Orality

Oral Cultures

The majority of the world’s population are oral communicators, who cannot or do not learn through literate means, and more than half of them are among the unreached as defined above. Among these, there are an estimated 350 million people without a single verse of Scripture in their language. In addition to the ‘primary oral learners’ there are many ‘secondary oral learners’, that is those who are technically literate but prefer now to communicate in an oral manner, with the rise of visual learning and the dominance of images in communication.

As we recognize and take action on issues of orality, let us:

A) Make greater use of oral methodologies in discipling programmes, even among literate believers.

B) Make available an oral format Story Bible in the heart languages of unreached and unengaged people groups as a matter of priority.

C) ncourage mission agencies to develop oral strategies, including: the recording and distribution of oral Bible stories for evangelism, discipling and leadership training, along with appropriate orality training for pioneer evangelists and church-planters; these could use fruitful oral and visual communication methods for communicating the whole biblical story of salvation, including storytelling, dances, arts, poetry, chants and dramas.

D) Encourage local churches in the Global South to engage with unreached people groups in their area through oral methods that are specific to their worldview.

E) Encourage seminaries to provide curricula that will train pastors and missionaries in oral methodologies.

From the Cape Town Commitment - Part 2, Section IID, 2