Our story in his story

By Max Sahl  |  Wycliffe Today Winter 2023 edition

I was given a historical document recently by a retired Wycliffe member. The document was entitled ‘Notes on the commencement of WBT-SIL in Australia, by Alfred Coombe’. It explains some of the early history around the establishment of Wycliffe Australia from 1948 to 1963.

I found this part quite amusing:

At a meeting of the International Missionary Fellowship Executive held in May 1948 at the Keswick Book Depot, 315 Collins St., Melbourne, amongst other things, Mr. Robert Story told the members that there was a movement called Wycliffe Bible Translators who were able to translate the languages of illiterate people.* This was news of great import and the matter was discussed with some enthusiasm.

Well, here we are today. That matter which was ‘discussed with some enthusiasm’ 75 years ago is still being discussed and pursued with enthusiasm in 2023. To think of all the stories that could be told of the faithfulness and goodness of God to all those people who stepped out in faith and obedience to take the good news found in God’s Word to the ends of the earth, well it just makes me smile. 

It is God’s story that is playing out around the world and we each have our stories to tell in his story.

* While we would no longer use the same terms Robert used at that initial meeting to describe the work of Bible translation, his efforts enabled Wycliffe Australia to become what it is today by encouraging the establishment of a Bible translation organisation in Australia to assist local language communities.