Missions Sunday - June 2015

Fifty years ago probably most people in Wales knew the story of Mary Jones and her Bible. In 1800 a poor Welsh girl walked twenty-six miles to buy her own Bible. The minister, Rev Thomas Charles, who sold it to her when she arrived at his house in Bala was so impressed by Mary's determination to own her own Bible in her own language that four years later he began what was to be become known as the British and Foreign Bible Society. Sadly not only do many people in Wales no longer know the story, they don't even read the Bible anymore. In the UK we have been spoiled by having the Bible readily available to us in English in over 50 different versions these days.

But in many parts of the world there are people groups who still today do not have the Bible in their own language. Of the 7000 languages in the world today more than 1800 still need a Bible translation project to begin. Thankfully more than 500 languages have the complete Bible available and Wycliffe Bible Translators' vision is that by 2025 a translation programme will begin in every remaining language.

James Poole is the new UK Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators joining the staff about a year ago. James has been working in cross-cultural mission for the past 10 years in Kenya and latterly on the staff of St Andrew the Great Church in Cambridge, where he was Associate Vicar for Internationals' ministry. James will be our speaker for Mission Sunday at Cathays on June 14th. We also look forward to hearing from our own associate mission partners, Dan and Rachel King, who are home from Tanzania where they are working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mbeya. Dan is involved in a translation project and Rachel works in Mbalizi Hospital.

Come and join us for any of the services on the 14th and hear more about the exciting task of getting the Bible into the mother tongues of those 1800 languages that still need a translation project. We will also have an opportunity to meet James, Dan and Rachel over a church lunch at 1.00 pm in the Pierce Hall.
 

Services at Highfields Cathays: