Project: (006) Bible Translation Tables in Latin America

SUMMARY

Mesas gathering in Peru

Project Name: Catalysing collaboration in Mesas of Bible Translation  in Latin America 

Contact Person: David Cardenas, david_cardenas@wycliffe.net

Start date: October 1, 2024

End date:  September 30, 2027

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Since 2010 there has been an expansion of the Bible translation movement in Latin America that has resulted in the participation of more ministries, denominations, churches and networks. From June 2018, the Wycliffe Global Alliance pioneered a collaborative model in Latin America called Mesas (round tables) of Bible Translation and Scripture Use.  At each national table, Alliance organizations, Bible agencies, mission organizations, denominations, churches, indigenous communities and missionary networks build a work culture in Bible translation based on values such as friendship, trust, respect, and unity, which opens the way for greater collaboration in the mission of God.  

The roundtables have contributed to a much healthier ministry climate among organizations in countries where the Bible translation movement is strong, and have promoted unity and built trust and friendship in countries where duplication of efforts, lack of dialogue and little collaboration were evident. The positive change from past attitudes and behaviors has been remarkable.

In these roundtables, the participants meet and work together on various strategic elements of Bible translation  ministry, sharing activities, advancements and new initiatives in Bible translation, organizing and interpreting information on Bible translation needs, exploring and experiencing collaboration in Bible translation, cultivating a biblical culture of generosity for Bible Translation, and planning and executing joint projects, among others.  

Each table has identified a facilitation team to guide their efforts and ensure that they stay aligned with the vision and values of the roundtables. 

As of 2024, 14 tables are functioning in the following countries:

-South America: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Perú, Brasil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. 

-Central America: Panamá, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

- Mexico and Dominican Republic. 

There is interest in starting new Mesas to strengthen the Bible translation movement in countries such as Chile and Costa Rica, as well as sharing this model with other regions of the world like Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

In May 2022, a multi-national and multi-organizational team, called the Peripheral Team, was established to influence, mentor, and catalyze the development of the Mesas. The team comprises 13 leaders from different regional organizations, such as Wycliffe Global Alliance, Faith Comes by Hearing, SIL, Global Partnerships, Three Waves Movement, Trans Amazonian Network, and ALEM Brazil.

Through the support of Wycliffe USA and Seed Company, the Americas Area implemented a 2-year project (October 2022 to September 2024) that has so far achieved the following: 

1. For the 12 pre-existing tables formed between 2018 and 2022,  the foundations of the Mesa culture were laid, based on a set of shared values (see below), along with  efforts to consolidate the vision around God and His word, structure, community and action of each table according to its national context.
2. 2 new round tables were formed in Paraguay (2023) and Argentina (2024)  and included in the roundtable system. 
3. Cultivated, a culture in Bible translation that characterized 10 values of a positive Bible translation culture were identified through  the process of developing the roundtables: cultivate friendship, treat with respect, honor diversity, practice dialogue, build in-depth trust, promote unity, facilitate linguistic hospitality, collaborate well, refuse to compete and duplicate, and give and receive generously. These values are critical to the effectiveness of the roundtables because they describe how the members agree to work together in fulfilling their vision. Many of these values require significant changes in the attitudes and behaviors of the participants. Thus, significant efforts have been made to see that these values are internalized by over 180 leaders of more than 160 organizations that are part of the 14 round tables. Today we can affirm that the work climate of national organizations and even several international ones, is characterized by greater friendship, trust, dialogue, coordination and collaboration.
4. Two in-person meetings of the Peripheral Team (Bogota and Guatemala) were held.  This team of 13 committed leaders helped in the execution and evaluation of the project's progress, and in catalyzing, training and mentoring the roundtables. One of the most important benefits of this group is that it is made up of people from multiple regional Bible translation organizations, who bring their experience, wisdom and influence.  All of them believe that the roundtables are strategic for the work in Bible translation where their organizations also work.
5. We celebrate that each national roundtable formed its own team of facilitators (2 to 4) who play various roles to maintain the relational, operational, strategic and spiritual aspects of the table. Without a facilitation team, it is not possible to develop a table effectively.
6. Equipped  14 facilitation teams to understand the mission and values of the roundtables and to understand and fulfill their roles as facilitators, a training for national facilitation teams was conducted during a 3-day in-person event for 53 people in Bogota.  The event also made it possible to generate new interactions between tables and bring new momentum to the national table system.
7. As part of the process of guiding the development of the roundtables, the Peripheral Team created the MESA Culture concept (representing an acronym formed by M for mission, E for structure, S for health and A for action) to guide the understanding, facilitation and development of dialogue tables, and the work of the facilitators. This MESA Culture concept was presented at FOBAI 2024 and used as a way to practice polyphony during the group's breakout sessions.
8. The roundtables are unique in the Latin American context. There is no other initiative that has tried to do something similar. Therefore, each table is considered a key reference in its own country for Bible translation affairs, especially in relation to the church and the missionary community.  For example, a denomination and church that wants to know how to best participate in Bible translation can find many opportunities and connections through the table of its country. 
9. Generosity for Bible translation was encouraged at various roundtables, through biblical teaching of generous offerings. This encouraged the leaders to better organize information about projects developed by organizations that can be supported by the church.
10. In addition to the virtual meetings, 14 two-day in-person workshops were held at 11 tables, following the format of a retreat. Each meeting brought together members of the national roundtable to intentionally strengthen the culture of the Mesa and create new momentum for the group. Usually the meeting programs involved learning about the progress and needs in Bible translation in their country, learning about the work that each organization is doing, promoting opportunities for collaboration with each other, organizing initiatives to influence the church, and something very important, strengthening fellowship and unity.

