By Megan Young
Editor
CLINTON, Miss. — Currently, there are no Deaf churches in Mississippi.
“It’s really hard because I see Deaf people that will go to hearing churches with interpreters,” said James Rushing, a Deaf Garaywa Camp and Conference Center employee. “That is great, but a Deaf church is so different because you can really get into God’s Word more. The social support is there, and there are activities to do.
“Right now, we’re just praying that one day, finally, we will have a Deaf church in Mississippi.”
As they wait for that prayer to be answered, Mississippi’s Deaf know they can always find a place of belonging at the annual Mississippi Baptist Conference for the Deaf (MBCD). The weekend-long event offers worship and workshops for Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and people with Usher syndrome.
Most importantly, though, the conference offers an opportunity to gather in fellowship.
“Oftentimes, many Deaf, they do not get a lot of love from their family or know God’s word,” said Teresa Burns, MBCD Vice President. “Many Deaf are isolated, alone, with no communication. This is a good time for all of us to come together as one body, one body of Christ.”
With no Deaf churches in the state, hearing churches rely on Deaf interpreters. The MBCD also offers workshops and continuing education opportunities for interpreters.
“It is such a great responsibility to take God’s word and be able to offer it in a language that the Deaf community can understand,” said Margo Buisson, a hearing person and MBCD Interpreter Coordinator.
“The Bible does talk about hearing the Word of God. Well, they can’t hear it, but they can take it in. It’s just another language. And I know for a certainty that God knows sign language. So when they confess in sign language, God understands them. And then they can be saved. But if there’s nobody there to offer it, then they have no access.”
The next Mississippi Baptist Conference for the Deaf will be held September 25-27 at Garaywa Camp and Conference Center. The Margaret Lackey State Offering supports ministry to the Deaf community across our state. For more information about the offering and to watch a video featuring the Mississippi Baptist Conference for the Deaf, visit www.margaretlackey.com.
Comments are closed.