Townsend's program, which combined “linguistic research, practical help, and spiritual guidance” perhaps meshed well with Cárdenas’ general preoccupation with educating indigenous people. Learn about William Cameron Townsend (Religious Leader): Birthday, bio, family, parents, age, biography, born (date of birth) and all information about William Cameron Townsend The great similarity between indigenismo and Townsend's philosophy of ministry was demonstrated by an extremely significant encounter in the plaza of the small Mexican village of Tetelcingo. There was no deceit, because Sáenz knew why Townsend wanted to come to Mexico. 32. “The greater need is where the greatest darkness is,” Cam said. Summer linguistic courses begin. Despite the warm welcome afforded the translators in Mexico, Townsend still dreamed of expanding the work into the Amazon and beyond. How could an academic organization justify translating a religious book for often preliterate people groups who had their own traditional religions? SIL International (then known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) began in 1934 as a summer training program He was known by his middle name, and many called him “Cam.” Little is known about his childhood, which … Named for John Wycliffe, who was responsible for the first complete English translation of the Bible, the camp was designed to train young people in basic linguistics and translation methods. In this case, the goal of the anti-clerical 1917 Mexican constitution was to reduce the power of the Catholic Church in Mexico. Firstly, according to Stoll, critics in the U.S., particularly in the halls of academia, left few facets of the Institute's work unscathed. He and many other SIL PhDs and MAs pursued the in-depth study of language and culture for its own sake, as well as for its usefulness in Bible translation. The principal founder of SIL International was William Cameron Townsend (1896–1982). SIL signed a contract with the Peruvian Ministry of Education on June 28, 1945. [12] The events of the previous twenty years of Townsend's life came to fruition at that meeting, which solidified the welcome his linguists received in Mexico for many years to come. Sometime between 1931 and 1933 Townsend decided to move to Mexico as the initial operational theater instead of to the Amazon. “Uncle Cam” as he is known by Wycliffe staff was also credited for beginning the final missions era that we are living in today. A third and final key to the organization's success in Mexico was the congruence of Townsend's philosophy and proposed plan with a body of intellectual thought that had already begun to circulate in the Mexican intelligentsia, called indigenismo. Ecuador, for example, chose to end its official ties with SIL. He was raised in the Presbyterian Church and decided to stay in California, enrolling in Occidental College in Los Angeles. [7] Sick with tuberculosis and convinced that there would be little support for his ideas in Guatemala, Townsend returned to the United States in 1932 and sought the help of L.L. Uncle Cam: The Story of William Cameron Townsend, Founder of the Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics [James Hefley, Marti Hefley, Cornell Capa] on Amazon.com. The rapid expansion of SIL, which required the training of large numbers of recruits, was also a great challenge to the organization. He briefly studied at the Presbyterian-affiliated Occidental College in Eagle Rock, California, but ended his college career to work for the Los Angeles Bible House. Having cut all formal organizational ties, including those to the Central American Mission, the two men used Sáenz’s letter of invitation to cross the border and make their way to Mexico City. William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was an American Christian missionary-linguist who founded Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL International), both of which emphasized translation of the Bible into minority languages and the development of literacy and bilingual education programs. In 1981, Peru's president, Fernando Belaunde Terry, gave William Cameron Townsend the highest award that a foreigner can receive from Peru, the most advanced level of the Order of the Sun (El Orden del Sol), in honor of his and SIL's service on behalf of Peru's minority language groups. William Cameron Townsend Template:Protestant missions to Latin America William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was a prominent Christian missionary whose ministry began in the early twentieth century. The primary answer he found was that the illiterate monolinguals had no access to scripture. In Peru, the government, after an in-depth investigation of SIL, not only rescinded an order it had given for SIL to leave the country, but actually renewed and expanded its original contract for 10 additional years. E. F. K. Koerner and R. E. Asher, A Concise History of the Language Sciences (Oxford: Pergamon, 1995), p. 297. [3]:62–65 This instance represents the first of what later critical authors[9] would view as ‘deceits,’ whereby the two men concealed their deeper goal behind a veil of government sanctity. He founded three organizations: Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), and the Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS). They lived according to its teachings, which revealed to them God's love in sending His own Son to serve the needy and to save the lost. He attended Occidental … : La Tipografica Indigena Cuernavaca, 1961). *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The man replied, sarcastically to Cameron, “If