Deaf Baptists embrace unreached Deaf peoples

[Miss-Delectable]

Baptist Press - Deaf Baptists embrace unreached Deaf peoples - News with a Christian Perspective

The Deaf should be in the multitude when, as the Book of Revelation depicts it, every language, people, tribe and nation will worship the Lamb around the throne, says Aric Randolph of New Life Deaf Fellowship in Fort Worth, Texas.

But, the Deaf pastor asks, "How will the Deaf be there if they don't know Jesus?

"Right now, there are about 35 million Deaf all over the world," Randolph notes. "Every day, 750 Deaf die without knowing Jesus. To be His hands, His heart and to tell His story, we must truly embrace the Deaf of the world."

New Life Deaf Fellowship is planning a short-term mission trip -- possibly to the Deaf in a high-risk country. "We go to let them know about Jesus. We go so they can know Jesus as Savior. We go to let them know they, too, can be in heaven," Randolph said.

More than 400 Deaf Southern Baptists gathered in Toccoa, Ga., July 16-21 for the Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf (SBCD) and to witness the commissioning of six International Mission Board missionaries to work with the Deaf.

IMB President Tom Elliff shared his burden for the millions of Deaf around the world who have never "seen" the name Jesus, challenging Deaf Southern Baptists to embrace a specific Deaf people group from the more than 100 unengaged, unreached Deaf people groups around the world.

Jim Dermon, the SBCD's president, echoed Elliff's sentiment. "If we are willing to learn more about Deaf people groups, to visit them, to learn their needs and desires, and to pray for them ... that will lead Deaf to accept the Lord Jesus Christ," Dermon said. "If we embrace the Deaf in other countries, it will affect what we do here in the U.S. and we will see a multiplication of Deaf churches throughout the world."

Steven Nance, a Deaf member of Parkwood Baptist Church in Concord, N.C., talked about his short-term trip to the Dominican Republic to reach Deaf children there. Now praying that others also will go there, Nance reminded conference attendees to pray for missionaries who are serving throughout the world to reach the Deaf.

Paula Little, a recreational therapist and member of Woodhaven Baptist Deaf Church in Houston, told how a trip to South Africa changed her life. She had several chances to go abroad but kept ignoring God's call. "I am focused on America! There's not enough mission work being done here," she recounted.

But, Little said, "God did not give up on me. I could not resist the gnawing need to go." She thought she did not have the skills needed to go on a mission trip, but the moment she decided to go, she felt at peace. When Little arrived in Johannesburg, she was met by a Deaf IMB missionary and taken to her home. Little, expecting to see a hut, was surprised to see that the missionary lived in a regular house.

While in South Africa, Little played basketball with a group of Deaf Africans, and God used her abilities as a recreational therapist to connect with the Deaf athletes. Little invited the Africans to join her in a nearby park where Bible stories were being told in sign language. These Deaf began texting their Deaf friends and soon a large group had gathered. Many understood the Gospel message for the first time.

After Little had returned to the United States, the missionary told her that 19 Deaf people had accepted Christ as a result of her trip.

John Wyble, Deaf pastor at Living Word Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., had gone on several mission trips. A turning point for Wyble was when he and his wife Denise went to the Virgin Islands and encountered hundreds of Deaf who had no access to the Gospel in their heart language. Wyble asked Terrence Jones, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in St. Thomas, to allow him to use the church building to meet with the Deaf. Jones was astonished at the number of Deaf who came each night to see Wyble teach. At the end of the week, Jones understood that the Deaf did not need to be objects of ministry but were a nation to be reached.

The Wybles are leading Living Word to embrace the Deaf peoples of St. Thomas, sharing a vision with Jones to see a Deaf church planted in St. Thomas that will initiate a Deaf church-planting movement throughout the Virgin Islands.

At the conclusion of the IMB-SBCD commissioning service, 75 people went forward and made commitments to lead their churches to embrace the ends of the earth. The IMB's "Embrace" challenge encourages churches to make a lifetime commitment to an unengaged, unreached people group.

