HEARING and READING
THE WORD OF GOD.
Andrea Fleming, Partner Engagement and Communications
Manager, uncovers the past, updates us on the present and
looks to the future of the life-changing Bible translation
project in Papua New Guinea.
Global Interaction’s work began in Papua New Guinea
(PNG) nearly seventy years ago. While we acknowledge
the very real social challenges the local church is
responding to, we celebrate that today more than 90%
of people in PNG identify as Christian. The Australian
Baptist community has contributed to this remarkable
movement and today there are over 80,000 Baptist
believers who regularly worship across the nation, mainly
in the Western Highlands.
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Vision magazine recorded
concerns, noting the ongoing prevalence of witchcraft
and the spiritual bondage of the local people. Speaking
of the impact on new believers, Global Interaction
representative Rev. K M Shakespeare wrote, “… with
the limited amount of truth that these Christians have,
and the strong pressure brought to bear from the non-
Christian members of their tribes, it is very difficult for
these Christians to stand firm for Jesus Christ.” He closed
his article asking Australian Baptists to pray constantly
for the Kyaka Enga people.
Quite likely, the result of our collective prayers
sowed the seeds for the team in PNG to grow
and for faith-based ministry to flourish. In
the following decades, Australian Baptists in
partnership with local people, worked to translate
the Bible into the heart language of the Kyaka
Enga people.
Knowing that the Living Word of God speaks to empower
believers, we can only imagine what it meant for the local
faith community, to not only be hearing the Good News,
but to be reading it for themselves!
In subsequent years, copies of the original translation
of the Bible were widely distributed but since then,
many have been lost or water damaged. Recognising
that there were very few copies left in circulation,
with none available to buy, in 2015 Global Interaction
partnered with The Baptist Union of PNG and promoted a
Bible Translation Project. This project raised $70,000 and
began the updating and revision of the original shorter
Bible. The updated translation is now in its final stages
of completion.
9
GLOBAL INTERACTION
One member of the Bible revision team is Pauline
Longley. Pauline served God in Papua New Guinea
from 1972 and then alongside her husband Andrew
from 1985- 2001. Pauline and Andrew’s heart for, and
understanding of, the Kyaka Enga people contributed to
the long legacy of Australian Baptist work in PNG. With
Andrew passing in 2015, Pauline has continued their
commitment, working with the team to revise the original
translation into the contemporary language of the Kyaka
Enga people.
The translation team includes; Susan Trapu and Henry
Yalu from the Baptist Theological College, Traimya
Kambipi a highly respected elder statesman of the Baptist
church, former translator Kondopibngi Kupwa, Albert
Kukiwa a Baptist Pastor from Mt Hagen and Heather
Mapusiya, daughter of one of the original translators, who
is a trained teacher and literacy facilitator.
Pauline, together with Sally Burton, former cross-cultural
worker and field linguist, has recently returned from a
time in PNG working with the team. She reported that
75% of the New Testament has been reviewed and
significant progress has now been made on the Old
Testament. When Sally and Pauline return in July they
aim to work with Traimya, Albert and Heather to finalise
the review.
On behalf of the Australian Baptist team members
involved with the translation including Sally Burton and
Geoff Cramb, Pauline is encouraging Australian Baptists
to again d