Michel Kenmogne, Director of SIL International, on the Power of Hearing God’s Word in Your Heart Language (Ep. 90)

Michel Kenmogne is the Executive Director of SIL International, a major bible translation agency currently involved in over 1,300 language communities across 98 countries, representing almost one billion people in need of access to God’s Word. 

Michel shares his powerful testimony of growing up in the context of traditional African religion before hearing the gospel in through a ministry in his high school years. From there, God planted the seeds that would eventually lead Michel into the challenging work of bible translation.

Michel shares an inside look into the current bible translation landscape and the work that remains to reach the all-access goals of 2033: aiming to make God’s word accessible in the heart language of all people by 2033. He also shares about the IllumiNations impact alliance which has brought the major translation agencies together, rapidly accelerating translation progress around the world.

Topics include:

• Michel’s powerful testimony growing up in Cameroon
• SIL International’s inception story
• The current bible translation landscape
• Translating languages with no active believers
• Translating for oral languages with no written alphabet
• The role of AI in Bible translation
• The illumiNations Impact Alliance
• The work remaining to make scripture available to the entire world

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

• “I was impressed by the difference I could see in the lives of believers.”
• “People can flourish by getting to know God, and understanding their identity as a people created by God.”
• “Language is the platform through which people are valued.”
• “We are always advocating for the need of the people who use or speak minority languages to have access to God’s word.”
• “Bible translation is actually about allowing God’s light to shine into places where darkness has prevailed.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• SIL International
• Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
• Intervarsity
• American Bible Society
• Lutheran Bible Translators
• Every Tribe Every Nation (ETEN)
• IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

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