What does the Forum do?
The Forum’s activities generally fall under one of three categories: strategic gatherings; strategic initiatives and partnership development.
Strategic gatherings: where members come together
The Forum holds two types of strategic gatherings: annual meetings and peer development meetings.
Annual Meetings
Annual meetings occur every April in different locations worldwide, most recently in Thailand, Dallas (USA), The Netherlands and Asheville, (USA). These meetings allow attendees to explore strategic issues, strengthen understanding, network, exchange best practices and build skills, and report progress on Forum initiatives. Attendees include the CEOs of regular members, representatives of associate members and staff of Forum members involved in Forum working groups.
Peer Development Meetings
Peer development meetings include gatherings of affinity groups for purposes of relationship and professional development. Currently the Forum has meetings of CEOs, translation coordinators and communication directors. These peer development meetings may occur in conjunction with the annual meetings or separately.
Strategic Initiatives: members work together
These initiatives deal with a global issue or concern of members, have the approval of the CEOs and involve central funding and support services. Strategic initiatives may include things like data gathering and research, consultations, projects and the development of standards and guidelines. Strategic initiatives are just one expression, albeit the most comprehensive, of Forum member collaboration. There are, however, other cases of member collaboration where the Forum plays a critical role as incubator or catalyst. These are known as joint ventures and projects of interest. Joint ventures are projects agreed to and coordinated by a subset of member agencies that do not involve central funding or support services. Projects of interest are those that emerge from national or regional forums of Bible Agencies and are coordinated by them. Joint ventures and projects of interest are more numerous than strategic initiatives and are some of the most obvious benefits of the Forum enterprise. Our current strategic initiatives fall under three areas that are responsibilities of respective “development groups”. Current strategic initiatives include:
Translation
Translation standards
The Forum has adopted standards on “basic procedures and principles for Bible translation” and “qualifications on translation consultants”. These standards enable cooperation and collaboration among agencies. Members are considering developing standards in other areas, such as guidelines for collaborating in translation projects, collaboration with churches (providing best practices on engaging with churches locally, nationally and missionally in Bible translation); standards in audio and video presentations; and the place of storying and orality.
Scripture Translation Database Project
This project involves developing and maintaining a database with information on the status of Scripture translation in every region, country and language group. The database covers both print and audio‐visual projects, in preparation or being planned. With such information, the Forum members will be able to identify translation needs in all languages to enable more effective and efficient planning, measuring and reporting. Target dates for such identification of translation needs and subsequent collaborative action plans are being discussed.
Distribution
“Find a Bible” Project
“Find A Bible” is a project designed to establish a single authoritative site on the Web where the general public may learn about the availability of Scripture resources in any language of the world, including the ability to download Scripture portions. Currently there is no centralized global resource that provides access to the many Scripture products available around the world. To find a Scripture resource in a particular language, users must go to one of a number of web sites that offer access to a limited set of Scripture products for purchase or online viewing. Furthermore, there are many Scripture products that are not listed on any web site. Instead, users must navigate by telephone or email the administrative structures of the organizations that they happen to know about to find out if the desired resource even exists, and how to obtain a copy if it does. As the global community continues to increase its dependency on the internet, the public expects and needs to find information about Scripture availability on the internet.
Scripture Distribution Database Project
Similarly to translation, this project involves the development and maintenance of a database with information on the status of Scripture distribution in every region, country and language group. The database is being developed in stages. Currently we are focusing on the status of distribution of Bibles, New Testaments and Portions, both in print form and audio‐visual. This effort also involves guidelines on what constitutes an audio‐visual “distributed unit.” With the information on Scripture distribution, the Forum members will be able to identify distribution needs in all languages to enable more effective and efficient planning, measuring and reporting.
Engagement
Scripture Engagement Standards
While Forum members agree that more reliable information on “access to the Word” is required, they also realize that “access” indicators are not themselves adequate to show that the intended audience is actually benefiting from, and being impacted by, God’s Word. This has prompted the Forum to undertake this initiative seeking an agreed understanding of Scripture engagement and the development of guidelines and best practices to inform and shape the work of our member agencies.
World Wide Scripture Engagement Consultation
An international gathering was held in October 2009. It was designed to bring together people from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and organizations who are working in Scripture Engagement and desired to learn how to do so more effectively. Three areas of focus were: providing access to Scripture in appropriate languages and media, creating a socio-cultural climate conducive to Scripture Engagement, and facilitating encounter with the Word. The program was rooted in sharing practical experiences and reflecting on them. Participants had the opportunity to:
- Encounter Scripture in fresh ways.
- Deepen their understanding of factors that contribute to Scripture engagement.
- Expand their vision, improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes so that they can serve as leaders in Scripture Engagement.
- Further develop networks and “communities of practice.”
HIV/AIDS Consultation
This is a consultation process, jointly with the Africa Forum, primarily aimed at (i) increasing the knowledge base within Bible agencies with particular reference to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and how an engagement with Scripture might impact the situation; (ii) developing a collaborative strategy or strategies in the context of HIV/AIDS. In pursuance of such aims, the Forum has conducted research and gathered information on HIV/AIDS interventions by its members and other mission organizations and held a consultation event (symposium) in October 2007 with the participation of key experts and front‐line practitioners.
