Brazil Consultative Meetings

(Sourced from info by Pastor Jeff Jordan via Gospel Outreach Deaf Department)

The Deaf work in South America is thriving, so here’s my report of the recent trip Melissa and I took to Brazil.

The South American Division held their 4th bi-annual meeting with the leaders of the Deaf Ministries within the division territory on the weekend of July 21. Representatives from five countries were present, with Brazil as the largest. Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru were the others.

Brazil currently has about 1,200 baptized Deaf Adventists and is still growing. They have 164 Deaf ministries, with at least one in each state. This would include either an interpreter who is interpreting in a hearing church, or a lay deaf/hearing person leading a group. The state of Sao Paulo currently has 41 deaf groups. In Argentina, there are about 25, and the rest of the countries with just a few Deaf Adventists.

Considerable time was spent in going through 150 pre-selected ‘signs’ with Adventist connotations to try and think through how they should be adapted and used. All were approved except for two.

Jordans were happy to again meet Pastor Silva. Pastor Douglas Silva is the first Deaf to be employed in SAD (South American Division). Jordans had been to his graduation four years ago and the Paulistana Conference in Sao Paulo is very proud to have him working full-time ever since. At the Union level, Jackeline Menno is a great help. With the support of all three levels of the Adventist church structure, Deaf Ministry is thriving.