Bible League Australia and St Paul's, Wentworthville have joined forces to reach Dinka-speaking Sudanese living in Sydney.
The program, titled "Project Philip', seeks to present the gospel clearly to Dinka speaking migrants from Sudan.
"Through a series of evangelistic Bible studies Dinka-speaking migrants from Sudan will have the gospel presented to them in their own language," says Bible League Australia National Director, Grahame Smith.
"Seeking non-believers are invited to participate in the studies under the guidance of a trained facilitator and are presented with their own copy of the New Testament in the Dinka Bor language upon graduation."
This method of evangelism has been used by the Bible League worldwide and proved successful, with over 3.2 million people graduating from the studies during 2006.
Project Philip was initiated by the Rev John Baxter, Bible League chairperson and former Sydney Anglican rector, following a short-term locum he undertook at Wentworthville Anglican Church in early 2005.
"When Reverend Baxter met with Reverend Lual Doong of Wentworthville Anglican, he envisioned that the Dinka-speaking Sudanese community within the Sydney Diocese would benefit greatly from having a series of basic evangelistic Bible studies in their own language," Mr Smith says.
Mr Doong, together with four other mature Sudanese Christians, formed a translation committee and set about the task of translating a series of three Bible League studies. Mr Baxter has used the studies, called "The Touch of His Hand', during his many years of parish ministry.
The first study in the series was completed in December 2006, and the translation team is due to start on the second study in the series shortly.
"The first completed Bible study is now to be trialled among members of the Sudanese congregation of Wentworthville," Mr Smith says.
"To ensure that the studies were correctly taught, the five translators were trained as study facilitators by Mr Baxter. They have since completed this training and as with future graduates, were presented with a certificate and New Testament in the Dinka Bor language."
Wentworthville rector, the Rev Ian Wood says he is delighted with the project and sees this pioneering work being undertaken at Wentworthville as the first step in a program of evangelism amongst the Dinka-speaking community Australia-wide.
For more information visit the Bible League web site.
