May 22, 2005, was a historic day in the life of the church in the Lower Congo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The Bible Society, in cooperation with the Kimpese Ministerial Association, introduced a brand new, up-to-date translation of the Bible in the Kikongo language.

Work on the new translation has been going on for twenty years, at the Evangelical Center of Cooperation in Kimpese.The two translators, pastors Edouard Titio Nzola from a Baptist church and Emy Miantezila from an Evangelical church, are from different regions of the Kikongo-speaking country; their cooperative efforts will enable the majority of readers to understand the text without difficulty.Titio and Emy used Greek and Hebrew manuscripts as the basis for their work.

As vice president of the Kimpese Ministerial Association, I was involved in organizing the "launching" ceremony for the new translation, held at the local Ecumenical Center.Over 500 Christians from Protestant, Catholic and Independent churches attended, and the service was broadcast live over Kimpese's community radio station, Radio Bangu. When the official announcement of the translation was made, people cheered, not only in the ecumenical hall, but on the streets of Kimpese as well!

The first translation of the Bible in Kikongo was done 100 years ago, and is difficult for people to understand today.The new translation will help people to understand God's Word, and will also aid in preserving the language.Of course, as is the case with other languages, the older, "traditional" translation will still be available for those who prefer it!

On a related note, The Kikongo hymnbook, Nkunga mia Kintwadi (Songs of Fellowship), has just been reprinted, after being unavailable for over 10 years.Kikongo speakers are rejoicing that they can now replace their old, battered hymnbooks, if they can just find the money!Like the Bible, the hymnbook is being sold for 3500 francs.