Bob Barker, Deaf pastor of Story One Plano (Texas), said, "We came together and, in a show of unity, we prayed for our new IMB Deaf missionaries and embraced the challenge to see more go to the harvest fields."

To learn more about how a church can embrace an unengaged, unreached people group, go to call2embrace.org.

 

[Aleser]

There are very few people left in the world genuinely "unreached" by the idea of Christian ideology.

These people are not trying to "introduce" Christianity to anyone. Missionaries that work in poor countries, especially with vulnerable populations, trade "godly" lessons like intolerance and violence in exchange for the provision of food, goods, and companionship.

There's nothing good about what they do.

 

[Reba]

There are very few people left in the world genuinely "unreached" by the idea of Christian ideology.

These people are not trying to "introduce" Christianity to anyone. Missionaries that work in poor countries, especially with vulnerable populations, trade "godly" lessons like intolerance and violence in exchange for the provision of food, goods, and companionship.

There's nothing good about what they do.

You certainly can't speak for all Christian missionaries. The missionaries that I know certainly don't act the way you describe.

BTW, not all missionaries work in "poor" countries, so there is no material provision or exchange. Some missionaries work in areas where they are the poorer people, and the nationals are very materialistic and comfortable.

It's true that most of the missionary work with deaf populations in Third World nations involves "poor" people but there are no lessons of "intolerance and violence." The lessons are about the love and salvation provided by Jesus.

 

[Aleser]

You certainly can't speak for all Christian missionaries. The missionaries that I know certainly don't act the way you describe.

BTW, not all missionaries work in "poor" countries, so there is no material provision or exchange. Some missionaries work in areas where they are the poorer people, and the nationals are very materialistic and comfortable.

It's true that most of the missionary work with deaf populations in Third World nations involves "poor" people but there are no lessons of "intolerance and violence." The lessons are about the love and salvation provided by Jesus.

I specifically mentioned foreign missionaries as the article mentions that these people were in fact going on foreign missions.

Americans’ Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push - NYTimes.com - not spreading any hate, huh? And there's lots of behavior like this to go around.

Christianity is a plague in African countries. To call it anything else is to insult the religious divisiveness that foreign missionaries spread.

Missionaries ANYWHERE, but ESPECIALLY missionaries which seek to convert poor people, people in 3rd world countries, or people previously unexposed to Christianity, are a plague.

Unreached populations are becoming rarer and rarer every day, because of the threat of religious missionaries seeking to infect their "message" to everyone on earth. Unique social structures, cultures, and lifestyles are being eroded with the words, looks, actions, and enticements of missionaries.

Some of the most vulnerable populations in the world are being destroyed because the first film in their language is a film about the Christian view of Jesus, or because the person giving them medical care is also a Christian.

Mission work, at its core, is so much more disgusting than just "spreading the word of XYZ deity." It is about infecting cultures, imposing standards, and bringing about change so that more people are -like you-. It is bad at its core, if its done door to door in America or in a refugee camp in an African country, if it is done on a sidewalk in NYC or in an orphanage in a South American country.

But it is ESPECIALLY awful when it is specifically targeted to vulnerable populations. It is ESPECIALLY awful when it is targeted to groups considered "unreached" by the mission's religion because of language, poverty, or geography.

To say it is "just about" spreading XYZ religion is to close your eyes and cover your ears and deny that it is a much bigger, much dirtier issue.

 

[Beowulf]

Using mindless drones to tell the wretched masses how blessed they are strikes me as unbelievably cruel.

 

[Reba]

I specifically mentioned foreign missionaries as the article mentions that these people were in fact going on foreign missions.

I was talking about foreign missions also. So?

Americans’ Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push - NYTimes.com - not spreading any hate, huh? And there's lots of behavior like this to go around.

I read your link. It wasn't about missions. It was a conference. It had nothing to do with missionaries who live in country for years spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our missionaries are very careful not to get involved with local politics.

Christianity is a plague in African countries. To call it anything else is to insult the religious divisiveness that foreign missionaries spread.

