Seeing the Gospel: New ministry created in north Alabama to reach the underserved deaf population

By Catherine Godbey

For the Enquirer  

Steve Dye knows the numbers by heart — of the about 28,000 deaf people living in Alabama, only 200 attend church. In north Alabama, only 10 of the 4,000 deaf people attend church. 

“That’s less than 1% being reached. That leaves 99% unreached,” Dye said. 

Those numbers spurred the creation of the North Alabama Deaf Coalition, a new ministry aimed at reaching the often overlooked and underserved deaf community. 

Dye, who after many ear infections became deaf at the age of 4, is leading the coalition. 

“The mission is simple,” Dye said. “Connect deaf people to Jesus and to each other. It’s to fill the voids and break down the barriers by providing access to deaf people to learn about Jesus in their own language, American sign language.” 

Dye’s passion for deaf ministry stems from his first experience of deaf worship in 1994. 

“I did not know sign language at the time and I was amazed at the lessons, the music, the interaction between the pastor and the congregation,” Dye said. “I had been in church almost all of my life and knew much of the Bible, but many of the deaf people who were older than me did not. I felt a tugging on my heart to get more involved.” 

The North Alabama Deaf Coalition falls under the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ Community Ministries arm, which oversees a deaf ministry. Kristy Kennedy serves as the mission head of Community Ministries. 

“There is a huge need for the deaf in Alabama to hear the good news of Jesus Christ,” Kennedy said. “A lot of deaf individuals keep to themselves and are not involved in their community or a local church. We, through the Alabama Baptist Deaf Ministries, are trying to provide opportunities for them to meet other deaf people, to make new friends, study the Bible together, grow in their faith and have support from others.” 

The biggest challenges in reaching the deaf community are lack of access, lack of training and lack of deaf church leaders. 

Dye said, “We have 100,000 churches in all of Alabama, but only around 50 give access to our deaf. … At this time, (in north Alabama) I only know of about six churches that provide access. Another area of challenges is training for the deaf. Many seminaries do not provide interpreting services for the student who wants to go and receive training for this type of work.” 

Dye offered these tips for churches interested in reaching the deaf population. 

“Be open to the needs of the deaf. Provide access to them somehow. Deaf people need to learn about Jesus too. Once a deaf person sees the gospel in their own language through an interpreter or a deaf leader, they don’t remain deaf anymore, they will become doers of the word,” Dye said. 

The Morgan Baptist Association partnered with the Madison Baptist Association and Limestone Baptist Association to support the North Alabama Deaf Coalition, which began in June when Dye, who began work with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions in 2015, moved to north Alabama. 

“It’s our goal to start relationships with the deaf community so they can see and feel the love of Jesus in all that we do. Once we establish a deaf ministry, we can assimilate those deaf people who are wanting to be part of it,” Dye said. 

Dye described his role with the North Alabama Deaf Coalition as the new work planter. 

“I’m the trainer. I’m the pastor to the deaf. But, in the end, I want to be like what the apostle Paul was in the New Testament, an encourager to all of the leaders and a prayer warrior for every person who crosses our paths,” Dye said. “Our goal has always been to teach the love of Jesus to everyone.”