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Deaf ministry at Oxford First Baptist aims to end the isolation felt by many in the deaf community | AnnistonStar.com
It is a world that most cannot comprehend, a world ruled by silence, reduced to vibrations.
Lost are the noises of everyday life — from the roar of passing traffic to the patter of raindrops. Instead, communication is defined by a flurry of hand gestures, words replaced by images forged in the mind's eye … for what the ears cannot hear the imagination must recreate.
Often isolated and detached from the hearing world where so many take for granted simple miracles — the songs of birds or a choir's gentle hymn — the hearing impaired long to belong.
But God speaks to everyone who is willing to listen. He speaks even to those who cannot hear because being deaf neither silences the heart nor the spirit.
Ricky Milford was born deaf, but he has spent his life relaying God's message to those who want to hear it.
"God has opened so many doors for me," says Milford, who can read lips and speaks in a voice that's as clear as it is confident. "My life has been blessed with this calling and now God has called me here."
Milford, who had previously served as pastor to some of the more than 400 deaf residents in Talladega, has recently started a new ministry. Faith Baptist Deaf Mission is a mission of Oxford First Baptist Church, but, according to the bulletin published for Milford's first service this past Sunday, "Deaf people can be missionaries — not just mission fields."
And that, essentially, is what Milford hopes to accomplish, to let those in the deaf community know they belong.
"We want to empower the deaf community, teaching them that they can pray and worship and do anything they want," he says. "It's a way of helping them feel as if they are part of God's plan."
And that can be a challenge when they are forced to attend services at a hearing church. Because even though those churches may have someone signing, there is often too much that gets lost in translation when attempting to keep pace with a pastor's sermon. This leaves many lost and confused.
"They're too easily left out," Milford says. "They can feel very isolated and disconnected from everyone else. In a regular church service, the deaf feel very much alone.
"But they aren't alone anymore."
Judith Gilliam knows that feeling of isolation.
Born deaf, the Talladega resident spent many years attending a hearing church for the purpose of raising her two sons, who are not deaf, within a congregation that could meet their spiritual needs. And while the church had an interpreter, fully understanding the sermon was often a challenge. But when her sons grew up and moved away from home, Gilliam and her husband joined Milford's congregation in 1996.
Since the Faith Baptist Deaf Mission has moved to Oxford, it is sure to open more opportunities for spiritual to those who may have felt overlooked.
"We felt blessed to have been immersed into a large group of churchgoers," Gilliam writes in a recent email. "It is rewarding to have a personal and spiritual growth. More importantly, we have our own identity. We can communicate directly with each other about the word of God. We can have our own bible study, our own service, and our own sermon spoken in our language.
"And yet we can send our children/grandchildren to regular church services to meet their age-appropriate, competitive needs at the very same location."
With the Faith Baptist deaf ministry, the entire service is aimed at those who are hearing impaired. And yet if someone from the hearing church were to attend, the message would still resonate — save for one subtle difference.
"We participate a lot more," Milford says with a knowing smile. "In a hearing service you're supposed to sit there, be quiet and listen. But in a deaf church it's not unusual to see people raise their hands and say, 'Hey, could you repeat that?'
"We're here to meet their needs … any way we can."
Though he wasn't nervous last week before hosting Faith Baptist's inaugural service, Milford was concerned that many of his former congregation members wouldn't make the drive from Talladega to the chapel at Oxford First Baptist. He couldn't have been more surprised when so many sat in attendance.
"It was very inspired," he says of the service that featured many guest speakers from around the state. "I was worried before but then … so, so proud."
Milford's first sermon focused on letting go of the past — old practices, old feelings, old misgivings — and instead concentrating on the promises that lie ahead. In doing this, he relied on an acronym, a "formula," as he put it, which may well come to serve as a mantra for the growing congregation of Faith Baptist Deaf Mission — S.T.A.R.T.:
"S" — Stop making excuses
"T" — Taking inventory
"A" — Act in faith
"R" — Refocus our lives
"T" — Trust in God.
"We need to learn to let go," Milford says. "Deaf people can love the Lord as well as anyone … now we've got the opportunity.
"As for the future, it's time to roll up our sleeves and go fishing to find those who are lost and alone and bring the all to the Lord."
Faith Baptist Deaf Mission
A Mission of First Baptist Church, Oxford
95 E. Oak Street
Sunday school begins, 9 a.m.