That's your uninformed opinion.

Missionaries ANYWHERE, but ESPECIALLY missionaries which seek to convert poor people, people in 3rd world countries, or people previously unexposed to Christianity, are a plague.

Christian missionaries bring the good news of Jesus Christ to people all over the world, including the USA, Third World countries, wealthy industrialized Western countries, etc. Just because people are poor, why should they be neglected? Of course missionaries go to countries where the people haven't been exposed to the Gospel. That's the point. Give everyone the opportunity to learn about Jesus. I don't see how that's a "plague."

Unreached populations are becoming rarer and rarer every day, because of the threat of religious missionaries seeking to infect their "message" to everyone on earth. Unique social structures, cultures, and lifestyles are being eroded with the words, looks, actions, and enticements of missionaries.

Apparently you haven't done your research. There are vast numbers of not yet reached peoples. Many of our missionaries are indigenous and have no desire to destroy the cultures of their home lands. That makes no sense.

Some of the most vulnerable populations in the world are being destroyed because the first film in their language is a film about the Christian view of Jesus, or because the person giving them medical care is also a Christian.

How is a Christian giving them medical care and the story of Jesus destroying people? That makes no sense.

Mission work, at its core, is so much more disgusting than just "spreading the word of XYZ deity." It is about infecting cultures, imposing standards, and bringing about change so that more people are -like you-. It is bad at its core, if its done door to door in America or in a refugee camp in an African country, if it is done on a sidewalk in NYC or in an orphanage in a South American country.

I'm sorry that you feel that way. You must have had some bad experiences in your life. That's very sad.

But it is ESPECIALLY awful when it is specifically targeted to vulnerable populations. It is ESPECIALLY awful when it is targeted to groups considered "unreached" by the mission's religion because of language, poverty, or geography.

The materialistic, well-to-do executive in a modern skyscraper is just as "unreached" as a poor person living on a remote island. They both need the Gospel.

To say it is "just about" spreading XYZ religion is to close your eyes and cover your ears and deny that it is a much bigger, much dirtier issue.

I'm speaking only about the missionaries whom I support who have beliefs and practices with which I agree. I don't know what other groups are doing, and I can't speak for them. If any of them of dealing dirty, then they should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Aleser]

Our missionaries are very careful not to get involved with local politics.

Taking a flight to another continent and giving people the "good news" that they can become christians isn't involving yourself with the locals AT ALL.

Christian missionaries bring the good news of Jesus Christ to people all over the world, including the USA, Third World countries, wealthy industrialized Western countries, etc. Just because people are poor, why should they be neglected? Of course missionaries go to countries where the people haven't been exposed to the Gospel. That's the point. Give everyone the opportunity to learn about Jesus. I don't see how that's a "plague."

Because not everyone needs to hear about what you believe in. Not everyone -needs- the koolaide you're selling.

Apparently you haven't done your research. There are vast numbers of not yet reached peoples. Many of our missionaries are indigenous and have no desire to destroy the cultures of their home lands. That makes no sense.

The numbers of uncontacted populations is rapidly and constantly decreasing, and trible life is threatened and shrunk away for the sake of "modern" things, including your modern religion, every day. Do you think indigenous rights group exist just for funsies?

How is a Christian giving them medical care and the story of Jesus destroying people?

Because we are losing cultures in the world we will possibly never get back, and big cultures are being divided by the spread of your "word". A shiny video in your language is a thrust into modernity or a thrust into a western lifestyle or a thrust into fighting over what faith you have, something you apparently cannot comprehend.

I'm sorry that you feel that way. You must have had some bad experiences in your life. That's very sad.

Yeah, what you just said right there? Is never acceptable to say to another human being. It implies that the person must feel the way they do because they have been damaged, that they lack the ability to naturally form strong opinions in disagreement with you, and if they were "unbroken" they'd see things differently.

I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of cultures that are not my own. I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of all people and countries, contacted or not, poor or not, but ESPECIALLY in the protection of vulnerable people in cultural, linguistic, or geographic minorities. I believe that the spread of religion by missionaries is harmful to local communities, to identities, and to the future of our diverse world.

