By Camille Kelly | Reporter
There are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide, and of those people, 98% have never been told the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This should bother us. At the end of the day, this isn’t just a crazy statistic — these numbers represent people. That means that out there are real people, with real lives and struggles just like you and me, who haven’t heard that God made them with a purpose. They haven’t heard that Jesus loves them, came to earth to live as a human like them, did no wrong and yet died in their place and rose from the dead so that all their wrong could be forgiven.
They haven’t heard that they can choose to follow him and have joy, freedom, love and a relationship with him for eternity. No one has ever told them that.
At a self-proclaimed “Pro Ecclesia” — for the church — Christian university such as Baylor, serving the ultimate mission of Christians should be top priority. What is this ultimate mission you ask? Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19 that we are to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “gospel,” it simply means “good news.” The fact that Jesus loves us and made a way for us to be free now and have eternal life is good news, and good news is meant to be shared.
Everyone needs to hear it, so everyone may get the free choice to accept this new life that God freely offers us.
So, how do we share with or reach people? What can we do to share this good news? How do we make disciples of all people?
For starters, any missionary will tell you, one of the most effective ways to reach the unreached people groups around the world is to share the gospel with them in their own language.
Did you know Baylor offers courses in American Sign Language?
However, in March 2023, the Baylor College of Arts & Sciences Council of Chairs denied a proposal from Robbins College requesting American Sign Language be part of the college’s core curriculum. Because of this, ASL is offered as a minor, but it does not count as core curriculum language credit to students. This decision is still in effect today and discourages more students from taking these courses. There is currently no ASL major offered at Baylor.
This decision has been debated before, with those opposed believing this directly against Baylor’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Yet, in the past three years, nothing has changed.
Except for recently. In one way, more students are becoming interested in ASL, and classes are growing.
All this raises the relevance again of fighting for sign language at Baylor, and with that, I would like to introduce this argument in a new way: Not recognizing ASL as a foreign language at Baylor is hindering not only the university’s focus on diversity and inclusion, but also the very Christian mission to spread the gospel to all people.
The policy discourages students from taking this language, therefore limiting the opportunities to spread the gospel to the deaf community. It makes sense that the more Christians who know sign language, the more deaf people get to know the gospel. Bringing down that 98% will take the partnership of the Christian deaf community and everyone willing to learn sign language and share Jesus.
The fact that Baylor offers ASL courses and a minor at all at a Christian University has the potential to change the world, and I don’t say this lightly. If students are learning a visual language and immersing themselves in deaf culture and history, then going out into the world after graduation as followers of Christ, we should see that 98% unreached become 97, then 96, then 95, on and on so we may see lives changed.
Students learning sign language, whether for a full minor or just a semester class, are not just learning a new language but are being equipped to partner with our local deaf community to share Jesus with one of the most unreached people groups in the world.
They are not just bridging language barriers; they are being formed into advocates and evangelists.
I write all this not just to appeal to Baylor to change its policies and provide more support for the ASL department. I share this for students who are now in these classes, who are ASL minors or merely curious about the language: you have a unique opportunity to use this skill to further the kingdom of God.
But you are probably saying to yourself now, “What can I do? I’m just in college.”
You can take advantage of this opportunity.
Study hard, ask questions to your professors in the department, visit deaf community events, check out the ASL Club on campus, visit our local deaf church, commit to learning sign language or just be curious. The Communication Service for the Deaf has a multitude of opportunities. On the website, people are excited to answer questions and invite students who are curious about deaf culture.
Don’t miss this opportunity to join the Christian deaf community in their role in making disciples of all nations.