your God is so smart, why doesn’t he speak my language?” Cameron was stunned to find that this man, though he lived in Guatemala, was one of the 200,000 Cakchiquel people and spoke zero Spanish. These sources could be used to substantiate and balance the article: Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. William Cameron Townsend, or Cam, was one of the most influential missions leaders in the last two centuries. William Cameron Townsend is best known as a Religious Leader. Townsend remained active in SIL as the founder and organizational leader for many years. By 1929, Townsend’s vision had broadened to include other peoples who also needed language development. William Cameron Townsend by Calvin T. Hibbard, Townsend Archives Editor 1896-l982 Stimulator of linguistic research among ethnic minorities and champion of their cultural dignity "Not since the third century has there been a man like Cameron Townsend who attempted so much, and saw so many dreams realized in his lifetime," declared Kenneth L. Cam left for Guatemala in August 1917, with a Bible association that sold Spanish Bibles there. Tagged: Missionary Biographies, Student Volunteer Movement, THE TRAVELING TEAM IS A 501c3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. In the end, Townsend developed a philosophy of mission that sought to produce indigenous-run, self-sufficient, Bible-based Christian congregations. Pioneering continues as several thousand workers break new ground in many parts of the world. By 1948 Townsend created the third important corporation tied to SIL: the Jungle Aviation and Radio Service. Although heterodox syncretism was the norm in indigenous communities, the Catholic clergy refused Bible translation, fearing negative exegesis. Uncle Cam: The Story of William Cameron Townsend, Founder of the Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics [3]:36 The Protestant missions concentrated on Spanish-speaking ladino overseers as converts instead of on the speakers of minority indigenous languages. William Cameron Townsend : biography July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982 Notes Mexico and the Founding of SIL The Initial Foray With the Mexican Revolution in full swing, successive liberal governments systematically and sometimes violently targeted the Catholic Church as one of many societal ills which brought Mexico to its knees and submitted the […] Remembered for founding both the Summer Institute of Linguistics (also known as SIL International) and the Wycliffe Bible Translators organization, Townsend aimed to make the Bible and American brands of Christianity more accessible to people in non-English-speaking countries. The first piece fell into place in Panajachel, Guatemala, when he met by chance (or divine arrangement) with Moisés Sáenz, Mexican Under-Secretary of Education, who was vacationing and visiting rural schools. He applied for a discharge in order to become a missionary to Guatemala and was surprised to get it approved by his commanding officer. Townsend firmly believed that if the Christian Scriptures were well translated and well understood, they had the power to change individuals and society for the better. Both his general and spiritual education began in his hometown of Downey, California. Many of the Amazonian indigenous groups remained elusive, always relying on the size and inhospitable nature of the terrain to fade away and maintain isolation. He and fellow American-born Christian missionary Nate Saint both participated in mission work in South America. It had been targeted by slave catchers, rubber tappers, and even some military operations. Second, a controversy, composed of two separate but related components, engulfed SIL between approximately 1971 and 1981. : The Wycliffe Bible Translators in Latin America (London: Zed Books, 1983). As Townsend sought the root causes of indigenous poverty and marginalization, he found them first in the mixed-race ‘ladino’ middlemen who acted as the sole economic and social portal to the broader regional and national society for mainly monolingual indigenous communities, and who were closely associated with a "folk" Catholic religion that was quite distinct from orthodox Catholicism. The second key to success in Mexico was Townsend's understanding of the importance of personal connections. Two students enrolled. The Cakchiquel New Testament is completed. He is a celebrity religious leader. To promote that, he included various parallel programs alongside Bible translation to provide prerequisite knowledge and skills to indigenous communities. Townsend always claimed that SIL was an academic institution that applied original linguistic research to the solution of human problems and to the creation of an indigenous literature that included both the collection and publication in written form of previously oral histories and stories and the translation of "works of high moral value", especially the Bible, but also often including the sections of national constitutions most relevant to indigenous rights, and later the translation of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ― William Cameron Townsend Townsend was passing out Spanish Bibles. “The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. The goals included the eventual incorporation of indigenous cultures within the national one, while still preserving cultural diversity. The fact that the non-sectarian SIL linguists cooperated with Catholics, Protestants and secularists alike, did not found churches themselves, did not occupy leadership positions in indigenous churches or perform any clerical functions, such as baptisms, marriages or funerals made categorizing them difficult. He began cross-cultural work with the Kaqchikel people of Guatemala in 1919. William Cameron Townsend was born on July 9, 1896 (age 85) in California, United States. SIL's response was that it was just making the Bible accessible to anyone who might want to read it. That first year only two students enrolled. Kenneth Pike was the first SIL representative to visit Peru in late 1943. He was also concerned that CAM's Christian message, spread exclusively in Spanish, could not reach the monolingual majority of the indigenous population.