The Jesus Film Project, a ministry of Cru based in Orlando, Florida, has reached its 2,200th language translation of the "Jesus" film.
Recognized as the most translated film in the world, the "Jesus" film surpassed 817 translations in July 2012. The latest version was released in Bouna, a dialect of the Kulango language spoken in Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.
The press release noted, “To this day, it remains the world’s most translated film.” Josh Newell, the executive director of the Jesus Film Project, stated, “The story of Jesus has never been more relevant, or accessible than it is right now, and it’s about to reach every last corner on earth.”
He added, “There are some estimates that there are billions of people today who have never heard of Jesus. And I’m here to tell you that there is a plan to reach everyone, everywhere in the next decade.”
Newell and his wife, Holly, first traveled to Burkina Faso, which borders Côte d’Ivoire, 25 years ago and witnessed the early impact of the Gospel through the "Jesus" film.
Holly Newell recounted, “On our final day, our guide, a local Bible translator, took us to the outskirts of town and together we climbed up a dusty hill beyond where any roads could take us. ‘Look at the land beyond,’ she said. ‘I cannot cross the border and go to those villages, and learn their language. Will you pray with me that one day God will reach those villages?’”
The couple prayed with the guide but “never could have imagined what God had in store,” the press release stated. That “land beyond” is now home to approximately 300,000 Kulango speakers. Josh Newell remarked, “And that’s what this mission is all about. We’re about presenting Jesus to everyone, everywhere, so that they can truly follow Him and call others to do the same.”
According to the ministry, only a small percentage of the Bouna Kulango population identifies as Christian, with the majority adhering to traditional ethnic religions. The visual nature of the "Jesus" film is particularly valuable in this context, as many in the community are illiterate.
Local ministry workers are planning a premiere of the Bouna version, along with additional showings in the area in the near future.
The project originated in the 1950s with Bill Bright, the founder of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), who envisioned a film about Jesus’ life. Cru evangelism strategist Paul Eshleman helped realize that vision in partnership with Warner Bros. and later launched the Jesus Film Project to utilize the film for global outreach.
