In the beginning was the Word, and that life was the light of all mankind
After 16 years of translation work, the Komba people living in northeastern Ghana have finally received a complete Bible in their mother tongue. According to Christian Daily International, at the dedication ceremony held last month, Rev. Dr. John Kwesi Addo Jr., General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG), said the new Bible would not only deepen faith but also serve as an important resource for preserving the endangered Komba language and culture.
The Komba Bible was completed through a partnership between the Bible Society of Ghana and Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT). BSG expressed hope that the Bible would help transform lives, strengthen families, and stand against moral decline.
The Komba people live in northeastern Ghana and have traditionally organized their society without a centralized chieftaincy system. Instead, their communities have been shaped by kinship groups, clans, village elders, and local religious and spiritual leaders. Their traditional worldview has been rooted in ancestor veneration, belief in nature spirits, and rituals led by traditional priests and healers. Today, many Komba people are Christians, while some follow Islam, though traditional beliefs and practices still influence parts of the community.
According to Lutheran Bible Translators, Baptist missionaries established the first Komba church in the Namong area in the 1950s. In 1968, Rev. Walter Demoss and his wife were sent to northern Ghana to plant churches and train local leaders, during which time Samuel Konlaan, who later became a Komba church leader, was discipled.
Rev. Konlaan later noted that existing Bible translations were difficult for Komba people to understand because of the language’s many dialects. As a result, a New Testament translation project was launched in 2005. A team of local translators and specialists, including Elijah Matibin, worked closely with the community to ensure the translation reflected both accuracy and local context.
On November 1, 2014, the Komba community officially received the New Testament. Translation of the Old Testament began in 2015. The team also produced an audio version of the New Testament and made it available through a smartphone app. The complete Bible is now also distributed in audio form.(Source : Christian Daily International, Edited Version)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.(John 1:1,4,NIV)
God, we thank You that You, the Father who created heaven and earth and gave each people their name, remembered the Komba people of Ghana and have now brought the complete Bible to them in their own language. Pour out Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation upon the souls of this land, and grant that all who read Your Word may deeply encounter the living God. May false worldviews that have departed from the foundation of truth be stripped away, and through Christ on the cross, lead them into a full and steadfast faith. Even now, until this light of life reaches other minority peoples in Ghana who still need the Scriptures, may the body of the Church work together to accomplish good. And may all who receive salvation rise as a light that shines among the nations.
Prayer 24·365
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