Major Christian organizations, led by Oasis International, are joining together to launch the Africa Study Bible (ASB), the first study Bible developed by Africans for Africans. The new study Bible was born out of a six-year, cross-continental effort.

To support the effort, Oasis is partnering with Tyndale House Publishers to create the study Bible. Other participants include Cru/Jesus Film, Saddleback Church, Willow Creek and Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Scripture Union, American Bible Society, Compassion, Africa Leadership, TransWorld Radio, Moody Radio, The Center for Early African Christianity, Publications pour la Jeunesse Africane, MMD Global, The Livingstone Corp., InSight Books, Urban Ministries Inc. and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa.

Dr. Matthew Elliot, president of Oasis and publisher of the ASB, said the new Bible is a unique project.

“With the ASB, we’re bringing the power of Scripture to Africa in a new and culturally relevant way,” Elliott said. “Under the leadership of an 11-member editorial board of scholars from across Africa, we’ve brought together 350 writers and editors from over 40 African countries, representing 50 denominations. This is an unprecedented project that will impact the global church.”

With the editorial aspect of the Bible nearly complete, Oasis, with the support of its partners, is inviting fellow Christians to join with them in helping get the ASB into the hands of Africans. With a goal of raising $1 million to print the first 100,000 copies, Oasis is seeking private donors as well as launching a Kickstarter campaign, which will run April 18 through June 16.

“Our goal is to have the first run of the ASB available in Africa by the end of 2016,” Elliott said. “We already know of more than 100 million people in denominations and movements in Africa whose leaders want to use the ASB for discipleship, so there is a lot of anticipation throughout the continent.”

The ASB is designed to grow the faith of African church members, teach them to evangelize their communities and apply a biblical worldview to their society. The Bible uses the New Living Translation and includes more than 2,400 features, such as application notes, stories and proverbs, touchpoints that link Africa and the Bible, Learn notes that explain basic theology and major theme articles that apply the Bible to key issues. Oasis plans to release the ASB in English with French and Portuguese translations in development. Oasis is also developing a full-featured app of the study Bible.

“We have seen the hand of God in amazing ways throughout the development of this project,” Elliott said. “In the words of our supervising editor, Dr. John Jusu, the content of the ASB is bubbling up from the cultures of Africa. The biblical truth is percolating through our own cultures and stories to create a rich and textured tapestry that Africans can claim as their own.”

Publications pour la Jeunesse Africane

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