Through the 2-year implementation of the project, we learned 10 key lessons:

1. The application of the concept of the third space was very useful in building friendship, trust and collaboration, especially in countries where the relational climate was marked by distrust, lack of collaboration, competition, and duplication of efforts, among others.  The round table as a third space is not owned by any particular organization but belongs to the group; therefore it must be co-created, developed and cared for by everyone.
2. Good facilitation is key to the smooth running of a national roundtable. Roundtables function best with a 2-4 person facilitation team who are trained and mentored by experienced facilitators. The responsibility for facilitation cannot fall on a single person, since the table would become dependent on that person.
3. Annual face-to-face workshops are essential for sustaining the vision, progress and commitment of the roundtable members. These workshops are important for bringing the group together, strengthening their friendship and shared responsibility for Bible translation, learning about each others’ ministries, practicing communal discernment to understand and apply their collective wisdom to the challenges and opportunities in the country. The roundtables have used these face-to-face meetings to plan their projects and actions.
4. Establishing a regional support team for the roundtables, called the “Peripheral Team,” was strategic to successfully implement this first  phase of the project.  The experience of 13 people from different organizations and backgrounds brought wisdom, creativity, new ideas and support in the development of the work. 
5. Virtual inter-table meetings helped each table learn about the pilgrimage of other tables, and created opportunities for mutual learning and collaboration.
6. In order to make wise decisions to guide their efforts, roundtables need up-to-date data drawn from reliable sources, including their own knowledge of the Bible translation situation in the country. They also need help interpreting the data. While robust databases exist, they are not accessible to everyone, they are not idiomatically understandable to the table participants, and they are often outdated. 
7. The roundtables are an excellent contact point for churches and denominations to find opportunities to network, participate and collaborate, because the roundtable brings together the majority of ministries that work on Bible translation in a country.
8. All the roundtables need to broaden the participation of the national church and the indigenous church, to make sure these voices are heard and respected.  The roundtables in Peru, Brazil and Colombia are leading the way in including, listening to, dialoguing and collaborating with indigenous leaders. 
9. The purpose, vision and culture (values) of the roundtables needs to be continuously nurtured and renewed, especially as new organizations join the tables.
10. Many of the outcomes of the mesas thus far would not have been possible without outside funding for this project. We are very grateful to Wycliffe USA and TSC for partnering with us.

DETERMINATION OF THE NEED

A comprehensive review of this project was done by members of the Peripheral team. The team noted that some activities were not completed and there was a need to strengthen influence and collaboration in the Mesas. 

For the 2 year Project (FY-23 and FY-24), some tasks were not accomplished:

1. Preparation of a book on BT in Latin America to influence the church.
2. Develop collaborative systems to update and share BT information. 
3. Explore the development of a mesa of the Guyanas. It was not possible to make progress or have dialogues with key people to know whether or not this collaboration model is necessary. 
4. Explore the development of a Mesa in Chile. After conversations with key leaders, the focus would be more on the use of Scripture.
5. Explore the development of a mesa in Equatorial Guinea, Africa. Since interest has existed for several years, we will include this country in the new project.
6. Explore the development of a mesa in Cuba. 