This, apparently, makes me obvs broken.

The materialistic, well-to-do executive in a modern skyscraper is just as "unreached" as a poor person living on a remote island. They both need the Gospel.

The "materialistic well-to-do executive" has the ability to throw you out. OTOH...


There's nothing agreeable about mission work. People are so caught up in their godly delusion that they don't see it, but religious mission work IS always harmful in some way- even if it isn't immediately tangible to the missionaries themselves who "mean well".

 

[Reba]

Taking a flight to another continent and giving people the "good news" that they can become christians isn't involving yourself with the locals AT ALL.

Because not everyone needs to hear about what you believe in. Not everyone -needs- the koolaide you're selling.

Christian missionaries aren't selling any Kool-aid. They're sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. To keep it for themselves would be selfish.

The numbers of uncontacted populations is rapidly and constantly decreasing, and trible life is threatened and shrunk away for the sake of "modern" things, including your modern religion, every day. Do you think indigenous rights group exist just for funsies?

There are still millions of people who haven't even heard once about Jesus Christ. Eternal salvation is not a "modern" thing.

Nothing is "for funsies."

Because we are losing cultures in the world we will possibly never get back, and big cultures are being divided by the spread of your "word". A shiny video in your language is a thrust into modernity or a thrust into a western lifestyle or a thrust into fighting over what faith you have, something you apparently cannot comprehend.

I'm sorry but apparently you can't comprehend what I'm posting. The goal of Christians is not to thrust in Western lifestyle or modernity.

Yeah, what you just said right there? Is never acceptable to say to another human being. It implies that the person must feel the way they do because they have been damaged, that they lack the ability to naturally form strong opinions in disagreement with you, and if they were "unbroken" they'd see things differently.

Then what is the reason for your confusion, bitterness and anger? Why do you distort what Christians do?

I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of cultures that are not my own. I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of all people and countries, contacted or not, poor or not, but ESPECIALLY in the protection of vulnerable people in cultural, linguistic, or geographic minorities. I believe that the spread of religion by missionaries is harmful to local communities, to identities, and to the future of our diverse world.

This, apparently, makes me obvs broken.

I believe that everyone deserves the freedom that only Jesus Christ can provide, here on earth now, and in eternity. It is wrong to withhold that from anyone just because they are poor or hard to reach.

Do you really believe that the lives and work of missionaries is "for funsies?" They leave their home countries, learn new languages and cultures, make great material sacrifices, and sometimes risk their health and lives for people who don't greet them with open arms. And they do that willingly because they love the people.

The "materialistic well-to-do executive" has the ability to throw you out. OTOH...

Whereas the tribal person who wants you out can merely kill you (which has happened).

There's nothing agreeable about mission work. People are so caught up in their godly delusion that they don't see it, but religious mission work IS always harmful in some way- even if it isn't immediately tangible to the missionaries themselves who "mean well".

Like I said, your experiences are not the same as mine.

 

[jillio]

There are very few people left in the world genuinely "unreached" by the idea of Christian ideology.

These people are not trying to "introduce" Christianity to anyone. Missionaries that work in poor countries, especially with vulnerable populations, trade "godly" lessons like intolerance and violence in exchange for the provision of food, goods, and companionship.

There's nothing good about what they do.

I find the whole concept behind this article a bit disturbing. Saving the souls of the Deaf was one of the major justifications for the origins of Oralism.

 

[jillio]

I specifically mentioned foreign missionaries as the article mentions that these people were in fact going on foreign missions.

Americans’ Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push - NYTimes.com - not spreading any hate, huh? And there's lots of behavior like this to go around.

Christianity is a plague in African countries. To call it anything else is to insult the religious divisiveness that foreign missionaries spread.

Missionaries ANYWHERE, but ESPECIALLY missionaries which seek to convert poor people, people in 3rd world countries, or people previously unexposed to Christianity, are a plague.

