New Project to Translate “CASKET EMPTY” Bible Survey Curriculum into Thai

My IM colleagues, Kyle and Debby Witmer and I are coordinating an adventurous new project and I’m excited to invite you to participate. The Thai church suffers from insufficient access to theologically mature, historically contextualized Bible teaching materials.  This project will help fill the need for such a curriculum, and equip local leaders to multiply impact.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  We are working to translate and disseminate a Bible survey curriculum called “CASKET EMPTY” (published in 2016) into Thai.   You can check it out here:  https://www.casketempty.com.  The curriculum was written by Dr. David Palmer, lead pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church, an ABCUSA church in Cincinnati, Ohio and adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Dr. Carol Kaminski, a professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  The study guides trace key themes of scripture using a chronological historical timeline (rather than the traditional pattern of following the order of the books of the Bible).  A full color, visual timeline provides symbols to represent the key points as an aid for visual learners and oral cultures. This is highly accessible material that can be adapted for students at all educational levels.  The curriculum has already been translated into Korean, Arabic and Chinese, and used successfully in cross-cultural contexts.  Additionally, Dr. Palmer has taught the curriculum to pastors and church leaders in Lebanon and Greece and continues to receive invitations from around the world.  Drs. Palmer and Kaminski own the rights to the curriculum and have graciously offered the rights to translate and distribute the material in Thailand, using it as a course of study for seminaries, churches, and local communities.

MORE DETAILS FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED:

TRANSLATION TEAM:  My friend, Rev. Pornchanok “Nok” Treekoonsatit and her team of translators will conduct the translation for this project. Rev. Nok has a Master of Divinity from McGilvary College of Divinity in Thailand and a Master of Theology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.  She has served as a freelance translator for International Justice Mission, the New Life Center Foundation, InterAct Asia, Our Daily Bread, and Kanokbannasan (OMF Publishers in Thailand).

TRAINING EVENT: We hope to hold a training workshop on this material in October of 2021, pandemic restrictions permitting. (Our alternate date would be in 2022.)  This 3-day workshop for local seminary professors, pastors, missionaries, evangelists and church leaders will be hosted at McGilvary College of Divinity, Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Rev. Sirikanya “Ying” Boonyakiat is working with our team to coordinate the curriculum training workshop to be taught by Dr. Palmer (and interpreted into Thai).  Rev. Ying is the Senior Coordinator at the McGilvary Leadership Institute and is married to Dr. Golf Boonyakiat, the former Dean at McGilvary College of Divinity.

Rev. Nok and her team have already started working on the translation for the study guides, PowerPoints, and accompanying Timelines into the Thai language.  Additionally, the Timelines (only) will be translated into three tribal languages (Karen, Akha and Lahu) and printed as support resources for tribal pastors and leaders who wish to teach this curriculum in their minority communities whose first language is Karen, Akha or Lahu.  Rev. Nok and Rev. Ying have relationships with several Thai publishers and will work with us to negotiate copyright, publication and distribution of this curriculum throughout Thailand.

EXPECTED COST: The total cost for this project is estimated to be approximately $23,000.  Funding for the project will cover translation and workshop hosting expenses.  If this sounds like something you would like to support, you may donate through the International Ministries website by going to this page and clicking the green GIVE button:  https://internationalministries.org/thailand-casket-empty-bible-curriculum/.

Thank you for your prayers and support as we all do our best to forge ahead during these challenging times! I am still in the US, waiting for Thailand to lift pandemic travel restrictions so that I can return home. In the meantime, I continue to keep up with correspondence and academic studies for my Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy.