On Saturday 28 June 2025, a group of people gathered in Wesley Methodist Church Ipoh to learn about and experience Orality and Oral Bible Storytelling. This year’s Orality Seminar was intentionally hosted in Ipoh for the benefit and convenience of churches and congregations in Northern Malaysia. Wycliffe Malaysia (hereafter WM) initially expected around 25 participants, so we were pleasantly surprised to receive 38 registrants!

The seminar ran from 9am to 3pm. In the first part of the morning session, the participants were exposed to an oral method of Bible study, a Storying Fellowship Group (hereafter SFG), which uses oral storytelling and dramatisation. They were mesmerised by the story of Ehud, skilfully told by a WM member, who then led the group to internalise the story by reenacting it as a drama. Judging from the howls of laughter, the dramatised skits must have been an entertaining and engaging way for the participants to enter the story as characters of the story and not simply as observers. But the fun did not detract from the deep, rich, and varied perspectives that each participant brought during the reflection discussions that followed.

“God is using someone we least expect, just like He used Ehud. Ehud was a left-handed man. In those days, being right-handed was the norm, and left-handed people might have been looked down upon. Even today, we say someone is your ‘right-hand man,’ meaning an important assistant. But God chose a left-handed man to accomplish His work and deliver Israel. This reminds us that God can use anyone, even those whom society overlooks or underestimates, to fulfil His purposes.”

“Sometimes, I think we are like King Eglon – we become comfortable and complacent. That is why he became so fat. He was also very arrogant. He thought that someone like Ehud would not harm him, and that was why he dismissed everyone.”

The second part of the morning session introduced the participants to a broader and deeper understanding of Orality and why it is relevant and necessary to the Church. WM commends the participants for persevering through this one-and-a-half-hour academic explanation despite the sometimes laborious elaboration of the subject.

The seminar reconvened in the afternoon with a presentation about Oral Bible Storytelling, with details about SFG’s practicality, components of a good story, and recommended storytelling practices. At the end of the presentation, the WM team took questions from the participants about Orality and Bible Storytelling. A memorable one was: Are there any Orality-related courses offered by Bible Schools in Malaysia? This is a question certainly worth investigating further, and quite possibly a challenge for the various local seminaries and Bible schools in our country!

The final session was a small-group discussion to allow the participants to explore ways they could utilise oral methods and Bible storytelling in their churches. Among their reflections, a few noted how they could apply Orality in their ministries, like cell groups, mission work, and discipleship for various demographics like local and refugee children, teens, and the Orang Asli.

“After attending today’s event on Orality, and pondering on the session you conducted, I’m beginning to see how Orality works. It is a dynamic and powerful medium to get the Good News across! Very glad to have attended today’s event. I’m sure many ideas will pop up for me in the days ahead.

Thanks for the session yesterday. It was very good, helpful and encouraging. I am glad Joseph [one of the participants] is encouraged to try something new later during our church’s Sunday school.”

Other feedback sparked more intentional plans. One participant wrote about a desire to run the Orality Seminar in her own church, while some planned to use what they learnt, specifically the SFG, to engage with their community in the Tamil language!

The participants’ positive responses about the seminar are a great encouragement to Wycliffe Malaysia. In fact, their responses should not be surprising at all; orality has been and continues to be an integral part of human relationships and communication, just as how early communication between God and man was direct, personal, and relational. Likewise, Bible stories presented orally will also allow the truth of God’s Word to sink into human hearts further, deeper, and longer.