[2]:42–43. Townsend and Legters had opened Camp Wycliffe in Arkansas in the summer of 1934. Townsend settled in a Kaqchikel community on the coast called Santa Catarina, and over the next fourteen years learned the language to the point where he could translate the Bible. His main excursion into the international economic arena was to write a short book (80 pages) in English explaining the abuses of international oil companies in Mexico and defending the Cardenas government's nationalization of them, the exact opposite political stance from the one Colby and Dennet attribute to Townsend's thought and work. William Cameron Townsend William Cameron Townsend was born July 9, 1896, in Eastvale, California, USA to William and Molly Townsend. William Cameron Townsend quotes Showing 1-2 of 2 “Understanding Scripture in a language other than the heart language in which we think and experience emotion is "like trying to eat soup with a fork. All field work is done in cooperation with host governments, universities and philanthropic groups. In the opinion of some, individual Bible translations would be incredibly labor-intensive and reach only tiny populations there. Townsend realized that, in order to meet the goal of well-translated Scriptures, Bible translators needed to complete an in-depth study of descriptive linguistics. Until this point operations were held together shakily only by a jeep and several two-way radios provided by the U.S. Embassy. It speaks of insect bites, beautiful scenery, passport issues, and a Christmas tree. He began an organization known as Wycliffe Bible Translators, named after the Reformation hero who first translated the Bible into English. Legters, the field secretary of the Pioneer Mission Agency and a trusted friend. The following year, after a training session with five men in attendance, Townsend took the five to Mexico to begin field work. William Cameron Townsend: "The Truth about Mexico's Oil" (SIL 1940). He became “Cameron” to many and simply “Cam” to others. Townsend was too busy leading a growing Bible translation movement to pursue graduate training himself, but he never forgot that SIL's translation goals necessitated in-depth scientific understanding of the languages that SIL linguists studied, and thus he endeavored to create truly competent field linguists with trustworthy academic credentials. Advances in these fields of study would lead to more effective and respectful systems of cultural and linguistic integration (particularly through the use of bilingual education rather than the imposition of Spanish on minority language speakers at the elementary school level). This was the statement that Ralph Winter made after hearing that Townsend had passed away in 1982. Townsend and Legters, however, entered Mexico without missionary credentials. The Harvest is Plentiful, the Laborers are Few, 10 Ways to Be Missional With Your Holidays. They spoke Cakchiquel, a language without a Bible. 32 likes. [1]:3–4, Under the auspices of the Los Angeles Bible House he sailed to Guatemala in 1917 to sell Spanish Bibles near Antigua. Translation and conversion thus would happen in the context of a series of developments in the society that would equip minority people groups to cope with the outside world more effectively. During the first trip Townsend and Legters made contact with some friendly Americans and also Mexican officials in venues ranging from dinner parties to embassy lounges and while touring rural schools. [8]:9 We don't know all the reasons for this visit, and for the resulting friendship between the two men. On January 21, 1936, President Lázaro Cárdenas, known for his extensive visitations to the countryside, paid a visit to a small town just south of Mexico City where Townsend had set up a project. From this small beginning has grown the worldwide ministry of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Wycliffe Associates. In 1917 a missionary named William Cameron Townsend went to Guatemala to sell Spanish Bibles. One day, a Cakchiquel Indian came up and listened to Townsend speak about the sovereignty of God. He had joined the National Guard in 1917, and was prepared to serve his country in the war, when he was challenged by a missionary on furlough to obey his SVM commitment and go to the mission field instead of the battlefield. As just one example, after being invited to Chapultepec Castle by Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas for a dinner to honor him and his newly arrived linguists, Townsend reported saying to the president: "I told him that our young people believed the Bible from cover to cover. thoughts and sayings of Wycliffe Bible translators founder. William Cameron Townsend : biography July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982 Sometime between 1931 and 1933 Townsend decided to use Mexico as the initial operational theater instead of the Amazon. As a teenager, he joined the Presbyterian church his family attended. Regardless of the possible reasons for the