The International Orality Network endorses the following:
A Declaration on Making Disciples of the World’s 4.35 billion Oral Learners through Audio Scripture Engagement
There are 4.35 billion people in our world who are oral learners. They are found in many cultural groups in the villages and in global cities around the world. We recognize that 60% of the world’s population can’t, won’t, or don’t hear the Gospel when we share it simply because it’s often coming to them through literate means they don’t understand and to which they do not relate. We are grieved that there are…
- 2.7 billion unreached people resulting in approximately 3,500 unengaged, unreached people groups, approximately 2 billion people without the Old Testament
- 2,252 unengaged, unreached people groups consisting of 350 million people without a single verse of scripture in their heart language
- Too few strategies and resources committed to the oral learners of the world.
The Word of God is unchangeable; the manner or method in which it is communicated does change. We celebrate that God has worked intentionally throughout history to bring His Word to the peoples of the world utilizing various media formats including oral communication, scribe and hand written text, the printed page, and now through non-print digital means.
The Gutenberg press enabled a print revolution and unprecedented spread of the Word of God. Oral means were available prior to Gutenberg but a Scripture literacy revolution was empowered by means of making the full Bible available to every person – who could read. We stand today at another seminal point in history where digital technology makes it possible for every oral learner to engage with God’s Word in audio and audio-visual formats.
The International Orality Network’s vision and mission is to influence the Body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. We believe that the foundation of discipleship is the shaping by, and obedience to, the Word of God. We believe it is the inalienable right and privilege of every person, including every oral learner, to have access to the Word of God in their own heart language and in a media format they understand.
We now call upon the Body of Christ to expand the reach of this revolution by making the entire Word of God available to every person who can hear. We call upon the Church today to embrace engagement of the audio Scripture among oral learners with great urgency! We call upon the Church to engage all unengaged, unreached people groups and to place into their hands any and every available audio portion of God’s Word in their heart language. We call upon the Body of Christ to devote energies, strategies, and resources to provide access for all oral learners to engage the entire Word of God through audio-digital means, so that every tribe, every tongue, and every people group may hear, understand, and have the opportunity to respond!