FCBH just surpassed the 817 language mark.
(FCBH photo)

USA (MNN/FCBH) — There are millions of people who have yet to hear or read one word of Scripture in their own language. That’s changing as Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) is making in-roads into those languages.

FCBH recently added four languages to their expanding catalog of recorded Scripture. Now at 817 languages, these recordings as a whole represent a potential outreach to more than 5.7 billion people in 190 countries, which equates to over 80% of the world’s population.

The new releases are:

•     Azha – China
•     Toma – Guinea
•     Warao – Venezuela
•     Yawa – Indonesia

The ministry is also excited to announce that another Swedish New Testament recording has been added this month. Of the new languages released, Toma is the largest people group with more than 144,000 speakers primarily in Guinea, while the smallest is Yawa, spoken by about 6,000 people in Indonesia. Combined, these four newest releases represent over 230,000 people who now have God’s Word in audio available in their heart language.

Faith Comes By Hearing remains committed to the mission of making God’s Word freely available to everyone and is encouraged that supporters continue to help make this possible. The ministry is also grateful to their translating partners, whose work makes these recordings possible. For this month’s releases, they are: Bibles International, Pioneer Bible Translators and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

“Whether it be our talented and dedicated staff, our generous donors, or ministry partners from all over the world, we have one purpose: to get God’s Word to every person,” states Jerry Jackson, FCBH founder and president.

Jackson has seen the growth of a small tape lending library established in 1972 to what is now the world’s largest resource of digital Scripture content. Collectively known as the Digital Bible Platform, Faith Comes By Hearing offers free access to this digital collection of Scripture via downloads, podcasts, Internet radio, and satellite TV, while the Bible.is andDeaf Bible apps for mobile devices offer access to God’s Word right from the palm of your hand.

Approved developers and ministries can also have free access to the content on the Digital Bible Platform to incorporate into their apps, software and websites.

For those areas that do not yet have regular access to the Internet or mobile devices, Faith Comes By Hearing continues to reach out by providing Audio Bibles on solar-powered Proclaimers for listening groups. More than 360,000 Proclaimers are literally proclaiming the Gospel around the world.

The ministry’s goal is to record and provide access to the Word of God in every translated language, making the fulfillment of the Great Commission a reality in this generation.

Support the work of FCBH in audio Bible translation here.

Over the last 40 years, one ministry has been intimately involved in seeing God's Word explode around the world physically and electronically.

Originally known as Hosanna, Faith Comes By Hearing began as a small tape-lending library in the fall of 1972. Prior to establishing the Albuquerque-based ministry, founders Jerry and Annette Jackson had done missionary work across the desert southwest, traveling with their four children in a 1954 GMC school bus.

Always faithful to God's calling to "bring My church together and make disciples," the Jacksons have experienced the highs and lows of a ministry that came from humble beginnings and is now the largest producer of foreign language Audio Bibles in the world.

"We never could have imagined the direction the Lord would take this ministry when we first got started," states Jerry Jackson, founder and president of FCBH. "We simply have done our best to allow Him to work through us — even our weakness and imperfection, and He has been faithful."

This sort of willingness to follow the path God laid out before the ministry is illustrated by their move in the mid-80s to start producing dramatized Bible recordings in what they refer to as "heart languages" — the language you grew up with, speak in the home, and pray in. This decision has led to God's Word being freely available to the more than half of the world that is illiterate or living in a predominately oral culture.

The method of distribution has dramatically changed over 4 decades as well. The ministry originally used cassette tapes as their primary vehicle for providing audio. The move to CDs provided a better sound quality, but like cassettes, multiple CDs (16) were required to provide the entire New Testament.

Next came the Proclaimer, a solar-powered digital unit capable of being heard by groups as large as several hundred. When MP3 technology arrived, the ministry could fit the New Testament on one disc. As digital technology advanced and direct downloads across multiple platforms became a reality, Faith Comes By Hearing was able to realize one of their longtime dreams: to easily provide God's Word free of charge.

During their first 37 years in ministry, FCBH estimates they reached some 50 million people with Audio Scripture. In the last two and half years — through what is now the Digital Bible Platform — FCBH has monitored Bible engagement by more than 93 million people, including connections originating from 92% of the countries on the planet.

In addition to these online platforms, the ministry also provides free access through digital playback devices. More than 320,000 Proclaimers are literally proclaiming the Gospel to the world's poor and illiterate population. More than 230,000 Military BibleSticks–pocket-sized, digital players–have been distributed through chaplains to troops in every branch of America's military. Also, their Bibles.is app for Iphone and Android make accessing Scripture even easier. "One person with a cell phone can demonstrate Bible.is, and there could be hundreds of people suddenly accessing the Scripture because through Bible.is, you can access all 683 languages on your smart-phone or computer." 

As they celebrate their 40th anniversary this month, Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) isn't done. "We're adding 100 a year. And we're going to announce something this next weekend at our celebration that is going to accelerate that beyond imagination because of the technology."

So what is in store for the next 40 years?

Jackson says, "I have a dream that in 2016 we'll have all these languages recorded — 97% of the earth will have God's Word in the language they pray in." He hopes that will be the time where Jesus will return for His Church.

Pray that God would give FCBH knowledge to be able to use the new technology to reach even more of the world for Christ. Pray that funding would also be available to help pay for it.

With a drop in regular donations and major giving, many non-profit ministries are experiencing double-digit percent decreases for their 2009 budget.

According to FCBH founder and president, Jerry Jackson, “In the tough economic climate, donors want to know they are having the most impact for the Kingdom. People know that the need for God’s Word is so great among poor and illiterate people of the world. And they are responding because they know the value of supporting the Bible cause.”

The goal of FCBH’s Audio Bible ministry for 2009 “is to implement 200,000 Bible-listening groups worldwide,” according to FCBH. This goal will help them to achieve their overall goal of recording the New Testament in 2,000 languages and reaching 2 million Bible-listening groups by the year 2016, ultimately reaching 50 percent of the world’s poor and illiterate people.

To fulfill this year’s goal, over $30 million is needed. Sherri Green and her husband, Walter, are regular supporters of FCBH. On a donor trip to Guatemala, they saw God use the audio Scriptures to reach hundreds of children and adults who would not be able to read the Bible even if it were written in their own language.

“When you give to Faith Comes By Hearing, your dollars are used responsibly,” says to Sherri.

Now, your dollars can go even farther and reach more with the message of Christ. A gift of $157 typically will provide audio Scriptures for an entire village. However, Wycliffe Bible Translators has generously set up a $334,000 matching challenge, doubling your gift and its impact.

Jackson said FCBH would not be able to accomplish as much as they do without the help of Wycliffe.

To help FCBH and Wycliffe with their goal for 2009, click here.