Friday Field Notes

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1 year ago

Exam Week at Mekane Yesus Seminary

It’s exam week at Mekane Yesus Seminary! These ten students are the first cohort of the new Master of Arts in Bible Translation program sponsored by Lutheran Bible Translators.

Most of these students are currently working in Bible Translation projects around Ethiopia. This week they are finishing up their first summer of classes, expanding their previous knowledge, and learning to apply what they have learned to future translation work. The class has three more summers to go before they graduate, plus January intensive classes, and an MA Thesis project.

Please pray for these students, their teachers, and their ongoing work to help bring the Word of God to the 85 languages of Ethiopia.

Father God,
During this exam week, we lift up every student into Your loving hands. Grant them wisdom, clarity, and peace as they study and prepare. Help them to focus, retain what they’ve learned, and approach their exams with confidence, knowing that You are with them every step of the way.

Lord, calm any anxieties and give them the strength to persevere through any challenges they face. May they do their best, trusting in Your guidance and grace.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Learn more about Mekane Yesus Seminary.

1 year ago

Evangelism at the Heart of Growth

A Pastor’s Reflections on Ethiopia’s Church and Bible Translation Movement

Several years ago, Pastor Michael Pottschmidt of St. Paul’s Concordia traveled to Ethiopia with Lutheran Bible Translators. “I saw a church absolutely dedicated to reaching more and more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he remembers, “[their] evangelism outreach is not a tacked-on piece, an afterthought to the work that they’re doing, but it is built into how they view themselves, how they are looking at reaching new communities and new people groups. It is certainly tied in with the multitude of translation projects that are taking place there.”

The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) is the largest Lutheran church body in the world – and still growing!

“I was looking for the secret sauce that’s there. What are they doing that created this exponential growth? And what I saw consistently was intentionality when it comes to outreach and evangelism. It is built into the fabric of the work that they are doing.”

Lutheran Bible Translators wants all people to experience the hope, life, and transformation of the Gospel, just like Pastor Pottschmidt saw with EECMY.

Praise God for the joy of evangelism in Ethiopia. Prayerfully consider hosting a Bible Translation Sunday and ask God to multiply your efforts to share the hope, life, and transformation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your community and beyond.

Listen to the full interview with Pastor Pottschmidt.

Watch interviews with current Mekane Yesus Seminary students discussing their hopes for the future of the church and Bible translation efforts in Ethiopia.

1 year ago

What is a Bible Translation Consultant?

A consultant is a guide, advisor, and encourager throughout the translation process. Consultants strengthen and support the team of translators, and thus the translation as well.

Rev. Chuck Tessaro, a longtime respected consultant in Nigeria, explains, “Translation consultants help translation teams in various ways. The translation consultant doesn’t really drive the translation but is like a spare tire trying to provide what is needed…of course, in the end, you go through the translated work verse by verse with the team and approve it for translation. So, it takes significant experience in Bible translation.”

Bible Societies and other Bible publishers require all Scripture translations to undergo strict checking and approval through qualified Translation Consultants before clearing them for publication. In these final checks, the translators and consultant gather together, reading or listening to every verse. The consultant asks questions about the meaning of words, key terms, cultural issues, naturalness, adherence to original meaning, and more.

Rev. Chuck Tessaro during a consultant check in Nigeria.

Consultant-in-Training

Ruthie Wagner has recently been appointed as a Consultant-in-Training with Lutheran Bible Translators. She will be mentored by Rev. Chuck Tessaro as she completes a doctoral program for a DMin in Bible Translation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Preparation for such an important role takes time and energy, but Ruthie is excited to serve the translation community in this way!

Please pray for God’s wisdom and clarity to surround all consultants as they advise and check various translations of Scripture. May their dedication bear much fruit!