In This Section:
The Story So Far...
Wycliffe UK began in its own right in 1964. We are part of a wider international Wycliffe family recruiting and equipping members from all around the world.
Wycliffe is named after John Wycliffe, who translated the first English Bible. But he was just one of the many who made up the history of Bible translation.
The first Wycliffe Bible Translators was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend. A missionary to the Cakchiquel Indians of Guatemala, Townsend had caught the vision for translation when a Cakchiquel man challenged him: "If your God is so great, why doesn't He speak in my language?"
Townsend resolved that every man, woman and child should be able to read God's Word in their own language. Borrowing the name of the pre-Reformation hero, John Wycliffe*, who first translated the Bible into English, Townsend founded "Camp Wycliffe" in 1934 as a linguistics training school.
By 1942, Camp Wycliffe had grown into two sister organizations, Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). The first translation (done by Wycliffe personnel Kenneth Pike and Donald Stark) was completed in 1951 in the San Miguel Mixtec language of Mexico. Twenty-seven years later, in 1978, the 100th was completed - in the Amuesha language of Peru. Just seven years later, the 200th was completed - in the Hanga language of Ghana, Africa. In January, 1989 the 300th was completed - the Mta Manobo of the Philippines.
Today, SIL International and Wycliffe Bible Translators work together to translate scripture, train field personnel in linguistics and promote interest in translation. March 2000 saw the dedication of the 500th New Testament and hundreds more are in process.
But we need help to finish the task. It's now estimated that people in more than 3,000 people groups are still waiting for God's Word in their language. Find out how you can get involved. With God's provision, Townsend's vision will be realized.
Download our pdf infosheet about the story so far
"If it were necessary to find a single turning point symbolizing the movement of Christianity from the North to the South, a good candidate might be the founding of Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1934. This organizationhas been the most visible promoter of Bible translation in the twentieth century. The translation of the Scriptures, in turn, may be the most enduringly significant feature of the global expansion of Christianity..."
- Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity, Mark A. Noll, Baker Academic, 2000