Identity.
Confidence.
Purpose.
A willingness to stand up and be counted for your faith.
And a passion to see your friends, family and neighbours come to know Jesus.
Confidently holding up their Fur New Testaments Just a few of the things that the Fur people are experiencing now that they have the New Testament in their language. Up until its launch on 30 August 2025, the work of Bible translation among the Fur community was hidden from public view, placed securely behind a pseudonym (‘Mitto’).
But as the day of the launch of their New Testament drew closer, the Fur Christians grew in confidence. They no longer felt it right to hide in the shadows: it was time to stand up for the gospel.
And so, the Fur people celebrated the launch of the New Testament in their language with a big, public ceremony at the headquarters church of the Presbyterian denomination in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The Presbyterian church headquarters in Juba Such a joyful day was characterised by much singing and dancing, as well as inspiring and encouraging speeches. Hundreds turned up in person, and over a thousand may have attended online.
It was the day the Fur Christians launched their New Testament. But it also felt like the day when they stepped out confidently into the open with the printed Scriptures in one hand, and the Living Word – Jesus, their Lord and Saviour – holding their other hand.
We celebrate with the Fur people on this amazing and defining moment. Let’s hear from some of them about what it means to them and their community…
The Fur New Testament – a good reason to smile ‘I don’t know how to express my joy but what I would like to say is that I am very excited. I want to thank God and also extend my gratitude to the people who helped us to get this book which is in my Fur language. For many years people have had their Bibles in different languages and it is the first time for us to have our own.
‘It’s my expectation that this Bible will not be just a book but a path of message to my fellow brothers and sisters who are still in the Islamic religion, for them to accept the Christian faith.’
‘We are exceedingly joyful to the extent we cannot express. This is because we have been waiting for a long time to receive a Bible translated into our language. This Bible has greatly simplified our ability to understand. The issue of language has been a problem but now that we have a translation, people’s faith will be strengthened more than before.’
A pivotal moment... members of the Fur Bible translation team with their copies ‘The Fur people are blessed because they have Wuong bele [the word of God]… The beauty of the word of God is that it has eternal life… it gathers people from different backgrounds as it is happening right here. Today, God is speaking to the Fur in their language.’
‘Our belief is that God wants to establish a church in the land of Darfur. I would like to see branches of this church in different locations of the Darfur land, and this will happen with the help of the Scriptures in the Fur language.
‘In 2003 we were in Darfur. Then it was known that there was no church in Darfur. But now there is a living church of God in their land, even in the midst of the ongoing war.’
‘I want to talk about the book I’m holding in my hand. This book is truly a miracle from God. Today, as a person from Fur, speaking the Fur language… I thank God for giving me the ability to worship him in my own language.
‘When I was a Muslim, I believed that God spoke only one language. I was sure that the way God communicates with us was through the Arabic language.
A good read! ‘After the translation was done, one day they told us that the Bibles had arrived. I personally went to see them being unloaded. That day I was very happy… I was so glad because the word had come, this book came in my language! I thank God very much for that!
‘As for the challenges we face as believers here, they are many. The challenges arise from our families, our friends, those close to us, our neighbours – both those we live with now and those we used to live with. Some people call us pagans. Others threaten us and warn us not to come near them. Some even say, “Don’t start any trouble.”
‘But our God is a God of mercy, a God of love, and a God of peace. He asks us to forgive these people. We should pray for them, just as God touched our hearts and brought us to him, he will come into their hearts as well.
‘The book I’m holding in my hand is a miracle for every Fur person. This is something we should all appreciate and be proud of.’
The launch of the Fur New Testament was one of those featured in the State of the Bible 2025 report. Download the full report here.
