2000+ groups still needing Scriptures in own language!

Kirk Franklin was selected by the Board of Wycliffe International late in 2006 to take over from Dr John Watters upon his completion of term in office. Kirk has spent the past year preparing for the transition and officially began on January 1, 2008.

Kirk, a citizen of both Australia and the USA and has spent most of his life in the Pacific region. He has served with Wycliffe since 1980, most recently as Executive Director of Wycliffe Australia. He previously served in various media, communications and leadership roles.

Kirk spent 25 years of his youth and adult life in Papua New Guinea (PNG), is fluent in the Tok Pisin language of PNG, and has traveled extensively in 25 countries, meeting with mission organizations and speaking in churches and mission events. He and his wife Christine have three adult children.

Kirk comments, “Our entire leadership team is eager to serve as catalysts. We want to increase awareness of the need and impact of Bible translation. Many more people of all nations need to be involved; Bible translation is a key facet of the overarching mission of God. We face tremendous challenges. More than 2000 of the world’s minority language groups still need access to Scripture in a language and format they can readily understand. The raising of resources for Bible translation takes place in a rapidly changing social, cultural, economic, political and religious environment in each nation and globally.”

Franklin is a graduate of Intercultural Studies from Tabor College, Victoria, Australia. He currently serves on Tabor’s board of directors and has been a guest lecturer in mission studies. He was a board member for Wycliffe International from 2002-07. In 2001 he was a founding member of Bible Agencies Australia. Franklin was on the board of the Australian Evangelical Alliance Missions Commission (Missions Interlink) from 2001-05.

Wycliffe International is an association of 48 member organizations worldwide that have agreed to work with each other and with partners around the world, promoting and participating in local and international Bible translation movements.

Source: http://www.wycliffe.org.uk