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Rome News - Tribune
On Sunday mornings, Pastor Mason Fenner preaches to his congregation gathered in a house on Lombardy Way. He delivers a message and they get it loud and clear.
Fenner does not use words. He’s deaf. But he doesn’t need his voice to pastor to this church. All its members are deaf as well. They praise and worship and sing and pray just like any other church. But they enjoy a fellowship that few religious houses in Rome can boast.
They, of all people, know the importance of communication.
Rome’s Deaf Baptist Fellowship began as a vision of pastor Mason Fenner. After sending letters to several local churches asking for the use of their facilities to start a deaf church, he received two responses. Mason chose Hollywood Baptist Church and began meeting there in the summer of 2003 with seven other members.
“We had our first church service on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2004,” Fenner said in a short history he wrote for the church’s Web site. “We had six deaf people attending our first church service. After that we have seen growth in church attendance. We started our first youth service on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005.”
The church as entered into a partnership with the Georgia Baptist Convention and Hollywood Baptist Church to establish a self supporting Southern Baptist Church for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Fenner said the worship time is much like any other Baptist church including such music as traditional hymns but also music which lends itself to sign language.
“And of course we don’t have musical instruments playing along,” he said, “as there is no need for it yet.”
The service also includes video and other visual aides. The difference between this church and others that welcome deaf members is that at the Deaf Baptist Fellowship, the service is entirely in sign language directly, not through an interpreter.
Although other churches in Rome and Floyd County welcome deaf members, those at Deaf Baptist Fellowship said even the most well intentioned “hearing” church cannot meet all the specific needs of the deaf community.
“Much of signed communications is often lost through interpreters,” Fenner said. “It is important for members of the deaf community to be able to receive their signed communications directly from persons who have good sign skills. Many deaf persons who would not attend a hearing church will attend a deaf church whose other members can communicate with them in their own language.
“It is important that persons who are deaf have the opportunity to worship God and to communicate with their pastor and fellow Christians directly,” he added.
Fenner said many of DBF’s members felt lost in other churches and didn’t realize that they had missed so much until they joined the Deaf Baptist Fellowship.
David Stevenson became affiliated with DBF in 2007 as a missionary. He and his wife belong to another church and hasn’t transferred his membership but said he attends DBF fulltime and teaches Sunday School there. Since birth he has been profoundly deaf in both ears and uses hearing aids.
“The DBF is highly committed to reaching deaf and hearing impaired populations,” he said. “It has many affiliations including the Southern Baptist Convention for the Deaf, the Georgia Baptist Convention the Deaf and the Floyd County Baptist Association, Hollywood Baptist Church.”
He said the DBF has a van ministry transporting persons to and from church as well as a choir that travels to other churches and a youth program that serves students at Georgia School for the Deaf.
Most importantly, Stevenson said DBF offers deaf and hearing impaired area residents a place to call their own.
“The DBF has several members who felt lost in other churches, mostly due to communication issues,” he said. “Deaf and hearing impaired persons attend a great variety of churches all over Floyd County. The DBF is the only church in the Rome area with a full-time pastor and assistant pastor who are deaf and who can communicate directly using signed communications.”
He stressed, however that the church is not limited to persons with hearing impairments.
“There is a pretty large variety of persons of different backgrounds that can call this church ‘their home’,” he said. “The DBF is probably one of the best kept secrets in Floyd County.” David Jackson is a member of Hollywood Baptist and has been working closely with Fenner and the DBF congregation. He said God led Fenner to Hollywood Baptist and their partnership offers the county’s deaf residents an opportunity to worship in an atmosphere of understanding and togetherness.
“We’re seeing some people leave other churches to come to DBF and we’re even seeing people come here who wouldn’t otherwise attend church,” he said. “Some feel other churches’ aren’t meeting their needs. We’re hoping to fill that gap. We’ve got a deaf congregation pastored by a deaf family who understands their needs.” The Deaf Baptist Fellowship meets at 112 Lombardy Way on the campus of Hollywood Baptist Church. Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m., worship service begins at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Deaf Youth Challenge takes place in Cave Spring.
Services are open to all area residents, hearing or deaf. A church member voice interprets for those who are hearing or for those who are learning sign language.
