Texas Baptist Heritage Center/Baptist Distinctive Council

“It is hard for me to explain the importance of this work! Not only do our people need this material but to print and place it in the hands of our pastors is life changing. Our convention will be forever grateful for this gift.” Akos Budovsky—Hungarian Baptist leader

“…this book will help our pastors to know the history of Baptists and what we believe!” Lupe Mwaipalo—secretary of southern region of the Tanzania Baptist Convention and director of the Arusha Baptist Seminary Branch in Tukyl

“I’d like to thank God for giving me this great privilege to translate Baptist Distinctives from English to Hindi.” Emily Grace—Baptist leader in India

“I cannot tell you how important this book is to our churches and pastors. It is coming at the right time with the message we need.” Joao Boechat, Brazil—director of academics at South Brazil Seminary

Responses like these continue to be received about the ongoing Baptist Identity translation project — a major focus of the Baptist History & Distinctives Council/Texas Baptist Heritage Center.

In a way, this worldwide translation project began in 2005 with the 27 illustrated Baptist distinctives articles prepared by the Heritage Center staff. They appeared in each issue of the Baptist Standard that year and were posted on the newly-created website www.baptistdistinctives.org, and they were published in book and leaflet form.

Thanks to the internet, the Baptist distinctives articles reached people around the world. In response to requests that the material be translated into other languages, the translation of the articles began. They were first translated into Spanish, posted on the website, and later published as a book Los Bautistas. The Portuguese translation was next. We are grateful for the chair of the council, Dr. David Mahfouz, who began his involvement at that point with the project. His relationship with the World Mission Center at Southwestern Seminary equipped him with a knowledge of Baptist leaders worldwide. Working closely with the center’s staff, he is enlisting translators, collaborating with the project’s webmaster, Brad Hepp, and exploring ways the material could be widely used.

When the pandemic hit, the translation project continued without a pause. At the time of last year’s report, the material had been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili, Chinese, Arabic and Hindi. French, Japanese, Korean and Russian have now been added with Vietnamese, Polish, Hungarian and Urdu in process. Each language is posted on www.baptistdistinctives.org, as well as on its own website.

Thus, the Baptist Identity materials will be available throughout the world in the languages of over five billion persons.

Baptists in some places indicated a desire for the material in book form. Books have been published in Spanish, Swahili and Arabic (electronic), with Portuguese and Hungarian in process.

Baptist organizations and educational entities in various countries are being enlisted to use and promote the materials. Chairman Mahfouz, utilizing his many worldwide contacts, has done the enlisting. He journeyed to Budapest, Hungary, this year to formalize a relationship with the Baptist academy and Hungarian Union. He also has taught and promoted the use of the materials in Cuba, Brazil and Argentina and plans to be in Peru, Guatemala and Columbia next year.

The Baptist Identity materials present the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thus, this translation project of the Baptist History & Distinctives Council/Texas Baptist Heritage Center helps Texas Baptists carry out the words of Jesus, “…Go and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19 NIV

We are thankful for this ministry opportunity and for Texas Baptists.

WILLIAM M. PINSON, JR

Executive Director Emeritus/ Director TX Baptist Heritage Center (Volunteer)

DORIS A. TINKER

Director Communications/ Organization (Volunteer)