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Signing the WordLocal Jehovah Witnesses learning American Sign Language to spread their message
Chances are they've knocked on your door. Maybe you opened it; maybe you didn't.
Regardless, Jehovah's Witnesses are on a door-to-door mission to teach people about the Bible and God's Kingdom on Earth, and locally they spread the word in English, Russian and Spanish.
Oh, and in sign language. The Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Carl White Place in Alton Park is an American Sign Language (ASL) dedicated congregation, and each of its more than 30 members, ages 10 to 70, are fluent in signing.
Shane Smith, an elder at the Alton Park hall, says everyone should have the opportunity to talk about "Jehovah God" and the Bible, including those who are hearing impaired or deaf. According to the Bible, the end of time is near, so it's imperative to teach the Bible now, he says.
BY THE NUMBERS
239: Countries where Jehovah's Witnesses worship 8,201,545: Number of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide 115,416: Number of congregations 9,499,933: Number of home Bible courses conducted Source: www.jw.org
"Our goal is to reach all people all over the world," says Smith. "And to do that, we have to be able to communicate in all languages. We talk to people door-to-door, and by doing so, we realized there has been a lack of that when it comes to those who are deaf.
"We're putting great emphasis on preaching and reaching people. We're not focusing on just the deaf, but all languages."
Tracy Blake, 48, also an elder in the Alton Park congregation, says learning sign language gives the Jehovah's Witnesses a better means of helping the deaf draw closer to God.
"I took sign language classes specifically to help others share what we've learned about the Bible," he says. "We've found that there is definitely a need for this. When we go door-to-door, we sometimes find people who want to learn more about God, but they're hearing impaired and can't hear or they don't know how to read or write. So we help them."
One hundred percent of the meetings at Kingdom Hall in Alton Park are in sign language. It's so quiet, in fact, those who aren't hearing impaired can even hear someone's stomach growling during a service, Blake says.
But the services are open to the public, even to those who can hear, he says.
And if a person is unable to attend a meeting, the Jehovah's Witnesses will go to them, wherever they may be, Smith says.
"We'll set up a weekly Bible study and go to their home, their job, wherever it's convenient to them," he says.
Locally, the sign language "meetings" (other denominations may call them "worship services") were started in 2008 at the Alton Park location.
"In 2005, I had the desire to do more for Jehovah's Witnesses, and felt that American Sign Language was a way to do that," says Smith, 39, who is a local school bus driver. "I've got bad hearing and learning sign language has come in handy for me. If I'm in a small group, I can focus on lip reading, but if I'm in a noisy crowd, my wife has to interpret for me. So learning American Sign Language has been helpful."
While Smith has been signing for about five years and is now comfortable communicating with his hands, Blake has been learning since he joined the congregation eight months ago. He says he wants to respect the deaf by only using sign language when inside the Kingdom Hall.
"I've been a Jehovah's Witness since 1986 at the age of 19," Blake says, noting that he also married someone of the same faith. "Two years ago, our daughter told us she wanted to help people learn about God - in sign language. She encouraged us to do the same, so my wife and I decided to help others, too."
Learning to sign requires dedication, Smith says.
"You start learning the ABCs and to count - just like you did in elementary school," he says. "It just takes time. You've got to do your homework."
Blake, who works at McKee Foods, says he enjoys the learning process of sign language because it enables him to witness to more people.
"It's growing my relationship with Jehovah's Witnesses," he says. "I'm studying the Bible more and increasing my responsibility as a person, as a witness to Jehovah.
"There're more people out there who need help. I love people. God said to go out and teach others what you learn. We're taught how to share our faith. The more you learn, the more you appreciate it and share it with others."
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6396.