Through the years the church has made attempts here and there around the world to work in ministry to the Deaf. Unfortunately, much of the time it has been left to individuals with a passion for this ministry, rather than through an organized and systematic approach by the church itself. Thus, we have pockets of Seventh-day Adventist Deaf around the world where we see that God has been working, but overall, this specialized ministry has largely fallen through the cracks.

We wondered why God allowed us to have a deaf daughter! We have come to the firm conclusion that God wanted us to help in ministry to Deaf! We became involved here in Canada by starting a video ministry while I pastured the hearing. This has grown and we now have not only a video ministry, but I am the volunteer Deaf Ministry Department Director for both the Alberta Conference and since 2005, for Gospel Outreach of College Place, WA. My wife, Alberta, is a member of the North American Division “Deaf Ministry Committee” and also a member of the Board of the largest Adventist organization just for Deaf, Three Angels Deaf Ministries.

Through Gospel Outreach and Deaf Hope, the Lord has enabled us to now have Adventist Lay Bible Workers and Lay Pastors for the Deaf in India (about 40), the Philippines (adding a 2nd), Liberia (2), Kazakhstan (1), Kyrgyzstan (1), and we are expanding from one to five lay workers for the Deaf in Kenya.

We know that God has raised some other work for the Deaf in Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, England, Korea, China, Brazil, Venezuela,&Chile to name some of those countries that we know about.

Back in 1993, God gave a deaf Muslim lady in a large city in Kyrgyzstan two dreams. In the first dream she rejected Jesus as the ‘god of the Christians’ and proclaimed that she was Muslim and wanted nothing to do with changing. However, after the second dream, she decided to investigate. Two of her deaf friends decided to go and visit an Adventist church with her. They arrived there at this Christian church as deaf Muslims. What would the church do? That day, God had brought a man by the name of Pavil who was also visiting there for the first time. He took an interest in them, even though he could not then sign. He became the first worker for the Deaf there and these three Deaf became the first members of what is now a Deaf church of 50 members in Kyrgyzstan. I had the privilege of visiting with them in April, 2008 and we now have a full time lay worker there.

So, God has not forgotten the Deaf! But, we need helpers, workers and funding, to take the gospel contained in the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation 14 also to the “World of the Deaf”.

You may contact us for more information about deaf minstries at
office@deafhope.org . Also, Adventist Deaf Ministries is leading out in work in North America. Do visit their excellent site Three Angels Deaf Ministries and see all they are doing in the USA.

Please remember this often neglected work in your prayers!

At the time of article publication, John Blake was the Deaf Department Director for the Alberta Conference.