Celebrating what God has done through Vision 2025
By Stephen Coertze
Executive Director, Wycliffe Global Alliance
Transcript of an address given during the Alliance’s Vision 2025 celebration, November 2025:
It is my privilege to celebrate with you what God has done over the past quarter century, including in the ministry of Bible translation. Back in 1999, I was one of the enthusiastic participants who voted to accept Vision 2025. Listening to the presentations of Dr John Watters—the framer of Vision 2025—and Dr Steve Sheldon, it was clear that Wycliffe Bible Translators International (now the Wycliffe Global Alliance) and SIL needed an audacious vision to reset the ministry of Bible translation as conducted by SIL and WBTI to that point. The thought of waiting 150 more years for all needed translation to even start was daunting— and, unacceptable. Since then, numerous organisations joined what is now Wycliffe Global Alliance. Together with churches and partners who have also embraced this vision, we have continued to hold on to God to give realisation to this vision.
We are all familiar with a Vision 2025 phrase that states: We embrace the vision that by the year 2025 a Bible translation project will be in progress for every people group that needs it.
We knew at the time—and we know today—that this vision was humanly unattainable. And, it challenged us on so many fronts. What was our motivation for Bible translation? What structures and practices were we leaning on? How did we relate to partners? The moment Vision 2025 was adopted in 1999, its underpinning tenants were already set in motion. Some would even say Vision 2025 was already a reality. This was a moment for change. One of the greatest successes of Vision 2025 is the way it has revived our calling and united us with a fresh perspective.
From that point on, we have kept before us five themes of the vision— urgency, partnership, building capacity, creative strategies and sustainability. We could spend time unpacking each of these, but I would much rather talk about and celebrate some of what God has done over the past 26 years.
1. We celebrate our faithful God
The full Vision 2025 statement opens with the foundational declaration that our focus is on God and what he will do. We are reminded that God is establishing his kingdom, and we are joyfully participating with him in his mission.
When we adopted Vision 2025, the world as we knew it was relatively stable and predictable. Since the adoption of Vision 2025, we have experienced individual, local and global challenges, crises and trauma of all sorts. In the midst of these harsh realities, Bible translation movements have flourished—not only in spite of, but also because of such situations. So many new translation programs have started. We are almost not even surprised any more when God continues to equip, encourage and give direction to these movements in uncertain times.
So, here we are in what once seemed such a far-off moment—the end of 2025. In the near distance, we can see Scripture translation taking place in almost every language that needs it, and celebration of completed translations continues.
God has remained faithful against all odds, and he has shaped Bible translation movements to be able to respond to the translation needs of the 21st century.
2. We celebrate progress made
When will the numerical goal of Vision 2025 be accomplished? Actually, it still may elude us for a long time. Our organisations and networks continue to receive requests for translations, and we continue even to identify languages that have eluded our radar screens until now. But we are a far cry from what we could see back in 1999. God has changed the equation to a point where we can—very soon—see the start of a translation in every language that needs it.
3. We celebrate the church
Churches have always in some form been part of Bible translation. It is important to remember that Bible translation occurs within the church, not with the church, as if it were a separate entity. People who work in Bible translation organisations are part of the church, the Body of Christ. But Bible translation movements do work with specific local and national churches—and these past 26 years have seen this play out in wonderful ways.
It is our firm belief that Bible translation is a ministry of the church. Scripture belongs to the church. God called his church to be the minister of reconciliation. We have seen exponential growth in the number of churches directly involved in Bible translation—and often taking the lead. We joyfully celebrate what God is doing in and through his church in Bible translation.
4. We celebrate collaboration
One of the lessons we learned in embracing Vision 2025 is that we cannot accomplish this on our own. God, through his wisdom, multiplied his work by adding new partners and new collaborative efforts, gifting organisations and churches to contribute what is needed for the acceleration and sustainability of Bible translation.
5. We celebrate transformed lives
Ultimately, God has used Vision 2025 to change people, and to change the ways in which we work. Aligned with God’s heart and missional intent, our compelling motivation focuses on people and the desire to see them flourish in the context of God’s Kingdom—using the languages they choose to relate to God, to one another, and to the global community of God’s people. Over these years, we have seen countless stories of lives transformed through God’s word.
In closing …
There is so much to celebrate. God has reshaped our organisations to bring different faces, nuances and gifts to Bible translation movements. We are seeing unprecedented advancements in training for mother tongue translators and consultants. Communities everywhere are embracing dedicated efforts to produce full Scripture translations.
All of this and more creates a kaleidoscope of diverse, local expressions in Bible translation, where it is truly owned and stewarded by the worldwide church, and no longer directed by any one segment of the church. We celebrate the diversity of organisations weaving together a divine tapestry reflecting the image of God. We celebrate our historic partners, from whom we continue to learn on our journey. We celebrate an ever-growing prayer movement as we continue to depend on God and desire to know our part in what he is doing.
And perhaps what is most beautiful of all — any success, any innovation, any vision that any of us could claim, we together lay those at the feet of Jesus as we celebrate God’s faithfulness.
I have briefly reflected here on some of my own observations of God’s faithfulness that we need to celebrate. Let us remember that God’s faithfulness is reflected in the countless stories expressed through the obedience and selfless labour of his people over the ages, and especially in the countless lives, families and communities he has transformed, and will transform.
Our calling to continue in God’s work of Bible translation will not change. Though the calendar focus of Vision 2025 has come to an end, what we have learned from Vision 2025 will continue to guide us. With prayerfulness at our heart, we will continue to trust God to accomplish the impossible.
As we reflect on all that God has done, let us proclaim with the prophet Isaiah:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
—Isaiah 12:4-6