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Roanoke Deaf Fellowship: Signing to God - Roanoke.com
There wasn't a piano playing melodies of praise.
Organ chords couldn't be heard, or drums, or any other instrument.
The silent movement of hands was enough worship for the members of Roanoke Deaf Fellowship.
"It's beautiful," said Jennifer Reed about the service at the church. "It's something every hearing person should experience."
Reed serves as a voice interpreter for the church.
More than 40 people gathered Sunday afternoon for the church's third service and to give praise to God through sign language.
With services at Cave Spring Baptist Church, the church is one of two deaf churches in Western Virginia, according to John Wyble.
"I felt such a burden on my heart for deaf people," Wyble said in sign language, with his wife translating. Wyble pastors the Roanoke church as well as the other deaf church in the area, Forest-based Silent Light Ministry, which has been holding services for 11 years.
"It's different for deaf people in a hearing church. You always lose something in the interpretation. It is important for deaf people to have a pastor who is deaf and can give them the word through sign language."
Wyble's wife, Denise, said that while there is a strong need for a deaf church in the Lynchburg and Forest area, there is a greater need for fellowship among the deaf in Roanoke.
"There are more than 3,000 deaf people in the Roanoke Valley," she said. "There are a very limited number of deaf ministries in Roanoke."
But the church isn't just for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Hearing members attend, as well as hearing children of deaf parents.
John Wyble, who has 10 children, said it is important for the ministry to train children in the deaf church.
"We have to show them that there is a need for this type of ministry," Wyble said. "Children have to know that there is still a message for them."
Like most churches, the deaf church has prayer, singing and a sermon.
But during prayer, most in the congregation keep their eyes open to see the words being signed.
Interpreters sign the words to songs as they are played on a portable CD player, yet most members can't hear the melodies.
"Signing songs is probably one of the most difficult things to do," Reed said. "Every sign has a different interpretation, so you have to make sure you interpret the words correctly."
Instead of the preacher reading Scripture for the sermon, members read the Bible for a few minutes, and then the preacher gives the sermon through sign language.
Voice interpreters interpret for the hearing.
John Wyble said he often uses visual aids to help the congregation understand sermons.
"I try everything I can so deaf people can fully understand the word of God," said Wyble, who brought fishing poles Sunday and pretended to cast into the congregation to illustrate bringing people to Jesus.
Kenneth Kingery, who is deaf, said the church looks at the gospel in a different way than most hearing churches.
"I lived in Roanoke for many years, and it's so exciting being with the deaf," Kingery said. "I go to my hearing church in the morning and come here in the afternoon. They look at Jesus in a whole new way."
Traci Carr, who is able to hear, said she came across the church while interpreting for a friend.
"Signing for someone is very difficult," Carr said. "My skills weren't that great. Sometimes you miss the things in a hearing church, but I love to fellowship with the deaf. It's something God laid on my heart."
John Wyble said he met with some resistance to the idea of having a deaf church, but he said the need in the Roanoke Valley is still great.
"Some people say they don't see a need, that interpreters work just fine," Wyble said. "I don't let them stop me because I know there is a need to share the gospel to the deaf."
There wasn't a piano playing melodies of praise.
Organ chords couldn't be heard, or drums, or any other instrument.
The silent movement of hands was enough worship for the members of Roanoke Deaf Fellowship.
"It's beautiful," said Jennifer Reed about the service at the church. "It's something every hearing person should experience."
Reed serves as a voice interpreter for the church.
More than 40 people gathered Sunday afternoon for the church's third service and to give praise to God through sign language.
With services at Cave Spring Baptist Church, the church is one of two deaf churches in Western Virginia, according to John Wyble.
"I felt such a burden on my heart for deaf people," Wyble said in sign language, with his wife translating. Wyble pastors the Roanoke church as well as the other deaf church in the area, Forest-based Silent Light Ministry, which has been holding services for 11 years.
"It's different for deaf people in a hearing church. You always lose something in the interpretation. It is important for deaf people to have a pastor who is deaf and can give them the word through sign language."
Wyble's wife, Denise, said that while there is a strong need for a deaf church in the Lynchburg and Forest area, there is a greater need for fellowship among the deaf in Roanoke.
"There are more than 3,000 deaf people in the Roanoke Valley," she said. "There are a very limited number of deaf ministries in Roanoke."
But the church isn't just for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Hearing members attend, as well as hearing children of deaf parents.
John Wyble, who has 10 children, said it is important for the ministry to train children in the deaf church.
"We have to show them that there is a need for this type of ministry," Wyble said. "Children have to know that there is still a message for them."
Like most churches, the deaf church has prayer, singing and a sermon.
But during prayer, most in the congregation keep their eyes open to see the words being signed.
Interpreters sign the words to songs as they are played on a portable CD player, yet most members can't hear the melodies.
"Signing songs is probably one of the most difficult things to do," Reed said. "Every sign has a different interpretation, so you have to make sure you interpret the words correctly."
Instead of the preacher reading Scripture for the sermon, members read the Bible for a few minutes, and then the preacher gives the sermon through sign language.
Voice interpreters interpret for the hearing.
John Wyble said he often uses visual aids to help the congregation understand sermons.
"I try everything I can so deaf people can fully understand the word of God," said Wyble, who brought fishing poles Sunday and pretended to cast into the congregation to illustrate bringing people to Jesus.
Kenneth Kingery, who is deaf, said the church looks at the gospel in a different way than most hearing churches.
"I lived in Roanoke for many years, and it's so exciting being with the deaf," Kingery said. "I go to my hearing church in the morning and come here in the afternoon. They look at Jesus in a whole new way."
Traci Carr, who is able to hear, said she came across the church while interpreting for a friend.
"Signing for someone is very difficult," Carr said. "My skills weren't that great. Sometimes you miss the things in a hearing church, but I love to fellowship with the deaf. It's something God laid on my heart."
John Wyble said he met with some resistance to the idea of having a deaf church, but he said the need in the Roanoke Valley is still great.
"Some people say they don't see a need, that interpreters work just fine," Wyble said. "I don't let them stop me because I know there is a need to share the gospel to the deaf."