Come and join us this Sunday. You will learn Biblical principles and that Jesus Christ loves the Deaf! Pastor Wilkerson’s desire is for the Deaf to be saved, learn the Bible, and grow in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Inclusive Services
Deaf Sunday school classes meet every week, along with the Deaf worship service every Sunday. This service is separate from the hearing congregation. Bro. John Cooper preaches to the Deaf in ASL. During these services, you will learn what the Bible says and means in ASL.
Interpreted Services
John Cooper
John Cooper, born in San Diego, California, moved to Columbus, Ohio at the age of thirteen. Nearly two years later he met Larry Diley, a deaf teenager. John learned to sign because of this friendship. He trusted Christ as his Saviour on August 25, 1987 after a Wednesday night prayer meeting. In 1988, the Cooper family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he began interpreting two or three times a month during church services. Upon graduation from high school, he went to Hyles-Anderson College from where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. He started teaching at Hyles-Anderson in January of 2000 and continued teaching there until he became a faculty member of City Baptist School in January of 2013. In May of 2012, he joined the pastoral staff at First Baptist Church in Hammond as the Deaf Pastor. He and his wife Jane, who is deaf, have one daughter, Kirsten.
First Baptist Church became burdened to reach the deaf and hearing-imparied of Hammond, the Calument region, and greater Chicagoland and on October 14, 1962, eight deaf adults attended the very first Deaf Sunday school class.
The Deaf Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Hammond has not changed since then! It is dedicated to serving the Deaf community by providing a welcoming environment where individuals can learn about the Bible in their native language, American Sign Language (ASL). Our mission is to ensure that the Deaf have access to grow spiritually through tailored services and educational Sunday school classes.
Deaf Sunday School
Deaf Worship Service
