Covenant News

Contemporary Lingala Language New Testament Released

KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (March 19, 2004) - The Covenant Church in Congo (CEUM) may have another resource to broaden Biblical education, thanks to a non-denominational organization's work on a trade language scriptural text.

International Bible Society (IBS) launched its contemporary language Lingala New Testament with Psalms at a release ceremony at Lisala Baptist Church last month.

More than 450 people, including leaders of churches and Christian ministries, were on hand to receive the new Scripture edition in Lingala, which is spoken by about 20 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Congo. A key feature, according to an IBS representative, is the fact that no one denomination is responsible for the contemporary translation of the book.

IBS "Lingala New Testament and Psalms" is the result of more than 10 years of work by the IBS-DRC translation team. "The prevailing Lingala translation, done by missionaries, was published in 1939 and is extremely academic and difficult to read," said Solomon Kebede, associate executive director for IBS-Africa. "We are excited to have this new translation for Lingala-speaking people in the language they understand and speak every day."

Distribution of the Lingala New Testament will take place through IBS-DRC bookstores, Bible colleges, schools, churches, religious organizations and other Christian and secular bookstores. Because of the size of the DRC, which is the third largest territory in Africa, IBS, which was founded in 1809, plans to collaborate distribution with other organizations in areas where IBS does not have offices.

Other Lingala versions of the New Testament are available, although the language nuances differ, said an Evangelical Covenant Church World Mission representative. An Old Testament version of the Bible in Lingala was distributed in Congo in 1971 - it had been produced by Covenant missionary Sigurd "Sig" Westberg and a non-Covenant missionary named John Carrington. They had started the work in 1954 and finished in 1964, according to Covenant World Mission archival documents.

IBS has seven regional offices throughout the world, including a U.S. office in Colorado Springs, Colorado. More information about IBS and its Congo lingala Bible project can be found online at www.gospelcom.net/ibs in its News & Press Releases section.

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