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The Tale of the Tract Strewer


When I think of Wycliffe's mission and goals I am reminded of the many walks I took through the local park as a recent college graduate. The picturesque scene, normally enjoyed by the average park-goer, was often defaced by hundreds of soggy, torn, or trampled gospel tracts bestrewing the sidewalks, sitting areas, and grass. I had learned that a well-intentioned man with time and money to spare had sown countless numbers of these tracts in the park in the hope of reaching the lost. Unfortunately, said tracts invariably clogged the storm drains and generally proved to be a public eyesore.
When we translate the Bible for under-reached people groups and endeavor to distribute the gospel, we have to take cultural perception seriously. How will the Bible be received? Does the audience even want a written language and a written Bible? If a Bible is printed, what font should be used? Do available fonts appear foreign to these people? Are there regional variations to the way they write that might make an existing font look foreign or illegible? Good intentions and financial investment do not always translate to a good product if the above considerations are not taken into account.

In Proverbs it says:

“If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.”  Proverbs 27:14 (NIV)
Are the Bible copies we produce going to end up being a blessing or a blight? In order to be a blessing we don't simply produce Bibles, quick-and-dirty. Our aim at Wycliffe is not simply to put the Bible in peoples' hands, but to put it on their hearts.
That means paying attention to the small but important details —even the way the words look on the page. In my role specifically I’ll be designing fonts for Bible translation. Our team serves the linguistic community to ensure that Bibles are legible and engaging for the people group they are intended to serve. In the same way that academic papers have style standards that require you to use Times New Roman, Bible translators use quality fonts that are legible and convey trustworthiness to the reader. Creating new fonts for Bible translation is not about adding frills. It’s about reaching the intended audience.
I’m currently trusting the Lord to bring together a team of prayer and financial partners in order to launch my ministry, God-willing by the end of 2026. If you aren’t already, I’d like to invite you to partner with my ministry!

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