Bible Mission Banquet 2023
Hotel Aryaduta Menteng, 27 October 2023
As an institution that received a mandate from the church to translate the Bible and parts of the Bible into various languages and media, to this day the Bible Institute continues to work to present the Bible in various regional languages and media that are acceptable to the recipient community. LAI endeavours to maintain the quality of its services so that the speakers and users of regional languages can enjoy and live the delivery of His Word in a language they understand and relate to from generation to generation. Through the work of translating and publishing the Bible in various regional languages in the country, LAI indirectly contributes to the preservation of regional languages in the archipelago.
The task of Bible translation is only one of LAI's six main mandates. The other five are: production and publishing, dissemination, engagement, advocacy and witness ministry. So wide is the scope of LAI's ministry, that LAI realises it cannot work alone. Collaboration and partnership with various supporting partners is a necessity. Partnership is the backbone of LAI's ministry. The Bible Mission Banquet, which has been held several times, is one of the ways LAI approaches, communicates and appreciates its ministry partners.
On 27 October 2023, LAI held another Bible Mission Banquet 2023 at the Aryaduta Menteng Hotel. As done in previous BMB events, LAI invited its partners to sit together to discuss the future steps that can be taken to achieve the vision and mission of LAI. The event began with an exhibition of LAI's various translated Bibles, including publications of the Bible in various regional languages, printed Bible products and parts, and audio Bibles in various regional languages.
In her speech, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Bible Institute, Rev. Dr Henriette Lebang said that partnership, which is the beginning of collaboration, determines the progress of an institution in carrying out its vision. No less important, Dr Sigit Triyono as the general secretary of LAI conveyed in his presentation that the joint struggle in the partnership that runs until now has made various Bible publications ranging from the New Translation, BIMK, dozens of regional languages, to the New Translation Edition 2 (TB2).
In the evening, the invited guests also witnessed testimonies from several LAI Translation Officers (TOs) who are currently in the process of completing their doctoral studies abroad. The LAI translation coaches expressed their gratitude for the support of the partners who supported the smooth running of their studies. They hope that this year's BMB event will again have a similar impact on the shared goals of LAI and its partners.
A major struggle that also became the topic of yesterday's BMB event was the Illiteracy Eradication Programme or the New Bible Readers Programme (PBA). That night, guests were invited to commit to fundraise together to support LAI in running this PBA programme. Through a pledge of faith, guests expressed their commitment to become donors to support LAI.
Finally, the dinner was sweetly concluded with the commitment and willingness of the guests, who are partners of LAI, to support the mandate that is part of LAI's vision and mission. Thus, in the words of Henri J.M. Nouwen, S.J., "Fundraising is essentially an activity to convey our vision and invite others to understand and then support our vision". Furthermore, he said, vision and mission are so central to the people of God, because without vision we will be destroyed and without mission we will lose our way and direction. Good fundraising ultimately invites many people to help realise God's vision for the world.
