Podcast episode
Episode 371 – 1 Billion People Still Don’t Have the Bible: Here’s the Plan | Mart Green
What happens when a retail entrepreneur has a Holy Spirit moment at a Bible dedication ceremony in Guatemala — and never looks at business the same way again? In this episode, host Justin Forman sits down with Mart Green, co-founder of Mardel Christian bookstores and a driving force behind Illuminations, a collective impact initiative uniting Bible translation organizations around the world with one audacious goal: eradicate Bible poverty by 2033.
EPISODE NOTES
Mart Green walked into a Bible dedication ceremony in Guatemala as a skeptical ROI-minded retailer. He walked out with a calling that would consume the next 25 years of his life. Now, as one of the driving forces behind Illuminations — the world’s largest Bible translation collective impact initiative — Mart is helping unite organizations, technology, and resources toward one goal: every people group with access to God’s Word in their heart language by 2033.
Justin Forman sits down with Mart in Austin to unpack the origin story of Illuminations, from a small group of five CEOs meeting monthly in a Dallas airport admirals club to a 300-person coalition that has cut the projected Bible translation completion date from 2150 to 2041 — with faith believing for 2033. Mart also opens up about the character traits he looks for in every partner, his family’s mission statement, the role of AI in acceleration, and what a daily rhythm in God’s Word has looked like for 27 consecutive years.
Whether you’re a giver, a builder, or an entrepreneur wondering how your business connects to eternity — this conversation will shift your perspective.
Chapters:
00:00 Opening: The Guatemala moment — from ROI to EROI
01:09 FDE intro
01:20 Welcome from Austin: Collective impact and solving big problems
02:17 Illuminations video story begins
03:35 Mart Green: Bible translation is the start of all ministry
04:06 The challenge of getting CEOs to collaborate
05:53 The Stanford Collective Impact framework explained
08:30 Why Google Translate can’t finish the job
09:08 How AI (Scripture Forge) is cutting translation timelines in half
10:14 100,000 chapters translated in one year
11:53 Justin asks: What stands out after 15 years?
12:06 The power of unity — and why Satan attacks it
13:11 Where unity actually starts: The small table first
16:22 Three character traits Mart looks for in every partner
18:37 How Illuminations differs from other collective impact models
19:27 Chase seeds, not fruit — the resource partner advantage
21:32 By the numbers: From 2150 to 2041 (believing for 2033)
23:47 What it means to be part of a closing window
25:41 How funding works: Chapters-based distribution model
28:09 How centralized data changed everything for translation agencies
30:40 Justin: The personal story behind Mart’s involvement
31:24 Mart’s journey: Mardel, Hobby Lobby, and Guatemala 1998
36:24 Two back-to-back Holy Spirit promptings — and a vow made at 2am
37:10 Balancing data and Spirit: The three H’s (Heart, Head, Holy Spirit)
39:52 Mart’s morning routine: 27 years in God’s Word
40:19 The O-I-O-I framework: Open, Insight, Obey, Intimacy
42:49 How the Green family businesses connect to eternity
44:46 Stewardship vs. ownership — the question Mart asks everyone
47:31 How the Green family mission statement was born
48:54 “Love God intimately. Live extravagant generosity.”
50:31 Book recommendations: Experiencing God and Law of Rewards
52:51 Justin’s closing call to action: Get in the game
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