Statement of faith

We want all people to have the Bible in a language they understand well. When people take the Bible’s message to heart, they are brought to saving faith in Jesus and equipped for discipleship. Their lives are changed and their churches grow, with lasting impact on whole communities.

Access to the Bible is critical for world mission and church growth. So we seek to ensure that translations are faithful, clear, and accessible. We avoid taking a ‘party line’ on secondary issues, and instead concentrate on translation accuracy. Good translations allow new believers and church leaders to search the Scriptures and decide for themselves.

To avoid inadvertent bias in translation, we work in multicultural and multi-denominational teams.

We hold to the following statement of faith:

1. We believe the Bible, the inspired word of God, is completely trustworthy, speaking with supreme authority in all matters of belief and practice.

2. We believe in one God, who exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. We believe all people, being created in the image of God, have intrinsic value, but as a result of sin are alienated from God and each other, and therefore in need of reconciliation.

4. We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, is fully God and fully human; he demonstrated God’s love for sinners by suffering the penalty of death in their place, rose bodily from the dead and ascended to heaven where he intercedes for his people.

5. We believe all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Saviour are, by the grace of God, declared to be right with him, receiving forgiveness and eternal life.

6. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ will return personally in glory, raise the dead, and judge the world.

7. We believe all people will rise from the dead, those who are in Christ to enjoy eternal life with God, and those who are lost to suffer eternal separation from him.

8. We believe in the Holy Spirit who imparts new life to those who believe in Christ; through his indwelling presence and transforming power he gives assurance and equips believers for holy living and effective service.

9. We believe the Church is the body of Christ, the fellowship of all believers, and is commissioned to make disciples of all nations.