Strong demand for FCBH materials in Togo

By Gloria Binazon,
Faith Comes By Hearing National Coordinator

LOMÉ, Togo — Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) materials are having a significant impact on the lives of many people in Togo, especially the 60 per cent or so of the population who cannot read, according to the Bible Society of Togo.

So far, almost 320 churches have received at least one set of FCBH tapes. It has not been possible to supply requests from other churches, however, because the New Testament is not available in the languages they require. Around 40 different languages are spoken in Togo, but the Bible, the New Testament or Portions are currently available in only eight.

FCBH has proved extremely effective in bringing God’s Word alive for ordinary people, and news of the materials has spread rapidly among churches and Bible study groups. When the program was launched in the town of Sotouboua, 90 km (63 miles) north of Lomé, and the surrounding area in March, a leaders’ training session drew 300 delegates from 120 churches, a number greatly exceeding expectations. The response has made it possible to create a further 90 listening groups, bringing the total to 410.

The next stage of the FCBH program will be the launch of tapes in the Igo language, spoken by around 6,300 people in southern Togo, and the Bassar language, spoken by 100,000 people in the Bassar region. The speakers belong to ethnic groups among which traditional religion prevails.
The Bible Society has also started to distribute FCBH material in around 10 denominational schools in Lomé, and this process will continue over the coming months.