Bible translator becomes prime minister of Solomon Islands

Bible Translator Becomes Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands

A translation ministry that began with the dream of making God’s Word available to the Wala-speaking community in the Solomon Islands in their own language has today captured the world’s attention as one of its key workers, Matthew Wale, rose to the highest position of leadership in the country.

For many years, the approximately 8,000 Wala-speaking people living on the island of Malaita in the Solomon Islands did not have a Bible or study materials in their own language. Although the English Bible was used in churches, many had difficulty understanding it fully. Wanting to change this situation, Matthew Wale stepped forward in 2002 to lead the work of translating the New Testament into the Wala language.

With the technical assistance of Wycliffe, he formed a translation team that brought together leaders and workers from various church backgrounds. The translation work began based on the New Testament in the neighboring language, Kwara’ae. The translation was enthusiastically received by the people after community testing ensured its naturalness and clarity.

The impact of the translation was also evident in Matthew Wale’s own family. He recalls that his father responded with tears when he heard the Gospel of Mark read to him in Wale. He realized that hearing the gospel message he had heard for years in his own language touched his heart even more deeply.

After five years of effort, the Wale New Testament was officially released in 2008. That same year, Matthew Wale was elected to the national parliament. He held the newly published Wale New Testament in his hand when he was sworn in as a member of parliament.

In the years that followed, Matthew Wale made notable contributions to community service and national leadership, and in 2026 he was elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. However, he still considers the work of Bible translation to be the most valuable service of his life. “The greatest satisfaction of all that I have done in my life has come from the translation ministry,” he testifies.

Bible translation work continues among the more than 65 language communities in the Solomon Islands. The presence of Bibles in various languages, including the Wala New Testament, on permanent display in the National Parliament demonstrates the importance placed on the country's linguistic and spiritual heritage.