Tribute - SIL International

We in SIL join the members of YWAM in mourning the passing of Loren Cunningham. His life and ministry operated around a strong confidence that God’s Spirit was actively engaged in the world. He made it possible for thousands upon thousands of young people to grow in faith and in the sharing of their faith.

Loren had a holistic view of life in that he envisioned seven spheres of society in which the Gospel could bring about positive change. He accepted that the translation of the Scriptures was essential for evangelizing and discipling the nations, and in the process would influence the religious, cultural and educational spheres within the community for good.

After not finding a place for YWAM in the Bible translation movement in the early years of his ministry, he graciously responded to the invitation in the early 2000s to consider possible roles for YWAM in the movement. More concretely, the Lausanne 2010 call to eradicate Bible Poverty prompted Loren to position YWAM to make a distinct contribution to the availability, access, and engagement with Scripture by all. Today, we celebrate YWAM’s growing dedication to Bible translation that has resulted in dozens of Jesus Films translated into minority languages, a pioneering role in Oral Bible translation, a Bible translation training program in Kona, Hawaii and numerous young people who are passionate about serving to make God’s life giving Word accessible to all those who are without it.

We are grateful for Loren’s gracious and thoughtful partnering with SIL. His vision, inspiration and commitment have been a great encouragement to us. We join you all to celebrate Loren’s example of obedience to God and his unparalleled legacy in world mission.

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.” Psalms 116:15

Dr. Michel Kenmogne,

Executive Director

SIL International