A Haunting Question
In 1917, Cameron Townsend was selling Spanish Bibles in Guatemala when an indigenous man asked him: "If your God is so great, why can't He speak my language?"
The question haunted Townsend. He abandoned his Bible-selling and spent 13 years learning Cakchiquel, an unwritten Mayan language. He created an alphabet, developed literacy materials, and translated the New Testament.
A Vision for Every Language
But one language wasn't enough. In 1934, Townsend founded what would become Wycliffe Bible Translators with a vision: Scripture in every language on earth.
Critics called it impossible. There were thousands of unwritten languages. Many had fewer than 1,000 speakers. Who would fund such work?
Pressing On
Townsend pressed on. He trained linguists. He built relationships with governments that had expelled missionaries. He saw progress language by language.
A Legacy of Translation
When Townsend died in 1982, Wycliffe had worked in over 1,000 languages. Today, thanks to his vision, Scripture is accessible in over 3,000 languages, with thousands more in progress.
"The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue," Townsend often said. He dedicated his life to making that possible.
