A missionary whose work helped bring the Bible to indigenous communities in Paraguay’s distant Chaco region is retiring after 44 years of ministry and translation work.
Tim Curtis, a mission partner of the Church Mission Society (CMS), is stepping down after many years spent serving the Énxet and other indigenous peoples, lots of whom have historically faced social exclusion, land displacement and limited access to education, healthcare and Christian resources in their very own languages.
Founded in 1799, CMS is certainly one of the world’s oldest mission agencies and continues to support Christian work in communities often ignored or neglected.
Curtis has played a central role in making Scripture available in Southern Énxet, each in written and audio form, leaving what CMS described as an enduring spiritual and cultural legacy.
Born right into a missionary family and raised in Chile, Curtis later pursued his studies within the UK before first travelling to Paraguay within the Nineteen Eighties.
His early involvement got here through the La Herencia project within the Chaco, an Anglican initiative established in response to the lack of ancestral lands among the many Énxet, Angaité and Sanapana communities.
The project had helped put aside almost 45,000 hectares for indigenous communities by 1985.
Curtis went on to work in each indigenous and state schools throughout the region before being urged to pursue Bible translation training in light of his gift for languages and his dedication to local communities.
After joining the South American Missionary Society – which later amalgamated with CMS – he received specialist linguistic training with SIL International and went back to Paraguay to think about work within the Southern Énxet language.
Working alongside three indigenous translators within the early Nineteen Nineties, in addition to the United Bible Societies and the Paraguayan Bible Society, Curtis helped oversee the production of the Southern Énxet New Testament, which was published in 1997.
Nearly 20 years later, the total Southern Énxet Bible was published in 2016.
Reflecting on the journey, Curtis said: “From start to complete, it was surprising, even miraculous. People from different organisations, churches and institutions got here together. It was just like the Lord was arranging every part.”
Noticing that literacy barriers meant printed Scripture alone wouldn’t reach everyone, Curtis and his colleagues expanded their work into audio ministry.
25 Southern Énxet readers partnered with Faith Comes by Hearing to create an audio dramatisation of the New Testament in 2016. The recordings were made available on solar-powered and hand-cranked audio devices.
The ministry continued to grow in recent times.
In 2024, the team contributed to the interpretation and voice recording of the Jesus Film into Southern Énxet, while an audio recording of the Old Testament was produced with DAVAR audio Bibles in 2025.
Even while preparing for retirement, Curtis has remained lively.
He has worked as a part-time consultant with the Bible translation team of the Northern Enlhet since 2018, which has now prepared drafts of the Old Testament and together with several major New Testament books.
An entire Bible translation is anticipated later this decade.
Beyond his translation ministry, Curtis has also helped lead Bible studies, encouraged indigenous church leaders and helped strengthen indigenous-led mission movements in South America, corresponding to the synod formed after the 2022 Indigenous Anglican Congress in Argentina.
Chief executive of CMS Andy Roberts paid tribute to Curtis’s many years of service.
“Today, Énxet Christians can hear, read and share Scripture in their very own language – in print, through audio and on their phones,” he remarked.
“Tim Curtis could also be retiring, but his legacy will live to tell the tale: helping make God’s Word accessible to communities who’ve too often been pushed to the sides, and strengthening faith, identity and hope for generations to come back.”
Source: https://www.christiantoday.com/news/missionary-behind-milestone-paraguay-bible-translation-to-retire-after-44-years-of-service
