OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
To build up churches in Thailand for vision, knowledge and skill to involve in Bible translation in every tongue and tribe that need it. In partnership with like-minded individuals, we hope to further world missions and develop communities centered on God's love.
Together with local churches and Thai Christians, Wycliffe Thailand aims to see a Bible translation program begin in all the remaining languages in the Southeast Asian countries that need one by the year 2025.
OUR HISTORY
In 1917, a missionary named William Cameron Townsend went to Guatemala to sell Spanish Bibles. But he was shocked when many people couldn’t understand the books. They spoke Cakchiquel, a language without a Bible. Cameron believed everyone should understand the Bible, so he started a linguistics school (the Summer Institute of Linguistics, known today as SIL) that trained people to do Bible translation. The work continued to grow, and in 1942 he officially founded Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Over the following decades, Wycliffe celebrated many milestones — from the first translation completed in 1951, all the way to the 500th translation completed in 2000. Around the same time, Wycliffe adopted a new challenge — a goal of seeing a Bible translation project started in every language still needing one by 2025.
WYCLIFFE THAILAND
Wycliffe Thailand was founded in 1998. Under the leadership of Pastor Chumsang Reong, the organization developed gradually. In 2008, Wycliffe Thailand registered as “Wycliffe Thai Foundation” in the country. It is also a part of a larger family, the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Pastor Tarawat Suebtayat has been the director since September 2011.
By God's Grace and empowering, up to September 2019, Wycliffe Thailand has 17 members (14 units) serving in or outside the country through Bible translation, language development, literacy, community development, discipleship and mobilization. In addition, four paid staff are supporting the work in the head office located in Chiang Mai, while three staff serves at the office in Mukdahan.