Unreached populations are becoming rarer and rarer every day, because of the threat of religious missionaries seeking to infect their "message" to everyone on earth. Unique social structures, cultures, and lifestyles are being eroded with the words, looks, actions, and enticements of missionaries.

Some of the most vulnerable populations in the world are being destroyed because the first film in their language is a film about the Christian view of Jesus, or because the person giving them medical care is also a Christian.

Mission work, at its core, is so much more disgusting than just "spreading the word of XYZ deity." It is about infecting cultures, imposing standards, and bringing about change so that more people are -like you-. It is bad at its core, if its done door to door in America or in a refugee camp in an African country, if it is done on a sidewalk in NYC or in an orphanage in a South American country.

But it is ESPECIALLY awful when it is specifically targeted to vulnerable populations. It is ESPECIALLY awful when it is targeted to groups considered "unreached" by the mission's religion because of language, poverty, or geography.

To say it is "just about" spreading XYZ religion is to close your eyes and cover your ears and deny that it is a much bigger, much dirtier issue.

It is ethnocentrism at it's most disturbing. Does anyone remember Manifest Destiny?

 

[jillio]

Using mindless drones to tell the wretched masses how blessed they are strikes me as unbelievably cruel.

There are actually useful things that can be taught to these populations if one is truly concerned about their welfare. Teaching them that they are damned unless they accept a concept of a savior as determined by man is not one of those things.

 

[jillio]

I was talking about foreign missions also. So?


I read your link. It wasn't about missions. It was a conference. It had nothing to do with missionaries who live in country for years spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our missionaries are very careful not to get involved with local politics.


That's your uninformed opinion.


Christian missionaries bring the good news of Jesus Christ to people all over the world, including the USA, Third World countries, wealthy industrialized Western countries, etc. Just because people are poor, why should they be neglected? Of course missionaries go to countries where the people haven't been exposed to the Gospel. That's the point. Give everyone the opportunity to learn about Jesus. I don't see how that's a "plague."


Apparently you haven't done your research. There are vast numbers of not yet reached peoples. Many of our missionaries are indigenous and have no desire to destroy the cultures of their home lands. That makes no sense.


How is a Christian giving them medical care and the story of Jesus destroying people? That makes no sense.


I'm sorry that you feel that way. You must have had some bad experiences in your life. That's very sad.


The materialistic, well-to-do executive in a modern skyscraper is just as "unreached" as a poor person living on a remote island. They both need the Gospel.


I'm speaking only about the missionaries whom I support who have beliefs and practices with which I agree. I don't know what other groups are doing, and I can't speak for them. If any of them of dealing dirty, then they should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

What someone "needs" is for them to determine for themselves.

 

[jillio]

Taking a flight to another continent and giving people the "good news" that they can become christians isn't involving yourself with the locals AT ALL.




Because not everyone needs to hear about what you believe in. Not everyone -needs- the koolaide you're selling.




The numbers of uncontacted populations is rapidly and constantly decreasing, and trible life is threatened and shrunk away for the sake of "modern" things, including your modern religion, every day. Do you think indigenous rights group exist just for funsies?




Because we are losing cultures in the world we will possibly never get back, and big cultures are being divided by the spread of your "word". A shiny video in your language is a thrust into modernity or a thrust into a western lifestyle or a thrust into fighting over what faith you have, something you apparently cannot comprehend.



Yeah, what you just said right there? Is never acceptable to say to another human being. It implies that the person must feel the way they do because they have been damaged, that they lack the ability to naturally form strong opinions in disagreement with you, and if they were "unbroken" they'd see things differently.

I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of cultures that are not my own. I believe in the wholeness and sanctity of all people and countries, contacted or not, poor or not, but ESPECIALLY in the protection of vulnerable people in cultural, linguistic, or geographic minorities. I believe that the spread of religion by missionaries is harmful to local communities, to identities, and to the future of our diverse world.

This, apparently, makes me obvs broken.




The "materialistic well-to-do executive" has the ability to throw you out. OTOH...


