A New Phase of Deaf Ministry Begins With
Gospel Outreach
College Place, Washington State, USA
Gospel Outreach is an independent ministry that supports over 2,100 local Bible Workers and Lay Pastors in about 40 countries around the world. Most of the lay workers are supervised, trained and employed by the local Adventist Conference or Mission in their native country. The USA & Canadian Gospel Outreach [GO] administrative staff and Regional Directors are unpaid volunteers for GO. Thus, about an average of 94% of the donations can go to the direct support of the GO lay workers in each country.
There are an estimated 50-70 million Deaf people in the 10/40 window of the world. Realizing the great need for pioneer workers for the Deaf, Gospel Outreach just voted in March, 2006, to start a formal 'Deaf Ministry' Department. John Blake, Director of the Alberta Conference Deaf Ministry Department of SDA, was appointed as Director. Blake had already helped GO come to sponsor 28 Lay Workers for the Deaf in India, some of whom are deaf themselves. There are other workers in the Philippines, Kenya, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia
The goal of the Deaf Department is to expand to new areas in India as well as to other countries. Through the GO Regional Directors and about 2,100 lay workers, other workers need to be found for ministry to deaf people. These new workers must be active members of the Adventist church experienced in lay evangelism, and need to be either Deaf themselves, or know sign language and be very familiar with the deaf culture of that country [possibly parents or children in a family where there are deaf members]
Gospel Outreach worker, Lay Pastor John Reddy, leading a group of Deaf people in Signed Singing in Andhra Pradesh, India. John is deaf himself!
Some of the Deaf people at Boddam, Andhra Pradesh, India, where evangelistic meetings were held in Oct./Nov..05. Notice the sewing machines in the back of the hall. A one year sewing/tailoring school had just been held for deaf young women at Boddam. At the end of the year course, 8 of the 10 who started, finished the course, and were able to take home their sewing machines to help them support themselves.
Pastor Jeff Jordan (squatting in the front), a deaf pastor from Atlanta, GA, held meetings in three areas of Andhra Pradesh in Oct/Nov/05. While there over 100 deaf people were baptized. Many of those in this picture were part of that baptismal group. Most of the preparation was done by Gospel Outreach volunteer lay workers! In India, Dorothy Watts has been leading out in working with Gospel Outreach for both workers for the Hearing and for the Deaf.
Dan Matthews, the former Director of the TV broadcast, 'Faith for Today', ready to interview the new Gospel Outreach Deaf Ministry Department Director, Pastor John Blake, for one of the Gospel Outreach TV programs. The Gospel Outreach series of mission reports may be seen on the 3ABN [www.3abn.org] and Hope satellite TV [www.hopetv.org] channels.
Alberta Blake, a retired teacher of the Deaf, and mother of two deaf children, works along with her husband, John, in Deaf Ministry.
Pastor Blake retired from full time ministry, and he and his wife Alberta live in Clive, Alberta, Canada. They work together in ministry with Deaf people in Canada. For a time they worked in leadership at the Christian Deaf Center in Alpena, Arkansas. Together they have led out in the preparation of various projects for deaf people either in Sign Language videos, or in Easy Reading publications for deaf people.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP GOSPEL OUTREACH
IN THEIR NEW EXPANSION INTO MINISTRY TO DEAF PEOPLE
(Especially in the 10/40 window of the world)
Please send your tax deductible donation to:
* IN THE USA: (you receive a US tax deductible receipt)
Gospel Outreach, P.O. Box 8, College Place, WA 99324
* IN CANADA: (you receive a Canadian tax deductible receipt)
Gospel Outreach Canada, PO Box 21024, Vernon, B.C. V1T 9T7
You may also donate in the USA through the Gospel Outreach web site: http://goaim.org/giving-2/
NOTE: AT MONETARY RATES IN 2012,
Approximately $100 US per month supports a full time Deaf Ministry Lay Worker in India, or about $ 1200 US for a full year's support.