In a career spanning over four decades, Tim Curtis has been instrumental in bringing the Bible to Paraguay’s remote indigenous communities. As he retires, his significant contributions to Bible translation and missionary work in the Chaco region are celebrated.
A mission partner with the Church Mission Society (CMS), Curtis has dedicated his life to the Énxet and other indigenous peoples who have long faced challenges such as social exclusion and limited access to essential resources in their native languages.
Established in 1799, CMS is renowned as one of the oldest mission agencies globally, maintaining its focus on supporting underserved communities with Christian initiatives.
Curtis’s efforts have been pivotal in translating the Scriptures into Southern Énxet, making it accessible in both print and audio formats. This monumental task has been recognized as a spiritual and cultural milestone by CMS.
With roots in a missionary family in Chile, Curtis’s journey led him to the UK for his education before his initial visit to Paraguay in the 1980s.
His early work was linked to the La Herencia project in the Chaco, an Anglican-led effort addressing the dispossession of ancestral lands from indigenous groups like the Énxet, Angaité, and Sanapana. By 1985, nearly 45,000 hectares had been allocated to these communities.
Curtis’s linguistic talents and dedication to local communities prompted his pursuit of Bible translation training. After joining the South American Missionary Society, later part of CMS, he received linguistic training from SIL International to focus on the Southern Énxet language.
In collaboration with three indigenous translators, the United Bible Societies, and the Paraguayan Bible Society, Curtis helped publish the Southern Énxet New Testament in 1997, followed by the complete Bible in 2016.
Reflecting on this journey, Curtis remarked, “From start to finish, it was surprising, even miraculous. People from different organisations, churches and institutions came together. It was like the Lord was arranging everything.”
Recognizing that literacy barriers could limit access to printed Scriptures, Curtis expanded into audio ministry. In 2016, 25 Southern Énxet readers collaborated with Faith Comes by Hearing to create an audio dramatisation of the New Testament, available on solar-powered and hand-cranked devices.
The ministry’s scope continued to expand. In 2024, the team worked on translating and recording the Jesus Film in Southern Énxet, and by 2025, an audio version of the Old Testament was completed with DAVAR audio Bibles.
Despite his impending retirement, Curtis has remained active, serving as a part-time consultant with the Northern Enlhet Bible translation team since 2018. This team is preparing drafts of the Old Testament and several New Testament books, aiming for a complete Bible translation later this decade.
Beyond translation, Curtis has led Bible studies, supported indigenous church leaders, and bolstered indigenous mission movements in South America, including the synod established after the 2022 Indigenous Anglican Congress in Argentina.
CMS Chief Executive Andy Roberts praised Curtis’s extensive service, stating, “Today, Énxet Christians can hear, read and share Scripture in their own language – in print, through audio and on their phones.” He added, “Tim Curtis may be retiring, but his legacy will live on: helping make God’s Word accessible to communities who have too often been pushed to the edges, and strengthening faith, identity and hope for generations to come.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