Based on the above findings, the following are the recommendations for the needs:

1. As each roundtable has its own context and journey, we see the importance of continuing to nurture, mentor and train the teams of facilitators of each national table in the fundamentals of the Mesa culture and new skills to better facilitate.   
2. Influence the roundtables to increase the diversity of ministries and voices (polyphony) in their countries. This includes the voices of the church and indigenous leadership (Andean, Amazonian or other ethnic groups in each country).  
3. Help the roundtables to organize and interpret contextually the data on BT for their country, so that the information about work in progress and needs guides them to make strategic decisions about a better approach to organizational and church efforts.  
4. Train the tables on how to facilitate good collaboration in Bible translation, taking into account the values of the Mesa culture and the pending BT needs in their country, the gifts of each organization and the voice of indigenous peoples. 

Given the diversity and magnitude of the organizations in roundtables in each country, with the desire to complete the task of the Bible for each linguistic community, leaders have encountered challenges about how to collaborate well, and how to collaborate with the indigenous church, taking into account dignity, respect, and power differences, according to the cultures involved.

1. Assist the round tables to prepare spaces for consultation and work on those linguistic groups that need to start Bible translation and strengthen projects in progress, especially those of the church.
2. Form new roundtables in countries requesting this as a need and an opportunity for a better understanding and collaboration. For example: Chile, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea. 

STRATEGY/SOLUTION

The first two years of the project provided significant learning opportunities: consolidating the roundtable approach and supporting system, seeing the impact of the Mesa culture and the value of good facilitation, and confirming the potential that the tables can have in the Bible translation movement. This is why the project we are proposing for FY25-27 seeks to strengthen influence and collaboration in the national roundtables to better contribute to the cause of advancing Bible translation in Latin America.  The strategy for the three year period includes:

1. Assist round tables in Latin American countries where there are still Bible translation needs in preparing and implementing catalytic meetings where organizations and churches can think about new projects and support projects in progress  by a greater participation of the Church.  In this regard, Global Partnerships and The Seed Company, as possible funding participants, will be invited to the conversations.
2. Enable a regional Data Task Force to help the roundtables organize,  interpret, make decisions and share their information contextually.  As Data is a crucial issue for Bible translation, during this second phase of the project the need to ​​make this a distinct project on its own will be evaluated, as this not only has an impact for the tables, but also for the strategies of international organizations.
3. Conduct two more orientation workshops for national roundtable facilitators (2025 and 2027), which will bring new knowledge and tools on facilitation and collaboration in Bible translation, taking into account the experience and learning that facilitators have gained and the challenges they have faced since the first orientation (November 2023). 
4. Hold 3 in-person meetings with the peripheral team to monitor and evaluate the progress of the project according to its objectives and strategies. It also includes implementing a work plan for periodic mentoring of each of the 14 national facilitation teams, and the cross-pollination of ideas between tables. 
5. Draft a Roundtable Manual based on the MESA Culture and the experience of the project to help other regions of the world and organizations to initiate and develop dialogue tables in mission.
6. Form the tables in Chile, Costa Rica and Equatorial Guinea in response to the interest received from those countries to strengthen dialogue and collaboration.
7. Support the annual workshops and consultations of each national roundtable to strengthen the MESA Culture and fulfill project objectives, giving special importance to the participation of the national church and indigenous leaders, and how to collaborate well in Bible translation.
8. Catalyze connections among the various tables as has been stated earlier, for the sake of encouraging each other, learning together, and creating new synergies that won’t necessarily happen at the country level.
9. Document learnings, knowledge, testimonials and recommendations of the project for future implementations.

CASE STATEMENT

The Mesa Model – with its vision, values, and culture – has been well received in the countries where it has been implemented. This model offers a fresh way to build community and collaboration in Bible translation around a common vision in a shared space owned by all participants.  

The Mesas have been a powerful means for transforming leaders to lead according to biblical values rather than the current cultural or secular norms. 

Completing the tasks in Bible translations today demands better collaboration. Roundtables provide a place where the necessary conversations can happen and each organization and church can discover where to make their best contributions. 

