New Africa Study Bible project launched today!

I'm so excited to share news with you about the New Africa Study Bible! Oasis International's visionary project to bring a Bible that is relevant and easy to understand to the African people. For the past six years, this project has grown from a vision to a reality as 350 writers and editors from over 40 African countries have worked diligently to compile God's Word into a one of a kind Bible developed for Africans by Africans. The president of Oasis International, Dr. Matthew Elliott, says "With the ASB, we're bringing the power of Scripture to Africa in a new and culturally relevant way." He also says, "This is an unprecedented project that will impact the global church."

The Africa Study Bible is designed to grow the faith of African church members and teach them to evangelize the people around them. It will also help them gain a clear biblical worldview of their society. The Africa Study Bible is being printed in the New Living Translation, which will provide the African people with an easy and concise understanding of Scripture in today's language. There will be 2,400 features in the Bible which include application notes, stories, proverbs, touch-points, notes that explain basic theology and major themes found in the God's Word. Oasis International plans to release the first copies of the Africa Study Bible in English but also will provide translations in French and Portuguese soon thereafter. A full featured app is currently being developed for the study Bible.

The editorial for this new Bible is nearly complete and Oasis, along with partners, is inviting fellow Christians to join in and help them get the ASB into the hands of the African people. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched today. Their goal is to raise one million dollars in the hopes of being able to print the first 100,000 copies. The fundraising program will run from April 18, 2016 through June 16, 2016. If you'd like to participate in the fundraising, click here. As a thank you for your generous donation, you'll have the opportunity to receive various incentives ranging from beautiful one of a kind artwork prints to limited edition Italian leather copies of the ASB. There will also be some all expense paid trips including a real African safari! (You can watch the Kickstarter video here.)

Dr. Elliot says, "Our goal is to have the first run of the ASB available in Africa by the end of 2016. We already know of more than 100 million people in denominations and movements in Africa whose leaders want to use the ASB for discipleship so there is a lot of anticipation throughout the continent."

It's exciting to see such a global effort come to fruition. Oasis International has partnered with Tyndale House Publishers to create this unique study Bible along with other well known participants such as Campus Crusade for Christ, Willow Creek and Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, Moody Broadcasting.

Dr. Elliott says, "We've seen the hand of God in amazing ways throughout the development of this project." Dr. John Jusu, the supervising editor of the ASB, says,"The content of the ASB is bubbling up from the cultures of Africa. The biblical truth is percolating through our own cultures and stories to create a rich and textured tapestry that Africans can claim as their own."

Won't you join this exciting project to help fulfill the Great Commission? In Matthew 28:16-20 God gave us this mandate to go into the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He commanded us to make disciples of all nations and told us to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the Bible also tells us how can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear if no one tells them? The new Africa Study Bible will speak to Africans in language they can clearly understand and it will provide the means for these spiritually hungry people to be fed with the gospel. Let's do our part to help spread God's Word by getting behind this project and helping raise the funds to exceed the current goal of one million dollars. Won't you join me? I hope you will!!! Please share this blog post and help get the information out about this new Bible. Remember to tell your friends about the great prizes that will be offered as they donate and thanks in advance for your help!

"Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

"But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15

© bonnie annis

The Africa Study Bible Project

There's a great new project underway and I'd love to share it with you. Currently, a Bible specifically created for the needs of African Christians is in progress. It all began in 2003 with African leaders, Oasis International and Tyndale House Publishers. Missionary statesman Dr. Danny McCain led an effort to evaluate the understanding of the Bible by English-speaking church members in Jos, Nigeria and the potential impact of having the Bible in clear, modern language using African vocabulary. Over the following years, the project moved forward through conversations with leaders throughout Africa, Bible experts at Tyndale, and the Oasis International Board. These conversations included ones with African Bible scholar, Dr. Tite Tiénou from Burkina Faso, previously a member of the team that formed the vision for the Africa Bible Commentary. 

When Oasis President, Dr. Matthew Elliott, traveled extensively in Africa in 2010, he asked leaders from the continent how this Bible might bless Africa’s millions of Christians. He received a resoundingly positive response from seminary presidents, denominational leaders and academics across the continent. The consensus: it was essential that we create a study Bible to reflect the knowledge, culture and wisdom of Africa for the world, bringing insight to global Christianity. The project soon had a number of strong development partners:

• Tyndale House Publishers, the world’s largest independent Christian publisher
• Oasis International, a leading publisher for English-speaking Africa
• More than a Mile Deep, a multi-language, multi-country African church and theological training organization
• The Livingstone Corporation, independent developer of Bibles and Bible products and authors of the Life Application Study Bible, the world’s foremost Study Bible
• Urban Ministries Inc., a liaison to the African diaspora

The following year, supported by these dedicated partners, the committee for the formation of the Africa Study Bible met in Accra, Ghana. Leaders from every region of Africa and 11 countries formed the final mandate for the project, making all major editorial decisions. Today, with the prayers and support of individual donors, development of the Africa Study Bible is bringing the promise of a readable and affordable Bible ever closer to the reach of African Christians.

Over 400 million Protestant Christians in Africa do not have a Bible written to meet the needs of their own cultures. As the Church continues its exponential growth in Africa, an exclusively Western perspective on the meaning of the Bible endangers the relevance of Scripture in the African context.

The Africa Study Bible, featuring Tyndale's New Living Translation, with the editorial (2,400 plus features, 350 writers and editors from 40 African countries and representing 50 denominations) is nearly complete, but they need help. Oasis International, the publisher of the ASB in partnership with Tyndale, is now working to raise one million dollars to print the first 100,000 study Bibles for Africa through private donations and a Kickstarter campaign.

Many people are working hard on the Africa Study Bible - writers, editors, artists, and project managers. It is a major investment. From start to finish, the average cost of the project budget is $50 a verse and an average of $1,260 a chapter. It's a huge undertaking and a very vital project. Would you consider giving whatever you can to this wonderful cause? Your gift would be greatly appreciated and would help launch this unprecidented project that will help spread biblical discipleship across a continent!

If you'd like to donate online, please click here.

If you would like to mail your gift, please make your check out to Oasis International Ltd and send to 209 E. Liberty, 2nd Floor, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Read some comments Africans have shared regarding their thoughts on the project:

“This Bible will carry the biblical message not only into the houses of people, but into their very hearts ...”
Hermie Van Zyl, PhD Retired Dean of the Faculty at Theology University of Free States, South Africa

“This Bible for Africa by Africans will … create a bridge that links biblical principles to daily living.”
Gladys K. Mwiti, PhD Founder and CEO of Oasis Africa, Kenya

“…will help the readers, preachers, and teachers of the Bible … present the word of God in a clearer form which will bring about the desired transformation in Africa and the experience of abundant life."
Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, PhD International Chairman, Organisation of African Instituted Churches (O.A.I.C.), Nigeria

To learn more about the project, visit their website by clicking here.

You can watch a video about the project here.