News

Bibles for 127 Languages in Russia

Russian is a foreign language for about half the Soviet population, due to the linguistic diversity of the Soviet Union. 47,000,000 people in the USSR do not speak Russian at all!

73,000,000 people in Russia (a quarter of the population) are non Slavic peoples, and speak one of 127 other languages. By religion, the majority of the non slavic people are Muslim (The Soviet Union is the 5th largest Moslem country in the world).

The Bible has at some time been translated into about 40 "Russian" languages. Yet, 90 languages in the USSR do not yet have any part of the Gospel translated.

The Institute for Bible Translation was founded in 1973 to repring and begin new translations in the non Slavic languages of Russia. To date, the IBT has published 38 New Testaments, and Gospels in 28 languages. 19 are reprints of old editions that have gone out of print, and all others are new translations.

The Institute for Bible Translation is located in Stockholm, Sweden (Box 20100 S 104 60).

Interface: looking to American Born Chinese

Ministering to American born Chinese is the theme for the Fellowship of American Chinese Evangelicals (FACE), to be held at the USCWM campus on April 23 25. InterFACE is designed to promote Christian ministry to American born Chinese through the Chinese church.

The group also seeks to enable Chinese church leaders (both American , and overseas born) laymen and pastors to minister more effectively.

Speakers will include Hoover Wong, Wayland Wong, Joseph Wong, and Peter Yuen.

For more information contact registrar Ed Yee, 993 Isabella Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754.

Urbana '81

Inter Varsity's massive student missions convention is slated for December 27 31 at Urbana, Illinois.

Due to the overwhelming response in recent Urbana's, the event is now scheduled every other year, instead of the everythird year format of the past.

Speakers at Urbana '81 will include Billy Graham, David M. Howard, John Kyle, Helen Roseveare, and Isabelo Magalit.

A color film and other promotional materials, and registration forms are available from Urbana '81, 233 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53703.

Agencies Working Together in Philippines

Over a dozen mission agencies in the Philippines are banding together to reach people for Christ in the 14 major languages of the islands.

The efforts will include evangelism, drama, music, traditional media, with a special emphasis on the printed word, Scripture distribution and Bible study.

Among the agencies involved are the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Wydiffe Bible Translators (SIL) , Gospel Recordings, and the Philippines Bible Society.

"Artists in Christian Testimony" at USCWM

Newly arrived at the Center complex is "Artists in Christian Testimony" (ACT), directed by Rev. Byron Spradlin.

ACT is a training, evangelism, and missions ministry active in evangelizing and mobilizing artists (and others) to be more effective for Christ in local churches, on the mission field, and in their profession.

On the foreign field, ACT is involved in compiling an indigenous hymnal in Honduras, and in developing training materials in music and ministry for use in evangelism and church planting.

Spradlin has developed two 5 hour seminars to help mobilize artists: "Music in the Arts and Missions," and "Christianity, Art, and Culture, related to fulfilling the Great Commission."

For further information, contact: Artists in Christian Testimony,

1605 E. Elizabeth Street, Pasadena, CA 91104, or call (213) 335 7736.

260 Attend Scowe: Hidden People a Priority

Twenty five percent of the 260 delegates that attended the Student Conference on World Evangelization at the U.S. Center for World Mission February 20 22 signed the Edinburgh '80 Student Pledge to: "...commit my entire life to obeying His commission... giving priority to the peoples currently beyond the reach of the Gospel."

InterVarsity's mission specialist Dave Bryant further challenged the delegates to "... wrap your life in Christ around God's global cause."