Chapter 6
Challenges
The main challenges that need to be collectively assessed by APTB and by each member organization.
Challenges as opportunities for coordinated action
This chapter aims to highlight the main challenges that need to be collectively assessed by the Alliance for Bible Translation (APTB) as well as through specific actions by each member organization.
By highlighting these challenges, the goal isn't just to map obstacles, but also to create a space for reflection and practical decision-making.
Challenges are not insurmountable barriers, but opportunities for coordinated action in advancing Bible translation in Brazil.
Language groups, not ethnic groups
These analyses should guide
- Where to prioritize immediate efforts.
- Which gaps require greater mobilization of resources.
- How different organizations can act collaboratively rather than in isolation.
- What strategies need to be rethought to accelerate access to God's Word in each linguistic context.
Challenge 1 — Groups with no translation projects
The absence of projects in these contexts is one of the biggest strategic challenges for APTB and its partner organizations. While some groups have already progressed with biblical portions or the complete New Testament, these groups remain without any known formal initiative — their communities have no direct access to Scripture in their own language.
Figure 6.1
Catalog1 Highlight: groups with no declared translation project
Which groups still have no known translation initiative?
Catalog1 Highlight · Challenge 1
12
of 112 groups with no translation project at all
- No translation project
Showing 12 of 12 groups
These are the same 12 "no project" groups already identified in Figure 3.1.
Figure 6.1
Implications
- Spiritual: the lack of projects compromises the possibility of the local church's existence and growth through direct engagement with God's Word.
- Cultural: the absence of translations reduces recognition and appreciation of the languages, impacting the preservation of linguistic identities.
- Strategic: with no projects underway, these groups risk remaining off the radar of new missionary initiatives for many years.
Paths to consider
- Conduct investigative research into the need — the first and main action, to understand each group's context, real needs, and level of community interest.
- Map specific barriers (resources, location, political issues, lack of mobilization, etc.) that hinder the start of projects.
- Foster dialogue among partner agencies to adopt entry strategies for these contexts.
- Encourage local partnerships (churches and community leaders) to generate initial engagement.
- Explore alternative translation modalities (such as oral or multimedia), which can speed up initial results.
Challenge 2 — Groups with no NT projects
The absence of a New Testament scope in nearly a third of the Highlight Catalog's groups reveals a strategic concern, since the NT is traditionally the entry point for Bible translation and, in many contexts, the milestone most anticipated by local Christian communities.
Figure 6.2
Catalog1 Highlight: New Testament translation scope challenge
How many groups still have no declared New Testament translation scope?
Catalog1 Highlight · Challenge 2
34
of 112 groups with no declared New Testament translation scope
30,4% of Catalog1 Highlight
- No known or declared project: 34
- Active project: 20
- Complete New Testament: 58
Expected editorial figure: 34 groups with no declared NT scope, out of 112.
Figure 6.2
Paths to consider
- Prioritize investigative research with these groups to assess real need, community interest, and existing barriers.
- Mobilize resources and partnerships to turn these contexts into new active projects.
- Encourage flexible translation modalities, such as oral and multimedia processes, which can speed up initial results.
- Establish medium-term plans so that groups with active projects can progress to publishing the complete New Testament.
Strategic goal
Progressively reduce the number of groups with no declared NT scope, moving from the absence stage to active projects, and from those to completed publications. This way, more and more communities will have full access to Scripture in their language.
Challenge 3 — Groups with no OT projects
Unlike the New Testament, which tends to be prioritized, the Old Testament still remains partially neglected in many contexts, despite its fundamental importance for a full understanding of the biblical message.
Figure 6.3
Catalog1 Highlight: Old Testament translation project challenge
How many groups still have no declared project focused on the Old Testament?
Catalog1 Highlight · Challenge 3
73
of 112 groups with no declared Old Testament project
65,2% of Catalog1 Highlight
- No declared project: 73
- Active project: 32
- Complete Old Testament: 7
Expected editorial figure: 73 groups with no declared OT project, out of 112.
Figure 6.3
Main difficulties associated with the OT
- Length (39 books, much longer than the NT's 27).
- Literary and theological complexity (laws, prophecies, poetry, historical narratives).
- Limited resources (smaller translation teams, longer execution time, scarce funding).
Paths to consider
- Promote specific investigative research to understand the real level of demand and community interest in the OT.
- Integrate the OT into long-term strategic plans, linking it to projects that have already completed the NT.
- Use innovative approaches, such as partial translations of high-impact books (e.g., Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah), to generate initial engagement.
- Mobilize additional resources, given that the OT requires more time and investment.
Strategic goal
Gradually reduce the number of groups with no declared OT projects, progressing to new projects and, eventually, to complete publications. The Old Testament should not be seen as a secondary stage, but as an indispensable part of the mission of offering communities the entire Bible in their own language.
What this chapter shows
- 12 Catalog1 Highlight groups still have no declared translation project.
- 34 groups have no declared New Testament translation scope — nearly a third of the total.
- 73 groups have no declared project focused on the Old Testament.
- Challenges are not insurmountable barriers, but opportunities for coordinated action between APTB and its partner organizations.