David Reeves, CEO of Unfolding Word, on Locally-Driven Bible Translation Through Church Collaboration (Ep. 154)

David Reeves once believed his role in missions was to give generously to the ministries he knew. But after a moment of full surrender as a young man, God redirected his path toward a life of hands-on impact that would ripple across missions, Bible translation, and church planting worldwide.

Starting out with an electrical engineering degree, David first served in tech support for a missionary aviation organization—work that eventually led him to leadership as general manager and later president. Today, he serves as the President and CEO of unfoldingWord, where he is pioneering a church-centered approach to Bible translation.

With more than 40 years of international leadership experience across cultures and sectors, David offers a rare perspective on how God weaves together innovation, missions, and radical generosity. Under his leadership, unfoldingWord is equipping local churches to translate Scripture into their own languages using open-source tools—shifting Bible translation from centralized projects to sustainable, grassroots movements led by the global Church.

Major Topics Include:

• Using business as a means to access Scripture and the gospel in challenging places
• The providential story of Unfolding Word
• Making the local church the hero of the story
• The seven key ideas of the Church-centric Bible translation model
• Turbo-charging church planting movements with Bible translation
• Why having Scripture in someone’s heart language is important
• Unfolding Word’s impact on the Bible translation ecosystem
• The benefits of the Creative Commons licensing model 
• Increasing Scripture engagement 
• Difficult lessons in trusting God

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

• “From Pentecost to Revelation, the entire narrative is about the church.”
• “How do we make the local church the hero of the story?”
• “If we ever hope to finish the Great Commission in our lifetime, we have to stand on the centrality of the Church.”
• “The Church operates in a healthy form as a complex network.”
• “Persecution often creates unity movements. People don’t care what your denomination or your background is. If you’re in the midst of persecution, you’re a loved and welcomed bother or sister in Christ.”
• “The most effective way to share the gospel is in the heart language.”
• “The heart language of a community is the language of weddings and funerals.”
• “Bible translation’s proper place belongs to the Church as a tool for discipleship and church planting.”
• “Our passion is to empower modern-day ‘Pauls’ and church planters to help them to complete the Great Commission.”
• “There is no Scripture engagement problem. It’s integral to church-centric Bible translation.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• Unfolding Word
• Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
• Loving the Church, Blessing the Nations by George Miley
• 2414 Network
• Biblica
• Open Bible Stories
• What Happens When Christians and Muslims Translate Scripture Side by Side (Christianity Today)
• Every Tribe, Every Nation and IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson or John Chesnut)
• Letting Go – UnfoldingWord’s publication on licensing
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Revelation 7:9 | A Great Multitude from Every Nation  

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  

2 Timothy 2:2 | Teaching Teachers  

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

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