Worship services (in the chapel, not the sanctuary), 10 a.m.
It is a world that most cannot comprehend, a world ruled by silence, reduced to vibrations.
Lost are the noises of everyday life — from the roar of passing traffic to the patter of raindrops. Instead, communication is defined by a flurry of hand gestures, words replaced by images forged in the mind's eye … for what the ears cannot hear the imagination must recreate.
Often isolated and detached from the hearing world where so many take for granted simple miracles — the songs of birds or a choir's gentle hymn — the hearing impaired long to belong.
But God speaks to everyone who is willing to listen. He speaks even to those who cannot hear because being deaf neither silences the heart nor the spirit.
Ricky Milford was born deaf, but he has spent his life relaying God's message to those who want to hear it.
"God has opened so many doors for me," says Milford, who can read lips and speaks in a voice that's as clear as it is confident. "My life has been blessed with this calling and now God has called me here."
Milford, who had previously served as pastor to some of the more than 400 deaf residents in Talladega, has recently started a new ministry. Faith Baptist Deaf Mission is a mission of Oxford First Baptist Church, but, according to the bulletin published for Milford's first service this past Sunday, "Deaf people can be missionaries — not just mission fields."
And that, essentially, is what Milford hopes to accomplish, to let those in the deaf community know they belong.
"We want to empower the deaf community, teaching them that they can pray and worship and do anything they want," he says. "It's a way of helping them feel as if they are part of God's plan."
And that can be a challenge when they are forced to attend services at a hearing church. Because even though those churches may have someone signing, there is often too much that gets lost in translation when attempting to keep pace with a pastor's sermon. This leaves many lost and confused.
"They're too easily left out," Milford says. "They can feel very isolated and disconnected from everyone else. In a regular church service, the deaf feel very much alone.
"But they aren't alone anymore."
Judith Gilliam knows that feeling of isolation.
Born deaf, the Talladega resident spent many years attending a hearing church for the purpose of raising her two sons, who are not deaf, within a congregation that could meet their spiritual needs. And while the church had an interpreter, fully understanding the sermon was often a challenge. But when her sons grew up and moved away from home, Gilliam and her husband joined Milford's congregation in 1996.
Since the Faith Baptist Deaf Mission has moved to Oxford, it is sure to open more opportunities for spiritual to those who may have felt overlooked.
"We felt blessed to have been immersed into a large group of churchgoers," Gilliam writes in a recent email. "It is rewarding to have a personal and spiritual growth. More importantly, we have our own identity. We can communicate directly with each other about the word of God. We can have our own bible study, our own service, and our own sermon spoken in our language.
"And yet we can send our children/grandchildren to regular church services to meet their age-appropriate, competitive needs at the very same location."
With the Faith Baptist deaf ministry, the entire service is aimed at those who are hearing impaired. And yet if someone from the hearing church were to attend, the message would still resonate — save for one subtle difference.
"We participate a lot more," Milford says with a knowing smile. "In a hearing service you're supposed to sit there, be quiet and listen. But in a deaf church it's not unusual to see people raise their hands and say, 'Hey, could you repeat that?'
"We're here to meet their needs … any way we can."
Though he wasn't nervous last week before hosting Faith Baptist's inaugural service, Milford was concerned that many of his former congregation members wouldn't make the drive from Talladega to the chapel at Oxford First Baptist. He couldn't have been more surprised when so many sat in attendance.
"It was very inspired," he says of the service that featured many guest speakers from around the state. "I was worried before but then … so, so proud."
Milford's first sermon focused on letting go of the past — old practices, old feelings, old misgivings — and instead concentrating on the promises that lie ahead. In doing this, he relied on an acronym, a "formula," as he put it, which may well come to serve as a mantra for the growing congregation of Faith Baptist Deaf Mission — S.T.A.R.T.:
"S" — Stop making excuses
"T" — Taking inventory
"A" — Act in faith
"R" — Refocus our lives
"T" — Trust in God.
"We need to learn to let go," Milford says. "Deaf people can love the Lord as well as anyone … now we've got the opportunity.
"As for the future, it's time to roll up our sleeves and go fishing to find those who are lost and alone and bring the all to the Lord."
Faith Baptist Deaf Mission
A Mission of First Baptist Church, Oxford
95 E. Oak Street
Sunday school begins, 9 a.m.
Worship services (in the chapel, not the sanctuary), 10 a.m.