The Koma people have the Bible in their language! Let’s join with the Koma Bible project manager Konlan Kpeebi and shout a loud ‘Hallelujah!’
It’s a story 37 years in the making.
It’s a story of partnership involving the Koma community, a number of organisations, and many other supporters and contributors.
It’s your story too – because in March you, our faithful and generous supporters, helped to provide the funds to print 5,000 Koma Bibles!
Thank you!
Konlan says, ‘We owe Wycliffe Bible Translators an unspeakable debt of gratitude for being there at the start of the Koma Literacy and Bible Translation Project, through the dedication of the Koma New Testament in 2006, and now to the completion of the whole Bible in Konni, the language spoken by the Koma people.
‘GILLBT* – the Bible translation organisation in Ghana – and the Koma people say thank you for a job well done. We cherish your partnership.’
Reading the Old Testament in Konni for the first time Konlan continues:
‘The Koma villages are in an area sometimes called “Overseas” by their neighbours, because each of the major paths leading to the area cross rivers which are impassable by vehicles in the rainy season. This has isolated them from education and various developments happening in the other parts of Ghana.
‘But Wycliffe and GILLBT care about them, that is why they started literacy and Bible translation among them.’
Dancers at the Koma Bible launch Joyous and memorable
The day itself – Saturday 22 June – was a joyous and memorable celebration, bringing together community members, government officials, politicians and traditional rulers. There was singing, dancing, speeches, vibrant cultural displays and lots of food! The sermon was preached (in Konni!) by Laminu, who featured in our March appeal!
Increasing impact
Having the Koma New Testament since 2006 has already brought considerable changes among the Koma community.
Yisifu, a pastor in Laminu’s church, holds up the Koma Bible. He didn’t attend formal school, but learnt to read in Konni Sylvester Kwame Nkrumah, the executive director of GILLBT, says:
‘We have seen the impact that having the Scriptures in the Konni language has had on the Koma community. As the Koma Church has grown confident in using the Scriptures in their own language, so people have been transformed. And as the Koma people have learnt to read and write in their own language, and then have used their language in educational and public settings, so new life opportunities have opened up.’
Sylvester continues by giving some examples:
‘The project has helped to produce area chiefs who are Christians. One of the translators now has his own NGO. Another heads the regional office of the national service secretariat.
Sylvester then relates a couple of stories from the launch day itself.
Laminu (right) preaches in Konni at the launch event. On his left is Peter Boyom, the host for the day ‘Peter Boyom, the little boy who read the Scriptures at the New Testament launch in 2006, was the host for the Bible launch. After attending the Koma literacy classes, he proceeded to school and graduated from university with a degree in Economics and Mathematics.
‘Laminu, the preacher for the day, has not been to school but learnt to read and write in Konni through attending our literacy classes, and now leads one of the Koma churches.
‘These are amazing stories from such a small and isolated community.’
Now, with the complete Bible in the Konni language, it is hoped that this will accelerate and deepen the discipleship of Koma Christians, strengthen and equip the Koma Church, and see many more Koma people come to know Jesus.
Konlan (left) and Laminu (right) being presented with their Bibles by Sylvester Kwame Nkrumah, the executive director of GILLBT Unfinished work
Although the Bible may now be available and in the hands of the Koma people, the work is not finished.
Konlan says: ‘The Koma churches are still young and growing. So there is a need to ensure that the Koma Bibles don’t just sit in corners and on shelves, but are used.
‘The essence of Bible translation is to see that lives are being transformed to the glory of God, and so we now need to monitor the impact of the Scriptures among the Koma people.
‘So the next stage of the Koma Literacy and Bible Translation Project will focus on running workshops to ensure that the Koma people engage with the word of God in their own language – so that more lives and communities will be changed.’
Bavayima Gbanwiri carries her Koma Bible. She did not think she would live to see the whole word of God in Konni. She cannot read, but she has bought a copy of the Bible for her grandchildren, who are in school, to read to her. Soon she will purchase the memory card with the audio version *GILLBT – Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation
