Image from China Christian Daily
Last month, Zhang Yao recognized Pastor Wang Shengjun’s commitment to serving the Chinese deaf community which faces major obstacles in accessing the Gospel message. The Chinese deaf comprises of about 28 million individuals. Various communication problems along with cultural distinctions have limited the spread of the Christian message to only a tiny segment of this community.
Churches in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenyang responded by forming specialized ministries dedicated to serving the deaf community. Church members in local congregations learned sign language to enable essential interpreting and pastoral care which allows deaf members to engage in church activities.
Pastor Wang Shengjun from Anshan started making major contributions to this mission in 2009 by using his knowledge of the deaf community’s unique language and cultural characteristics. A national sign language exists, yet the regional dialects demand ongoing learning and adaptation from users. Pastor Wang believes that establishing trust and sustaining equitable relationships between people leads to a stronger sense of unity within the community.
Learn more about this neglected group here:
