by Jenny Fallon, Burkina Faso
2 September 2005

The Gourma Bible will be officially dedicated in Burkina Faso in September 2005. The Gourma are a group of about a half million people. They practice African traditional religion, dominated by the occult and fetishism.

SIM has worked for many years among the Gourma people who have responded to ministries of mercy, to personal witnessing, and to the JESUS film. A long-term Bible School in the Gourma language combines training for believers in community development and biblical ministry.

Of the 71 languages used in Burkina Faso, indigenous languages that now have the entire Bible available can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The publication in June 2005 of the Bible in the Gourma language provides a powerful tool for the church. 3600 copies were sold in the first three weeks.

In addition to the Bibles, another project is about to bring great benefit to the Gourma churches. Small libraries of resource books in the Gourma languages will be distributed to pastors and church leaders in October. They will be given out during seminars that offer training in how to use the resource books. (Pastors' Book Set Project)

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