“CBBT Stage 2 allows the local church to take on the ownership and leadership of translating the Bible.”

ETEN Innovation Lab
Feb 19
5 min read

Updated: 8 hours ago

An interview with Tricia Stringer from SRV Partners about CBBT Stage 2 (Community Engagement and Conversational Drafting)

The Innovation Lab recently spoke to Tricia Stringer, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Director of Multiplying Hope from SRV Partners, about Church-Based Bible Translation (CBBT) Stage 2, Community Engagement and Conversational Drafting, to discover more about the impact CBBT is having around the world. At the heart of CBBT is the ownership and leadership from the local church, leading translation efforts in their own language, fostering sustainability and long-term ministry involvement.

An overview of CBBT:

Across the Bible translation landscape, there is a collaboration of multiple organizations and teams working together within the CBBT framework. SRV Partners plays a key role in developing resources for and training in the Familiarization, Internalization, and Articulation (FIA) process. The FIA process focuses on the oral and conversational drafting stages. FIA content development includes developing media, maps, and liaising with partner organizations for the translation of the FIA content into gateway languages. Tricia contributes as a Translation Consultant, designing, developing and checking the six FIA steps for each part of the Bible.

Tricia says that CBBT represents a significant shift in the approach to Bible translation. By placing the local church at the center, Tricia explained that it creates translations that are more relevant, accessible, and sustainable. As the CBBT cycles spin globally, there is a constant flow of evidence demonstrating that it is one of the most effective ways to craft a quality, trustworthy Bible translation, with teams experiencing huge acceleration. As translation agencies living outside of the community-based translation process, Tricia reiterated how the role of translation agencies is to support their efforts, not to dictate their journey. Herein lies the real power, and life-changing effect of CBBT.

The impact of CBBT:

From West Asia to Papua New Guinea, from the Ivory Coast to Columbia, the process, and the effect, of Bible translation is transforming experiences of Scripture and the journey of coming to know Jesus in a whole new way.

In Benin, a recent workshop involved representatives from nine Francophone countries. One of the most exciting developments was a Deaf project, which generated immense enthusiasm among the team. A participant from the Ivory Coast shared, “Now I need to go back and start with the FIA Process; I see the things we missed along the way.” This realization spread throughout the group, leading to a shift in mindset: ‘We can do this.’” The perception changed isolation to finally being part of a collaborative effort.

In Latin America, previously stalled projects experienced a revival. Tricia shared that one participant had a life-changing experience, “I thought I knew Jesus, but Paul really knows Jesus. I need to know Jesus like that.” Translation briefs were creatively implemented through song, dance, and communal recitation, fostering a sense of ownership and joy within the community. The community places a strong emphasis on producing high-quality translations while celebrating that they could make the process entirely their own. Overall, as Tricia stated: “This sense of ownership unlocks enthusiasm and a renewed sense of purpose.”

Why Community Engagement and Conversational Drafting (Stage 2) is an integral part of CBBT:

Every stage in the CBBT cycle has a part to play in the success of a Bible translation, designed to flow seamlessly into the next. Tricia notes that Stage 2 unleashes an extraordinary power through the Word of God. She says, "The most incredible part is that it lights a fire in the translation team, ensuring every last person in their language group has access to the Word of God. It’s contagious.” Bible translation is a continual process, requiring frequent revision and evaluation, so for any translation to withstand the test of time, it must be championed by language-speakers who are in it for the long-haul.

Conversational drafting is a highly interactive process that introduces exegetical materials. Tricia explained how Stage 2 directly contributes to the CBBT process through:

Capacity building

This helps teams develop expertise in exegesis within their own linguistic context. Tricia emphasized that local teams, who already have inherent knowledge of their language, discover the most natural ways to express biblical concepts. “Stage 2 supports their growth by providing information they may not already have, such as the background, setting of biblical stories, text interpretation, cultural aspects, and figures of speech. This deeper engagement enables a true understanding of Scripture.”

Quality assurance integration

Tricia went on to explain that, “Stage 2 builds quality assurance into the process from the very beginning. Exegetical materials are provided in an accessible, oral format. Activity and discussion-based drafting also significantly enhances quality assurance.”

Scripture engagement

Although it is a drafting process, Stage 2 encourages the translation team to engage with the Bible at a deeper level than ever before. Tricia has personally witnessed translation team members accepting Jesus during this stage, stating it “ignites a contagious joy within the team to share the Word of God.”

How to implement Stage 2 with the FIA Process:

The FIA process (familiarization, internalization and articulation) is a thorough and layered approach to engaging with Scripture, designed to provide multiple levels of understanding. It emphasizes orality, specifically accessible for oral communities who may rely on spoken rather than written communication. The philosophy behind the process is prioritizing the understanding of the meaning of Scripture before translating it into words, ensuring a deep comprehension of the text. In the words of a staff member [Battle and UCPIR] from Papua New Guinea: “The FIA aspect of the approach is a major driver of transformative effects. The Word gets into you and you get into the Word. The fact that people engage so deeply with Scripture appears to be a major mechanism for change.”

The process itself consists of distinct steps, each offering a unique perspective and way of interacting with Scripture.

The FIA process is grounded in over 20 years of research and real-world application, making it a well-developed and trusted method. As a multi-modal approach, it incorporates both audio recordings and text transcriptions. This ensures that the process is accessible in a variety of formats, allowing for thorough documentation and wide-reaching accessibility.

The FIA resources are the best place to start to get involved in the work. Tricia explained that by internalizing a pericope (passage) through activity and discussion, everyone can better understand its meaning, in light of its geographical, historical, cultural and linguistic contexts. By dramatizing the passage, paying attention to tone, spacing, dialogue and action, it unlocks the emotions surrounding Scripture. As stated by a participant in Papua New Guinea: “FIA fits in very well with our culture - we keep history in our mind. Stories are the way our history is kept, and you have to act on it.”

Anyone can access the FIA Resources via the Bible Well app, freely available and openly accessible to communities and teams. The material is now included in the Audio Visual Translation Tool (AVTT), and will soon be available through Render.

Tricia hopes readers and supporters will be inspired to explore the FIA resources, start using them, or attend a training session to learn more firsthand. The FIA Training Network, led by Teryl Gonzalez, Stephen Stringer, and Mbuthia Wairison, offers opportunities for hands-on learning. Anyone interested is encouraged to talk with the FIA Training Network to find local or regional training opportunities.