GHANA DEAF MINISTRY

We believe that God's grace is globally available to all people groups. He uses us as His instruments to communicate across both cultural and language barriers so that all people may hear His Word.  Lee Dial, one of our elders, has been highly involved in bringing the Gospel to the deaf community in Ghana. Although Lee is no longer flying to Ghana, we are still currently providing financial support to the ongoing ministry Lee spearheaded. Below is a history of our work there:

"World Bible School was a big effort of several in the church back in 1983 - 84.  I went to Ghana in 1984 with the WBS follow up team lead by Jake Coppinger.  I did work with the campaign but split my time starting a beginning sign language class at Ghana Bible College in Kumasi Ahanti region. 

I also was invited to "speak" at the Assemblies of God church who had a few deaf members.  Three of these deaf wanted to know more about the appeal to follow the Bible only and I set up studies and baptized two of them.  I was asked to come back and focus my time with the deaf.  In 1985 I returned along with Gene Billingsley.  We reached out to other groups and held daily meetings and I preached what I guess some would call a gospel meeting.  Several were added to the church in Bomso - Kumasi. 

A young man worked with the WBS team in 1983 and I met him in 84, he was only 14 years old but was a ball of fire for the Lord.  He brought deaf to the meetings and learned to sign.  He brought the message of Jesus back to the capital city Accra.  The Nsawam Road church was fast growing and evangelistic.  Soon there was a active and growing group of Dead meeting there. 

I directed workshops, sign classes, Bible studies and preaching among the deaf over 30 years.  Oh, by the way the young boy was Fred Asare.  He is now a highly respected national leader among the Christians and the managing director of Village of Hope.  His leadership brought that project from one house with some kids to an active Village with nursery through High School on campus, as well as clinic and hospital, a Church assembly and many abandoned and orphaned children.  Hanford had a major part in the growth of VOH.  We still send a good deal of support for this project.  The Deaf ministry is overseen by the elders in Nsawam Road church, a church of about 4,000 members and the deaf alone in that one congregation number about 250 deaf souls.  The church in Ghana now has the deaf meeting in about 30 cities and numbers in the rage of around 2,000 deaf Christians.  I am pretty sure that exceeds that of the church in the whole of America."