Sign language Bible translation gains new standards

International (MNN) — It’s fair to say that any industry — catering, law, health, you name it — has its own set of standards, or ‘best practices’. Why should sign language Bible translation be any different?

(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)

“Hearing organizations have been doing Bible translation for hundreds of years, but it’s only been within the past 20 or 30 years that sign language Bible translation has even been considered, or even begun to take place,” says Rob Myers of DOOR International.

Thanks to the work of DOOR and several other Deaf ministries, “We now have standards for sign language Bible translation that all organizations should be following.”

It took about a year to develop the standards, says Myers. They were then brought before the Deaf Development Group at the Forum of Bible Agencies International (FOBAI) for consideration. The group approved the standards in its annual meeting a couple of weeks ago.

Learn about some of the new standards here.

“[Sign language Bible translation is] probably going to be one of the biggest needs in fulfilling the Great Commission and fulfilling this idea that every people group needs a Bible in their heart language,” Myers notes.

There are more than 400 sign languages, and DOOR’s Deaf teams are translating God’s Word into more of them each year. You can help by supporting this work.

“Out of those 400 sign languages estimated right now, only five percent…have any published Scripture at all,” says Myers. “Only about ten percent have some sort of work that’s happening, so there’s a huge need out there.

(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)
“Please be in prayer for the Bible translation work that’s happening right now, as well as the many sign languages that do not yet have Bible translation work started.”

Pray for DOOR’s Deaf translation teams as they strive to put God’s Word in the heart sign languages of Deaf people worldwide.
Pray for DOOR’s partner organizations as they work together to get sign language Scripture to the global Deaf community .
Ask the Lord how He would like you to support sign language Bible translation.