(May 5, 2005, Ft. Worth, Texas, USA) Wycliffe International announced today the selection of a new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Reverend Roger Welch of England was chosen by fellow board members to serve as Chair. Mundara Muturi, General Secretary of Bible Translation and Literacy of East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya was selected as Vice-Chairman of the Board.

Welch has served for twenty years as Chairman of the Board for Wycliffe United Kingdom, and has been on the International Board since 1996. A researcher of Church history and frequent lecturer, Welch also serves as lead pastor of Merland Rise Church, an Evangelical Free Church in Surrey, England. In stating his vision for Wycliffe International, Welch said, "I am fully committed to the pursuit of Vision 2025, having been involved on the Board from the first presentation of the vision. I am so excited by the increased pace of new Bible translation "starts" in the last five years. The Board will need to do all things possible to maintain the pace." Vision 2025 is a statement of Wycliffe's desire to work with partners worldwide so that, "by the year 2025 a Bible translation program begun in every language group that needs it."

Welch fills a newly developed role of "Chairman of the Board" which replaces the former governance model of having a President serve as Board leader. Former President of the Board is Richard Hugoniot, who will continue to serve Wycliffe International in a senior administrative role.

Wycliffe International's work is to facilitate the translation of God's Word into every language that needs it. Wycliffe has organizations in over forty countries and has had a part in translating over 600 New Testaments into minority and indigenous languages. Thirteen hundred more projects representing over 70 countries, are in progress. Because Wycliffe organizations believe Bible translation is part of the Great Commission's mandate given to the Church, Wycliffe actively seeks to engage the worldwide Church in the Bible translation ministry. Wycliffe helps recruit personnel, raise funds and promote prayer for this worldwide task. www.wycliffe.net