Round tables offer a safe place where voice is given especially to the national leaders in Bible translation from agencies, the church, and indigenous communities. 

PROJECT GOAL

The overall goal for this project is to see that the roundtables have a collaborative impact based on the MESA Culture, so that the Bible translation needs and projects in progress can be completed in each of the countries in Latin America for the transformation of people and linguistic communities, with the greater participation of the church.”

The specific goals are as follows:

1. To increase biblical collaboration for Bible Translation projects through the values and actions of the roundtables.
2. To enhance a greater participation of indigenous and national church leaders in Bible Translation work.
3. Expand the Mesas culture for Bible Translation beyond the Latin America

DESIRED RESULTS

1. 16 teams of national table facilitators trained in knowledge and skills necessary for their roles, to facilitate their national table and lead collaborative processes between local, regional and international ministries in activities and projects related to Bible translation and the impact of the Scriptures in their countries. 

1. Each national roundtable functions well according to the purposes, fundamentals and values ​​of the MESA Culture.

1. A Peripheral Team, facilitating, catalyzing and mentoring effectively the round tables system, according to the Mesa culture.  This includes catalyzing connections among the various tables for the sake of encouraging each other, learning together, and creating new synergies that won’t necessarily happen at the country level.

1. The roundtables have collaborative data systems based on local organizations and churches, which help them identify needs in relation to revisions, old testaments, new testaments.  This is communicated nationally and internationally.

1. The indigenous and national churches participate collaboratively with Bible agencies in decision-making and in the implementation of new Bible Translation projects,  in countries of Latin America in need. 

1. Form 3 new tables in countries in need.  

1. Other regions of the world and organizations learned about the benefit of dialogue tables in the mission and in the context of Bible translation, based on the project experience in Latin America.  This could lead to a third phase of the project.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

1.Design and implementation of catalytic meetings for round tables on BT needs and projects

2.Data taskforce for roundtables

3.Mesa workshops/retreats

4.Meeting of the Peripheral team

5.Drafting the manual for Mesa culture 

6.Training of national facilitation teams

7.Catalytic consultation

8.Latin American consultation on BT progress for Round table participants

9.Evaluation of the project, reporting and next steps.

SCHEDULE OF PLANNED ACTIVITIES

PARTNERS

SUSTAINABILITY

1. The training workshops for the national facilitation teams of each table in FY25 and FY27, plus the follow-up meeting in FY26, will be important to provide each team with the tools so that the tables continue after the project ends. 
2. The continuity of the purpose and work of the peripheral team to continue accompanying the national facilitators through mentoring and catalyzing.
3. The table facilitation teams self-renew and train their new facilitators with the support of the peripheral team

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

This project will be monitored by the Americas Area Director and the peripheral team, and will evaluate the implementation plan highlighted in the activities above. Reports will be written quarterly showing progress towards projected goals.

RISKS AND ALTERNATIVES

Each national table is an ecosystem of relationships that is strong to the extent that the vision is shared and the commitment is maintained by its members.  A latent risk is when trust is destroyed by an internal or external factors. In all cases, the help of the peripheral team will be important to help deal with tensions or conflicts when it is not possible locally. 

Another risk is the possibility of the facilitating team losing its work dynamic. To this end, the role of the peripheral team is to guarantee good mentoring and support at each table.

RESOURCES

The following people will play an active role in the implementation of this project. 

BUDGET

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING

Financial Management

The finances will be managed by Wycliffe Global Alliance Finance Manager. All project expenses will be approved as guided by Wycliffe Global Alliance finance policy and as per the approved budget. The project budget will be monitored on a monthly basis by both the Alliance Finance Manager and the Alliance Project Funding Manager. Any significant discrepancies will be brought to the attention of the Alliance CFO or the Budget holder (Americas Area Director) for appropriate action.

Narrative and financial reports

The Americas Area Director will ensure narrative reports are written and submitted to the partners. The financial reports will be prepared by the Finance Manager. Both narrative and financial reports will be submitted to the project partners by the Project Funding Manager.

Submitted by;

David Cardenas Matthew Bore

Americas Area Director Project Funding Manager

Wycliffe Global Alliance Wycliffe Global Alliance

david_cardenas@wycliffe.net matthew_bore@wycliffe.net