Dan-Gio New Testament Project

There are approximately 800,000 Dan speakers in Ivory Coast, and between 150,000 and 200,000 speakers in Liberia (where this project has been undertaken). The Society first published the Dan-Gio New Testament in 1981, the work of which was overseen by a missionary couple serving in Liberia. However, in March 1990 the couple were tragically murdered during the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1997), which cost the lives of around 250,000 people.

Shortly before the missionaries’ deaths in 1990 it had already been decided to revise the New Testament as it was determined that it could be better conformed to the Received Text, and that the revisers’ knowledge of the language had grown significantly. However, the First Liberian Civil War and then the Second Civil War (1999–2003) thwarted any efforts to resume the Bible project.

Thankfully, in 2008 the Lord raised up a new team who began revising the Dan New Testament. For twelve years a small group of project leaders based in Monrovia (the capital of Liberia) led a team of translators based in Nimba county, in rural Liberia. Travel between the two parts of the country was arduous, and virtually impossible during the long rainy season. Nevertheless, the entire revision team persevered, and in early 2020 they completed a final proofreading of the New Testament text.

We are thankful to have reached this far on the project! Our editorial staff are now checking the New Testament text and after that it will be typeset. Following typesetting there will be one final proofreading stage to finalise the text for printing. ‘Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing’ (James 1.3-4).