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At Park Avenue Baptist Church in South Franklin Township, the word of God is spoken, read and signed.
Sign-language interpreters for the deaf sign at all three weekly church services and also are available for Sunday school classes and other church activities.
It began when Jo Yetter of Waynesburg joined the church and signed the services for her deaf son. When Crystal Leonard's deaf sister moved to the area, the deaf ministry at the church took off. Leonard also knows sign language and she and Yetter began taking turns for the worship services.
The church is located on Route 18, about five miles south of the intersection with Franklin Farms Road. Larry Leonard is the pastor.
Not only do the women sign the sermon, but they also interpret the hymns, announcements and prayers.
Others who sign for the services are Wendy Moore and her daughter, Noelle. Wendy's Sunday school class of 4- and 5-year-olds know about 10 signs.
Yetter learned sign language at Pacific Coast Bible College in California. There are different types of sign languages, such as Signing Exact English, American Sign Language and Pidgin as well as dialectical differences, she said. As an example, Leonard noted there are 23 different signs for the word "picnic." The word "birthday" also has many signs.
If the women don't know a particular sign, they will spell the word out using a manual alphabet, but that tends to slow them down. Fortunately there are certain signs for particular biblical names, such as Moses and Abraham. During a service, if the pastor should use a less familiar name, they are able to assign a particular sign to the word and use it repeatedly.
The women position themselves in the front of the sanctuary in such a way that the deaf can see them and Pastor Leonard at the same time. Sign language interpreters use a lot of facial expressions to help deaf people understand what is being said. Yetter said they also move around quite a bit and sometimes act out what is being said.
Should the person not understand what is being said, their philosophy is to stop, make sure the meaning is understood and then catch up. One drawback for deaf people not raised in religious households is that a religious sign may not be one they are familiar with.
The church hopes to attract other deaf people, but Yetter and Leonard noted many deaf people tend to live in more urban areas.
"Our purpose is not to change their culture at all but to supply the spiritual side," Leonard explained.
When the Leonards were dating, Crystal made it clear she was "a package deal" with her sister, Laura, should anything happen to their parents. That was fine with Larry and today Crystal wonders how different their lives and the life of their church would have been without Laura.
"It opened up a total different ministry for us," she said. "It made us more aware of the handicapped community."
The congregation has become more aware and accepting of people with disabilities since the signing ministry began. The church has offered sign language classes, including one for its home school co-op. So many people have learned basic signs that when deaf members enter the church they are quickly drawn into conversations.
"It's made the heart of the people here more in tune to the needs of the handicapped community," Leonard said.
The church also is handicapped accessible and provides free transportation through its van ministry.
Weekly services at Park Avenue Baptist Church are 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. More information is available at Park Avenue Baptist Church - Home.
At Park Avenue Baptist Church in South Franklin Township, the word of God is spoken, read and signed.
Sign-language interpreters for the deaf sign at all three weekly church services and also are available for Sunday school classes and other church activities.
It began when Jo Yetter of Waynesburg joined the church and signed the services for her deaf son. When Crystal Leonard's deaf sister moved to the area, the deaf ministry at the church took off. Leonard also knows sign language and she and Yetter began taking turns for the worship services.
The church is located on Route 18, about five miles south of the intersection with Franklin Farms Road. Larry Leonard is the pastor.
Not only do the women sign the sermon, but they also interpret the hymns, announcements and prayers.
Others who sign for the services are Wendy Moore and her daughter, Noelle. Wendy's Sunday school class of 4- and 5-year-olds know about 10 signs.
Yetter learned sign language at Pacific Coast Bible College in California. There are different types of sign languages, such as Signing Exact English, American Sign Language and Pidgin as well as dialectical differences, she said. As an example, Leonard noted there are 23 different signs for the word "picnic." The word "birthday" also has many signs.
If the women don't know a particular sign, they will spell the word out using a manual alphabet, but that tends to slow them down. Fortunately there are certain signs for particular biblical names, such as Moses and Abraham. During a service, if the pastor should use a less familiar name, they are able to assign a particular sign to the word and use it repeatedly.
The women position themselves in the front of the sanctuary in such a way that the deaf can see them and Pastor Leonard at the same time. Sign language interpreters use a lot of facial expressions to help deaf people understand what is being said. Yetter said they also move around quite a bit and sometimes act out what is being said.
Should the person not understand what is being said, their philosophy is to stop, make sure the meaning is understood and then catch up. One drawback for deaf people not raised in religious households is that a religious sign may not be one they are familiar with.
The church hopes to attract other deaf people, but Yetter and Leonard noted many deaf people tend to live in more urban areas.
"Our purpose is not to change their culture at all but to supply the spiritual side," Leonard explained.
When the Leonards were dating, Crystal made it clear she was "a package deal" with her sister, Laura, should anything happen to their parents. That was fine with Larry and today Crystal wonders how different their lives and the life of their church would have been without Laura.
"It opened up a total different ministry for us," she said. "It made us more aware of the handicapped community."
The congregation has become more aware and accepting of people with disabilities since the signing ministry began. The church has offered sign language classes, including one for its home school co-op. So many people have learned basic signs that when deaf members enter the church they are quickly drawn into conversations.
"It's made the heart of the people here more in tune to the needs of the handicapped community," Leonard said.
The church also is handicapped accessible and provides free transportation through its van ministry.
Weekly services at Park Avenue Baptist Church are 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. More information is available at Park Avenue Baptist Church - Home.