Journal for Baptist Theology and MinistryVol. 12, No. 1 © 2015Editorial IntroductionAdam Harwood, Ph.D.Adam Harwood is Associate Professor of Theology, occupying the McFarland Chair of Theology;Director of the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry; Editor, Journal for Baptist Theology andMinistry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.Approximately 180 million people have no Scripture in their heart language. 1 A nation withthis number of people would be the eighth most populated nation in the world. It wouldhave a population larger than that of Germany and the United Kingdom combined. Tragically,these 180 million people scattered throughout the earth have no access to the biblical accountsof creation, the fall, the flood, the story of Israel or its exodus, its laws, or its prophets. Theyhave no Psalms and they have no account of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection ofJesus. With this need in mind, three research centers co-sponsored on October 20, 2014, a colloquiumtitled <strong>Bible</strong> <strong>Translation</strong> <strong>as</strong> <strong>Missions</strong>. 2 The articles in this issue of the Journal for BaptistTheology and Ministry represent four of the presentations. The articles are followed by reviewsof books in the fields of biblical studies, philosophy, apologetics, and theology.The first article is a transcript of the presentation by Dave Brunn, who serves <strong>as</strong> an International<strong>Translation</strong> Consultant and teaches <strong>Bible</strong> translation at the New Tribes Mission (NTM)Missionary Training Centers in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Brunn narrates some of hisexperience <strong>as</strong> a missionary-translator in Papua New Guinea for twenty-one years, especially facilitatingthe translation of the New Testament into the Lamogai language. In the next article,Bryan Harmelink, Global Consultant for <strong>Bible</strong> <strong>Translation</strong> & Collaboration with WycliffeGlobal Alliance, addresses the concern for why so many languages have no Scripture by raisingthe concept of translation <strong>as</strong> transmission. Next, Perry Oakes, <strong>Bible</strong> Translator at Wycliffe Associates,details a new and innovative approach to equip the linguistically “le<strong>as</strong>t of these” globalchurch to translate the <strong>Bible</strong> for themselves. The final article w<strong>as</strong> penned by Larry B. Jones,Senior Vice President of <strong>Bible</strong> <strong>Translation</strong> at The Seed Company. In his article, Jones proposesa new partnership between the global church and <strong>Bible</strong> agencies in order to accomplish thet<strong>as</strong>k of beginning <strong>Bible</strong> translation projects by 2025 for every language that needs it.1 This statistic is provided by Wycliffe <strong>Bible</strong> Translators at https://www.wycliffe.org/about/why, accessedJuly 3, 2015.2 The following NOBTS research centers co-sponsored the colloquium: the Baptist Center for Theology& Ministry, the H. Milton Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies, and the Global <strong>Missions</strong>Center. All seven presentations from the event can be accessed at the NOBTS Events YouTube page, availableat https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVHu7VnTHH8gp8hcIA_kvg/feed.
JBTM 2Adam HarwoodMay these articles develop in readers a burden for <strong>Bible</strong> translation work, and equip us topray and serve so that all people in every place will have access to God’s Word in their heartlanguage, so they might repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ <strong>as</strong> their Lord and Savior.
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