Where We Serve / Papua New Guinea Capacity: Coordination Office – Evangelical Lutheran Church

Papua New Guinea Capacity: Coordination Office – Evangelical Lutheran Church

Papua New Guinea’s churches are strengthening their capacity to coordinate Bible translation work within the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Capacity Building

Country

  • Papua New Guinea

Region

  • South Pacific

Language Population

2,000,000

Strengthening church leadership for Bible translation in Papua New Guinea

Join us in establishing the Bible Translation Desk within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG), empowering church leaders to coordinate translation efforts, connect with regional partners, and integrate Scripture work across church districts for sustainable, church-led Bible translation ministry.

Empowering Leaders to Foster Bible Translation

Every community in Papua New Guinea deserves God’s Word in their heart language. This program supports the establishment and ongoing development of a Bible Translation Coordination Office within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea. The office helps church leaders coordinate translation efforts, connect with partners, and guide Scripture work across church districts in sustainable, church‑led ways.

Program Goals

  1. Establish and operationalize a national Bible Translation Coordination Office
  2. Orient church leaders to current Bible translation practices and partnerships
  3. Engage districts and circuits in coordinated Bible translation planning
  4. Support the development of translation‑related policy and literacy alignment within the church
  5. Equip designated church leaders to oversee and support translation work 

Papua New Guinea Capacity: Coordination Office – Evangelical Lutheran Church Plan

Step 1

Establish Translation Desk

  • Set up the national office to coordinate translation activities
  • Appoint interim coordinator and recruit a project coordinator
  • Hire a part-time intern to assist with logistics and office setup

Step 2

Train and Orient Church Leaders

  • Facilitate workshops for leaders to learn about global trends
  • Send representatives to key Bible translation conferences
  • Conduct regional meetings to share knowledge with districts

Step 3

Promote Language Engagement

  • Organize participatory workshops for community involvement
  • Implement training on multilingual literacy and church policies
  • Encourage collaboration with existing literacy initiatives in Tok Pisin

Meet the Local Team

Partner Organizations

Program Progress

  • Office setup for the Bible Translation Coordination Office is in progress. Basic structures are in place, with remaining setup ongoing.
  • An interim coordinator has been formally appointed. Recruitment for a full‑time project coordinator is ongoing.
  • A part‑time office intern has been hired to support logistics and administration.
  • An interim Translation Committee has been established and has held its first meeting. Formalization through church governance is pending.
  • Church leaders have participated in regional and international Bible translation forums and conferences, supporting awareness and relationship‑building.

Help Bring Scripture to Life


God speaks every language. Your gift helps ensure the translated Word reaches every language community in Papua New Guinea.