“What do I have to do to open up this door to every Deaf person in the Czech Republic?” Martin, a deaf Czech believer, asked, yearning for his countrymen to understand the truths of God’s Word. The Sign Roots Bible Project is helping Martin realize that dream. Your gift will help Martin and his teammates develop a Deaf Bible translation template that can be used in all Deaf communities worldwide.
IMB missionaries, in partnership with Deaf believers from six countries, are using a sign roots lexicon to create a video-based template for Bible translation. Sign roots are a core lexicon of signs that Deaf use among themselves comprised of universal aspects of each sign language. Deaf people can understand up to 80 percent of a sign roots conversation or translation.
The sign roots Bible translation template will enable each Deaf community to translate Bible stories into their heart language. Translation teams within each country will start with the sign roots template and add elements from their local sign language. The additions will not change the meaning of the biblical text but develop the message into the vernacular of the Deaf of that area. The sign roots Bible translation template is the basis for making the Bible available in sign languages across the globe, many of which have never had a viable translation of the Bible. Your partnership will spread God’s Word to Deaf people in every culture and every country. Give today to help complete this groundbreaking Bible translation template!
Deaf and hard-of-hearing peoples live in an invisible world of stereotypes. More than 200 distinct sign languages have common roots that enable the Deaf to communicate cross-culturally, but most in the approximately 70-million-person global Deaf community have never seen Jesus's name signed. Often ignored and oppressed, the Deaf are some of the least evangelized people on earth.
Deaf communities comprise nearly one percent of any urban center. Though on the surface they are often indistinguishable from the hearing population, their differences in language and culture often result in their oppression. They find more common ground with other Deaf people—even those from other cultures. Across cultures, the Deaf share one great need: They need Jesus.
The gospel is for all people, and the Great Commission is for every believer, both hearing and Deaf. Ask God to raise up Deaf and hearing believers to embrace the limitless opportunities to take the gospel to Deaf communities.