I'd wish i knew it before - must be nice to have an assembly in this place!
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1088927403196080.xml
Reaching believers in their native tongue
Signing Jehovah's Witnesses gather in N.J.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
BY CATHERINE JUN
Star-Ledger Staff
Celeste Vandenbroek preaches God's message without saying a word.
Deaf since age 8, the 38-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Indianapolis uses her hands to sign Bible stories to deaf or hearing-impaired people when she greets them at their homes.
In fact, all members of Vandenbroek's congregation sign. Hers is one of 40 Jehovah's Witness congregations in the nation where American Sign Language is the official mode of preaching, teaching and socializing.
About 2,400 members from signing congregations from the East Coast, Midwest and Canada gathered this weekend at the annual "Walk With God" District Convention in Jersey City.
The three-day event, which began Friday, required more than 60 television monitors, six tech controllers and two cameras to project the signing hands of members onstage to an audience of deaf, hearing-impaired, deaf-blind and hearing congregants who packed the old Stanley Theater on John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Rows of witnesses moved their hands through the air in unison yesterday morning, signing the words of a song without music, "The loving brotherhood is sweet and wonderful," following the gestures of a signer on a 15-foot-tall, onstage screen.
"It's visual music, a visual assembly," said David Donahue of Cleveland.
The Stanley Theater, formerly host to movies and vaudeville shows, has been home to Jehovah's Witness gatherings since they purchased it in 1983.
This weekend, members illustrating Bible passages and ways to follow Jesus Christ took to the stage. New members were baptized yesterday afternoon in a pool in the orchestra pit.
But the convention seemed to have as much to do with removing language barriers as it did with renewing one's faith.
A lecture titled, "Helping Those Who Speak Another Language," featured a skit where a young minister tries to communicate with a deaf congregant.
"Does God talk to you?" signed the minister. "I don't know, I'm deaf," the other signed back. Laughter rippled through the audience, interrupting the silence.
"The best way to reach people and dignify people is to reach them in their native tongue," said Donahue.
The Watchtower, the main Bible study aid for Jehovah's Witnesses, is published in 148 languages, he said.
As the number of deaf and hearing-impaired members have grown, the Watch Tower Society has in recent years produced DVDs and videotapes in 18 sign languages, including Russian, Korean and French.
To Jasmine Poirier, 22, of Montreal, receiving God's teachings through sign brings a deeper message. The only deaf person in her family, she delights in teaching the Bible to other deaf congregants.
"My heart is so happy," she signed. "Focusing on deaf people in the congregation and touching them deeply -- it's awesome."
"It's like a big family reunion," said Carrie Andress of Cleveland about the yearly convention. For those baptized yesterday, the event marked a joining of the family.
After the filled theater signed the song lyrics, "Make your choice, it's up to you," two rows of audience members in the front stood up.
Frank Greco, an elder, asked with his hands, "Do you recognize that you will be dedicating your lives to Jehovah?" All 18 nodded their right fists, gesturing an affirmative.
One by one, they were escorted into the pool, gestured to hold their noses, and dunked under the water while family and friends crowded around, snapping pictures and shaking their hands above their heads in applause.
As Tamara Cooper, 22, of Cleveland walked out of the pool with a towel around her shoulders, Kristina Howe, 27, her Bible instructor of two years, watched from the crowd.
"I'm so happy and grateful," said Howe, wiping her damp cheek.