Visit Home for additional information.
On Sunday mornings, Pastor Mason Fenner preaches to his congregation gathered in a house on Lombardy Way. He delivers a message and they get it loud and clear.
Fenner does not use words. He’s deaf. But he doesn’t need his voice to pastor to this church. All its members are deaf as well. They praise and worship and sing and pray just like any other church. But they enjoy a fellowship that few religious houses in Rome can boast.
They, of all people, know the importance of communication.
Rome’s Deaf Baptist Fellowship began as a vision of pastor Mason Fenner. After sending letters to several local churches asking for the use of their facilities to start a deaf church, he received two responses. Mason chose Hollywood Baptist Church and began meeting there in the summer of 2003 with seven other members.
“We had our first church service on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2004,” Fenner said in a short history he wrote for the church’s Web site. “We had six deaf people attending our first church service. After that we have seen growth in church attendance. We started our first youth service on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005.”
The church as entered into a partnership with the Georgia Baptist Convention and Hollywood Baptist Church to establish a self supporting Southern Baptist Church for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Fenner said the worship time is much like any other Baptist church including such music as traditional hymns but also music which lends itself to sign language.
“And of course we don’t have musical instruments playing along,” he said, “as there is no need for it yet.”
The service also includes video and other visual aides. The difference between this church and others that welcome deaf members is that at the Deaf Baptist Fellowship, the service is entirely in sign language directly, not through an interpreter.
Although other churches in Rome and Floyd County welcome deaf members, those at Deaf Baptist Fellowship said even the most well intentioned “hearing” church cannot meet all the specific needs of the deaf community.
“Much of signed communications is often lost through interpreters,” Fenner said. “It is important for members of the deaf community to be able to receive their signed communications directly from persons who have good sign skills. Many deaf persons who would not attend a hearing church will attend a deaf church whose other members can communicate with them in their own language.
“It is important that persons who are deaf have the opportunity to worship God and to communicate with their pastor and fellow Christians directly,” he added.
Fenner said many of DBF’s members felt lost in other churches and didn’t realize that they had missed so much until they joined the Deaf Baptist Fellowship.
David Stevenson became affiliated with DBF in 2007 as a missionary. He and his wife belong to another church and hasn’t transferred his membership but said he attends DBF fulltime and teaches Sunday School there. Since birth he has been profoundly deaf in both ears and uses hearing aids.
“The DBF is highly committed to reaching deaf and hearing impaired populations,” he said. “It has many affiliations including the Southern Baptist Convention for the Deaf, the Georgia Baptist Convention the Deaf and the Floyd County Baptist Association, Hollywood Baptist Church.”
He said the DBF has a van ministry transporting persons to and from church as well as a choir that travels to other churches and a youth program that serves students at Georgia School for the Deaf.
Most importantly, Stevenson said DBF offers deaf and hearing impaired area residents a place to call their own.
“The DBF has several members who felt lost in other churches, mostly due to communication issues,” he said. “Deaf and hearing impaired persons attend a great variety of churches all over Floyd County. The DBF is the only church in the Rome area with a full-time pastor and assistant pastor who are deaf and who can communicate directly using signed communications.”
He stressed, however that the church is not limited to persons with hearing impairments.
“There is a pretty large variety of persons of different backgrounds that can call this church ‘their home’,” he said. “The DBF is probably one of the best kept secrets in Floyd County.” David Jackson is a member of Hollywood Baptist and has been working closely with Fenner and the DBF congregation. He said God led Fenner to Hollywood Baptist and their partnership offers the county’s deaf residents an opportunity to worship in an atmosphere of understanding and togetherness.
“We’re seeing some people leave other churches to come to DBF and we’re even seeing people come here who wouldn’t otherwise attend church,” he said. “Some feel other churches’ aren’t meeting their needs. We’re hoping to fill that gap. We’ve got a deaf congregation pastored by a deaf family who understands their needs.” The Deaf Baptist Fellowship meets at 112 Lombardy Way on the campus of Hollywood Baptist Church. Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m., worship service begins at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Deaf Youth Challenge takes place in Cave Spring.
Services are open to all area residents, hearing or deaf. A church member voice interprets for those who are hearing or for those who are learning sign language.
Visit Home for additional information.