FAQs
Your questions, answered.
What is ETEN?
Every Tribe, Every Nation (ETEN) is a Collective Impact alliance of Bible translation organizations, resource partners and leaders united in faith and mission to end Bible poverty. Together, we represent over 90% of global Bible translation work, partnering as one to make God’s Word available to every person in a language they understand best.
What is Collective Impact?
Collective Impact is a framework for solving complex problems together. Instead of working in isolation, organizations align around a shared vision, common goals and coordinated strategies.
For ETEN, that means Bible translation organizations, resource partners and leaders joining forces. Through united prayer … the alliance can move faster and further than any one group could on its own.
Learn more about our strategy.
Learn more about Collective Impact.
What are the All Access Goals?
By 2033, ETEN envisions:
– 95% of the world’s population will have access to a full Bible.
– 99.96% of the world’s population will have access to a New Testament.
– 100% of the world’s population will have access to at least some portion of Scripture.
– The world’s 100 most strategic written languages will have access to two viable translations of the Bible
The 2033 All Access Goals are a catalytic milestone in global Bible translation, not the finish line, but a strategic step toward the greater vision of Every Verse Current—all Scripture available to every person in every language.
What is Every Verse Current?
It’s the long-term vision beyond 2033: that every person on earth would have access to the entire Bible (in as many versions/revisions needed) in a language they understand best.
Why 2033?
The year 2033 marks 2,000 years since Christ’s resurrection and the giving of the Great Commission. It serves as a symbolic milestone and a unifying moment for the global Church to rally around the work of Scripture access for all.
What formats are Bible translations available in?
Not every language is written, and not everyone engages best through written words. That’s why Scripture is being translated into the formats people understand most naturally—including written, oral and sign language.
ETEN’s partners work together to meet people where they are, ensuring God’s Word is accessible to every person in a language and format they understand best.
Are ETEN and illumiNations the same thing?
ETEN and illumiNations are two connected parts of one movement.
ETEN is the operating engine—coordinating strategy, collaboration and innovation.
IllumiNations is the advancement engine—promoting the story and inspiring generosity and prayer to fuel the mission.
Learn more at illumiNations.bible.
How has ETEN accelerated Bible translation?
Since ETEN was formed in 2010, progress has multiplied through the power of partnership. By uniting Bible translation organizations, local churches and resource partners, ETEN helps each group build on the strengths of the others—so innovation, learning and momentum are shared across the alliance.
Through this collaboration, we’ve seen:
– Hundreds of new translation projects launched in the past decade.
– Shared data and open communication reducing duplication and speeding progress.
– Innovative tools and methods, including AI-assisted translation and church-led models, boosting both speed and quality.
– Unified strategy and backbone coordination creating alignment across 11 implementing partners, 2 affinity groups and 5 resourcing partners.
– Partnerships that unlock expertise, allowing organizations to focus on what they do best while advancing together toward shared goals.
See data progress.
Are all alliance organizations required to work the same way?
No. Each partner brings unique strengths and methods.
ETEN provides a common framework and shared goals, but every organization contributes differently—bringing its own strengths, methods and role to the work, like many parts of one body working together toward a single purpose.
How do you accelerate without compromising quality?
Acceleration never replaces quality—it strengthens it. By sharing data, improving tools and refining workflows, partners ensure each translation remains accurate, clear and faithful while moving forward faster through collaboration and innovation.
How does ETEN equip the local church in Bible translation?
ETEN equips the local church by helping shift Bible translation from something done for communities to something done with to something ultimately done by them. Through its partners, ETEN supports church planting and disciple-making movements with training, mentorship and collaborative models that build capacity and strengthen local ownership. The result is Scripture translation that is completed with excellence, embraced by the community and more likely to lead to lasting transformation.
How can I get involved?
You can support the movement by:
– Praying for translators and communities.
– Sharing the vision with others.
– Giving through illumiNations to fuel the work.
Get Involved