A sad scenario

I second the story at Distant Shores Media. We hit the same problem with our experience in Asia -- the local church leaders and others wanted to take popular Christian resources and adapt them for their use. In the situation that we were in, it was often more to do with Christian songs and music rather than the Bible because the Scriptures were still in the process of being translated and checked.

The pastors' cooperative organisation didn't have the resources to seek (or pay for) the international permissions to use and translate or adapt these materials. So either they don't use them at all, or else they may feel pressured to go ahead and use them without the permissions. Either scenario sadly limits the ministry of the indigenous churches.

Thumbs up to the slowly increasing number of people and ministries who are forgoing the urge to control and profit from their productions (often already paid for by offerings, donations, or other funds) and who are making their materials available for the rapidly growing church in the third world to make full use of. I'm hoping one day to be able to highlight them at Freely-Given.org.