God is moving in the Majority World (also known as the Global South). He is building His kingdom there, in powerful and tangible ways.
Nearly three-quarters of Christians now live in the Majority World, and that’s where the church is growing fastest. Demographic projections estimate that there will be 3.4 billion Christians worldwide by 2050—a staggering 77% of them in this region of the world.
535 language communities still need Bible translation to commence.
Yet, as of July 1, 2026, 535 language communities still need Bible translation to commence, leaving many without Scripture in a language and format they know best. Bringing the Bible to a waiting world is a critical part of fulfilling Jesus' mandate in Matthew 28:18-20.
It's a mandate that isn’t optional. It’s essential. One of the first things Christ does after his resurrection is to establish it. He gathers His disciples and sends them forth to make more, this time without restriction to the borders of Israel (see Matthew 10:5-6).
To clarify, in the New International Version of Matthew 28:18-20, we read: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
The Bible (is) central to the process of making disciples.
The Bible, central to the process of making disciples, brings with it life-changing hope, love, and redemption. But there is a way to state this negatively that perhaps makes the urgency of Jesus' instructions clearer: that same life-changing hope, love, and redemption cannot reach people unless we bring it to them.
Having a Bible translation available in a language and format that people can clearly understand is the most compelling, accessible, immediate way for God to speak to someone—and why translation is an essential part of carrying out Jesus' mandate.
A few years ago over the course of my ministry work, I learned of a community in Kenya that didn’t yet have the full New Testament in their language. The Chuka people were borrowing a neighboring language community’s Bibles to connect with and share from. While the neighboring people, the Kikuyu, spoke a language that was similar to the Chuka’s, significant differences were hindering their full understanding of the text.
The angel that appeared to Mary was naked.
One humorous mix up left many Chuka men and women wondering why the angel that appeared to Mary was naked. The misunderstanding stemmed from their confusion around the words used for “glittering” or “dazzling” clothes.
Though funny, this is a perfect example of why Bible translation is so critically important. Learning about and developing a relationship with God is already complex enough—you don’t need to be wondering why angels are appearing naked.
Engaging with the Bible in a language that you understand clearly and deeply, with all that God intended to convey in its full depth and breadth, the complete purpose and intent of the gospel becomes present there, at last.
Jesus' mandate is as much a work of translation as it is evangelism.
Making “disciples of all nations” requires making God’s word accessible in this way, rich with meaning, to all language communities—and so Jesus' mandate is as much a work of translation as it is evangelism.
As I communicated about the Chuka’s need for scripture in my own circle of influence, ministry leaders and others caught the vision and joined me in partnering with Chuka Christians to complete their New Testament.
An entire community newly invigorated by access to God's word in the language of their heart.
The gathering the Chuka hosted to dedicate and celebrate the scriptures once completed represented more than a new book in their language; it represented an entire community newly invigorated by access to God's word in the language of their heart.
Further, it gave us a glimpse of the future of the global Church. Members of the Chuka community who weren’t attending church now are, because their community has a Bible to call its own, and to share among friends.
Believers around the world are all called to be part of this future.
Believers around the world are all called to be part of this future. It’s essential that we resist the temptation to merely observe or try to outsource the fulfillment of Jesus' mandate. It’s a privilege to be a participant.
Those of us who partnered with the Chuka got to live and witness a tangible demonstration of what God has invited us into—all of us as his Church. This is how believers in the U.S. and everywhere can join what God is already doing in communities around the world.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you in partnering with Bible translations and to speak about the need in your conversations, whether at the dining table with your family or after church with your pastor. Let’s not miss an opportunity to provide new communities with a Bible in their ancient tongue.
Step out in faith. God commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. We must pray that he guides our next steps—and then be willing to take them.
Dr. Julian Dangerfield currently serves on the board of Wycliffe Bible Translators and is is a seasoned pastor, leader, consultant, speaker and Executive Director who serves as the senior pastor of Heritage Fellowship Church located in Reston, Virginia.
