translationCore Speeds Up Global Bible Translation

The global Church is harnessing the power of technology to break down long-standing barriers in Bible translation. While digital adoption continues to grow across age groups, many language communities still face challenges in gaining access to Scripture in their heart language. To address these gaps, unfoldingWord, a ministry focused on enabling church-centered Bible translation, developed a digital suite of tools known as translationCore.

Traditionally, Bible translation has relied heavily on trained experts and complex infrastructure, limiting the reach of Scripture to underserved regions. According to Dane, a spokesperson for unfoldingWord, these requirements have often discouraged church communities from taking the lead in translation efforts. Misconceptions—such as the belief that only PhDs can translate the Bible—combined with a decline in qualified consultants, have contributed to a translation bottleneck.

translationCore addresses these issues by equipping local churches with open-access tools that allow for high-quality, collaborative Bible translation. The platform includes built-in checks for accuracy, consistency, and theological integrity, making it possible for church-based teams to produce trustworthy translations faster and more efficiently.

In Myanmar, one church-led team using translationCore is translating Scripture for a people group of more than 600,000 individuals who have never heard the gospel in their native tongue. By replacing manual verse-checking with digital workflows, their productivity increased from reviewing 10 verses per day to over 100—a tenfold improvement.

Although the platform is freely available, unfoldingWord relies on donor support to continue developing and expanding the tool. Each contribution helps deliver Scripture access to some of the world’s least-reached populations.

For more details, refer to the original article on Mission Network News.