There's nothing agreeable about mission work. People are so caught up in their godly delusion that they don't see it, but religious mission work IS always harmful in some way- even if it isn't immediately tangible to the missionaries themselves who "mean well".

Exactly. You are speaking about the destructive effects of forced cultural contact. These effects have been documented for centuries by cultural anthropologists.

 

[Aleser]

There are actually useful things that can be taught to these populations if one is truly concerned about their welfare. Teaching them that they are damned unless they accept a concept of a savior as determined by man is not one of those things.

But even that has to be done with considerable thought as to the potential impact of teaching a group you do not belong to skills they do not have. You are changing a way of life, even in a small way, and that can never be taken lightly- which is why some indigenous rights groups hold the position that no western interference is acceptable, even if it has the potential to improve lives, because it permanently changes (often without consent) the lives of the people being helped.

Missionary work is cavalier about the cultural and social impact of their choices: the end in sight is only that they make people believe in their religion.

 

[KarissaMann05]

Well, to be fair, I love my Christian friends, yes. But not to another Christians because they already begin to see me a sort of "evil figure" when I left Christianity because it seems they think I am a Satanist after they asked me if I believe in Satanism. I already got a few notes and PMs from at FB and at dA, they and I made a few small arguments and debates. I also got kicked out of one pro-life group at FB because I am not a Christian anymore and they suddenly think I am a pro-choice when I AM NOT.

I just wish Christians could be just open to anybody and respect their beliefs... but hey, I am not saying Christians are "horrible" people or something (Funny, non-Christians did think I was a "terrible" Christian for not share same views as theirs.). I am sorry to say this... I don't agree what Deaf Baptists do, because they, seemingly, impose their beliefs on non-Christians...

So this post is only my last comment, since this thread is already turned in a hot debate, anyway.

 

[jillio]

But even that has to be done with considerable thought as to the potential impact of teaching a group you do not belong to skills they do not have. You are changing a way of life, even in a small way, and that can never be taken lightly- which is why some indigenous rights groups hold the position that no western interference is acceptable, even if it has the potential to improve lives, because it permanently changes (often without consent) the lives of the people being helped.

Missionary work is cavalier about the cultural and social impact of their choices: the end in sight is only that they make people believe in their religion.

Absolutely. It has to be done strictly from their cultural perspective and what is deemed useful and beneficial by that culture. Not, under any circumstance, from the cultural perspective of the other.

Cultural contact will always result in change to some degree. Forced cultural contact from an ethnocentric position results in nothing but change as in negative consequence and destruction.

A good example is to question how many of these indiginous populations request the presence and the teachings of these missionaries? Quite obviously, this is a situation of forced cultural contact.

 

[Reba]

I find the whole concept behind this article a bit disturbing. Saving the souls of the Deaf was one of the major justifications for the origins of Oralism.

Saving the souls of the Deaf was one of the reasons for teaching them sign language and establishing schools for the Deaf. Remember the Reverend Gallaudet?

Why should the souls of the Deaf be ignored? Aren't they as valuable as the souls of the hearing?

 

[Aleser]

Why should the souls of the Deaf be ignored? Aren't they as valuable as the souls of the hearing?

You have to be trolling. I refuse to believe that you are not trolling at this point.

 

[Reba]

It is ethnocentrism at it's most disturbing. Does anyone remember Manifest Destiny?

The salvation of mankind transcends any ethnicity. Salvation is available to every person on earth. It is to be shared, not to be limited.

 

[jillio]

Saving the souls of the Deaf was one of the reasons for teaching them sign language and establishing schools for the Deaf. Remember the Reverend Gallaudet?

Why should the souls of the Deaf be ignored? Aren't they as valuable as the souls of the hearing?

And the reason for forcing oral language policies. "They must HEAR the word of God so they will not perish in hell", and all that stuff.

Who said the souls of the Deaf should be ignored? I think the Deaf are perfectly capable of deciding what they should do about the fate of their soul. Should they desire salvation in the form of Baptist teachings, they are perfectly capable of seeking it out.