European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday. November 12,1994 the Rev. Ervin Green standing before his Church on St. Helena Island ., holds a copy of the gospel of Luke that has been published in Guilah a language spoken by slaves and their descendants on the Southeastern . Coast ,. Book of Luke s 9 r by Bruce Smith the associated press St. Helena Island After 15 years of painstaking work the gospel of Luke has been published in Guilah the language spoken by slaves and their descendants for centuries along the Southeast coast -.-. ". A de Good Nycus Bou Jedus Christ Walouke write is the first Complete Book of the Bible translated into the language that is a mix of English and West african tongues. Translators Hope to Complete the entire new testament in three years. What we Are trying to do is let people hear the word of god in our own Tongue said the Rev Ervin Green the Lead translator. It s our language it s just wonder Ful to come to Green pastor of Brick Baptist Church and a team of 13 other Guilah speakers and linguists Laboured Over the translation. What we have also tried to do with this is undo 350 to 400 years of indoctrination that the Way we speak is bad and wrong said Green in whose Brick Church slaves once were relegated to the Balcony while their masters worshipped below. " Guilah survived in its purest form in isolated Black communities of former slaves and their descendants on the sea islands that were once Home to massive Cotton plantations. But for generations after slavery Blacks were told by their teachers to abandon their native Tongue. It was drilled into us if you want to get ahead you must get rid of the Guilah Green said. He said trans lation should bring a hew respect to the language. His Church is nestled in an Oak Grove on the Edge of the Center which was founded after the civil War to educate freed slaves the Center now works to preserve the sea islands heritage. The new gospel will be dedicated today during a Celebration at the Center. The Book a 138-Page paperback published by the american Bible society includes the Guilah text next to the King James version of Luke. The society says at least one Book of the Bible is now available in 2,062 of the almost 6,000 languages in the world. Linguists estimate that 250,000 people from Nort Carolina to Northern Florida can speak Guilah and that for about 20,000 of them Guilah is the primary language. " is an Oral language. Before the gospel could be translated the research team had to study its Struc Ture and decide How to write it. It draws on Caribbean and West african dialects and a unique alphabet could have been developed. But the folks Here Felt it was Wiser to use an Alpha bet based on English because a lot of people would t spend the time to learn a new alphabet said Pat Sharpe a linguist from the summer Institute of linguistics who moved to the Island with her husband in 1979 to assist with the translation. Drawing on the original greek texts Green and others wrote first drafts in Guilah. The texts were checked for accuracy and read to other Guilah speak ers in the Community to make sure they were Clear. Fifteen years for a Bible translation in t unusual said Sharpe who has worked or consulted on More than 100 translation projects that can take anywhere from 10 to 20 years the team says it wants to do the old testament too she said. Now that we be done this the work should accelerate. It All depends on the team members and their ability to get the drafts Texas baptists win funds change Amarillo Texas a Texas baptists have voted to allow local churches to designate How their do nations for Mission and Seminary work will be spent. The move came bet. 31 As 6,079 delegates fro Texas Baptist churches gathered at the Amarillo civic Center for the 109th annual meeting of the Baptist general convention of Texas. Moderates sought the vote As a Way to loosen the grip Long maintained on local congregational contributions by the Southern Baptist convention the conservative dominated National denominational body. Under the former plan one third of a Church s contributions was automatically sent to the National convention while the rest stayed in Texas. The new plan allows congregations to choose where their Money goes. Besides the state and National conventions churches now can consider funding other Baptist organizations including the cooperative Baptist Fellowship a Moder ate missions Agency. Over the decades baptists have funnelled millions of dollars into state National and worldwide missionary efforts. Last year Texas Baptist churches donated $63.5 Mil lion. About $40.2 million stayed at the state level and the other $23.3 million went to the Southern Baptist convention at the National level. After 99 years Idaho jews gain permanent rabbi from the associated press Boise Idaho. Idaho has finally gotten its first permanent rabbi we have completed the dream of finding a rabbi former congregation president Alan Tell. Said nov. 4 after rabbi Daniel Fink was installed at congregation aha Vath Beth Israel. The congregation which in eludes about 100 families United members of the congregation Beth Israel with the More traditional followers in aha Vath Israel in order to bring in a rabbi Beth Israel formed in 1895, was never big enough to support a full time rabbi. Its synagogue is the oldest West of the Mississippi in continual use Tell said. -. has about 500 jewish residents congregation officials said. Priest celebrates 65 years Boston the Rev. Joseph Manton has spent enough time in the Priesthood for his Collar to retire /. Von oct. 30, he received a standing ovation from the congregation after marking his 65th year As priest and 55th at the same pulpit in Mission Church in the City s those years i be said 20,000 masses seen eight Popes nine presidents and god Only knowhow Many red sox managers the 90-year-old quipped. In 1954,1 celebrated 25 years As a priest that s like halftime said Manton. When irs 65 years that s like the two minute Manton who is officially retired but still hold services two sundays a month and every other wednesday has been at the Basilica of our lady of perpetual help since 1939. Parish adds portuguese Nashua . New Hampshire s most ethnically diverse Parish has added another nationality to its . Louis de Gonzague Church has catered to English French and vietnamese speaking catholics and now it is Home to portuguese speakers said Bishop Leo o Neil of Church has taken Over services for portuguese and brazilian parishioners from our lady of Fatima pastoral Center. The Center closed oct. 30 after 17 years. It end edits Mission because the Upkeep had become too much for its 50 to 80 Active members said Din Torres Church Secretary. A. Diocese to downsize Hollidaysburg a. The Altoona Johnstown Catholic diocese said it plans to close 23 parishes next Spring and will consider further reductions. R the Johnstown area will be hardest hit. The state College area will not be affected and May even see growth diocese officials said. Monsignor George Flinn vicar general for pastoral Fife and ministry said the change announced oct. 31 reflect shifts in population in the 129,000-person diocese which encompasses the counties of Bedford Blair Cambria Centre Clinton Fulton Huntingdon and Somerset. The changes tentatively include merging 31parishes and missions into 13 new parishes closing five churches and asking 10 parishes to share pastors. In a second phase the diocese would consolidate41 parishes and missions to form 19. The five churches to be closed Are in the Cambria county communities of South Fork Ehrenfeld Coupon Marsteller and Cassandra. Cleric vows sympathy Salt Lake City Bishop designate Georg Niederauer says he will be attentive to the needs of Utah s latinos and other minority roman Catholic sin Utah. The los Angeles priest 58, was announced nov.3 As the new Bishop of the diocese of Salt Lake City which is composed of All 80,000 catholics in Utah about half of whom Are latino. The diocese has been without a Bishop since january when Bishop William Weigant became Bishop of the diocese of Sacramento. Niederauer s consecration is scheduled for Jan. A