visit, the result was a deep and lasting friendship (Cárdenas was the best-man at Townsend's wedding) and a ringing written endorsement of Townsend's work from Mexico's revered President. Modern healthcare was not available in most communities, which were served only by spiritualist ‘curers’ who required payment but often provided ineffective care. He explained that, although SIL was not a religious institution per se, its members were lay Christians motivated by their faith to serve the minority language groups of the world. At least 1,000 languages around the world are believed to still be without Scripture. Cam was not a good student in school, but after a near drowning incident, he decided to focus on his studies and did very well. According to Colby and Dennet (a less-than-objective and not very reliable source), Townsend's CAM superiors also showed signs of unease that he had adopted indigenous cultural practices, clothing, and language.[2]:43. Personal Journal of William Cameron Townsend, 1917-1919. He was serving a one year commitment in Guatemala, and almost finished when, on one day, something radically changed his perspective and eventually the course of missions history. William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was a prominent Christian missionary whose ministry began in the early twentieth century. A U.S. Army Air Corp Mission pilot, Larry Montgomery, contacted Townsend in 1946, informing him that a Grumman Duck, a navy amphibious plane, was on sale as Army surplus for a cheap price. He continued to serve as an advisor to SIL leaders and others until his death one year later, at age 85. The campaign was part of the Cold War struggle between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, with SIL viewed as a symbol of the U.S. This emergent academic specialty, freshly invigorated by the first widespread publications of Edward Sapir (1921)[4] and Leonard Bloomfield (1933)[5] could provide Townsend's translator recruits with the deeper understanding of language they needed to do translation well. [11]. The importance of linguistics in Bible translation, Where to send the first linguist/translators, The Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS). Unlike his predecessors, Townsend did not deem social reform as a wasted effort. It needs no furlough and is never considered a foreigner.”-William Cameron Townsend. William Cameron Townsend was one of the three most influential missions leaders in the last two centuries. Also, as mentioned, the concept of indigenous-run congregations in native tongues ran counter to the traditional practices of more traditional evangelical missionaries in Guatemala. [3]:104 The missing piece was funding. Cam had brought Spanish Bibles to give to the people he met, but often they didn’t speak Spanish. He was also far from circumspect in relating to secular dignitaries, often inviting them to read a passage from the Bible before sharing a meal. They made significant contributions in the fields of linguistics, translation theory and even anthropology. One very important step toward this goal was the development of groups of indigenous people who were literate, first in their own language and later in Spanish as well, and to help them produce a translation of at least the New Testament and key parts of the Old Testament in their native tongue. The Summer Institute of Linguistics was established in 1936 by William Cameron Townsend as a scientific, nonsectarian organization specializing in language studies, literacy work and "other services." Furthermore, a small fleet of planes would also require a hangar, runway, mechanics, more pilots, fuel, and parts. This page was last edited on 9 April 2021, at 23:35. Many Mexican intellectuals had begun to believe in the gradual incorporation of indigenous cultures into the national society while still preserving those original cultures by applying the principles of cultural anthropology and linguistics. William Cameron Townsend goes to Guatemala to sell Spanish Bibles. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. ©2015 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Townsend explained to him that it was the words of God, the creator of all mankind. These elites had a vested interest in maintaining the economic and social status quo, and therefore had no desire to improve the Indians’ economic situation, educational level or degree of bilingualism. Fortunately, very early in its history, SIL was greatly helped by two gifted linguists, Kenneth Pike and Eugene Nida. [2]:202 The project also received many smaller gifts from civic organizations, churches and individuals, and thus JAARS was born. Jan Rus & Robert Wasserstrom in Hvalkof & Aaby, 164. sfn error: no target: CITEREFWallisBennett1964 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, promotes the subject in a subjective manner, http://www.wayoflife.org/database/wycliffe_bible_translators_warning.php, Books and articles written by William Cameron Townsend, Extensive biography on Wycliffe's website, March 2014 video of the history of Wycliffe's work in the Americas highlights Townsend's initiatives in the beginning years of the organizations he founded, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Cameron_Townsend&oldid=1016952618, Translators of the Bible into indigenous languages of the Americas, Leaders of Christian parachurch organizations, Articles with peacock terms from May 2020, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Janet and Geoff Benge: "Cameron Townsend: Good news in every language" (YWAM 2000). 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