least a portion of the Bible to be published and accessible to people in every country, tribe, and nation by the year 2033.
Becoming a Bible Hub
YWAM Redding is proud to announce that in our partnership with this movement, we are officially a “Bible Hub” for Ending Bible Poverty Now! This means that we are a west coast resource center for the storage and distribution of Bibles! In addition to hard copies, we will have the ability to produce Bible SD cards in any translated language. We will also be able to provide Jesus Film projectors and other materials to outreach teams. Surrounding bases can request any of these resources so that, together, we can get God’s Word to the nations!