This story you will read is the background of Deaf Ministries in Toronto.  It had started with a hearing person who learned to sign to communicate with the Deaf at Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf.

 

Marian Rochford, the hearing wife of Pastor Dan Rochford, started the Deaf work at Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf.  She did not expect something would turn up for the best. 

 

 

Nigel Persaud learned that there is a SDA (Seventh-day Adventist for short) person, who knows sign language, at the church at Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf.  Nigel met Marian and he became a member of this church.  Few years later, they moved to 111 Cactus Ave.   He felt that he’s the only SDA person in the world.  But God showed him that there’s more… 

Ruby Perez was raised in an Adventist home. Due to lack of communication; she could not understand their religion beliefs.  She went to Western Deaf Camp Meeting where she met her husband, Nigel.  In September 1999, she moved to Canada where her husband lives, she was introduced to Harmony SDA Church.  Things became clear when an interpreter was provided to interpret the hearing service.  She was thankful for the clear message about God’s Word thru this church.  She doesn’t know that there is another deaf SDA person all along. 

 

Farrah Gooding was raised in a “hearing” Adventist home, but does not have any clue of what Seventh-day Adventist stands for—let alone with basic knowledge of Bible stories.  In May 2000, she was surprised about the deaf SDA group in Alberta from reading Canadian Adventist Messenger.  She asked her friend to send an email to John Blake, who is the director of Canadian Deaf Ministries, to find out if there are any SDA deaf people in Toronto.  John Blake replied back with information of Bible Prophecy Lectures at Canadian National Exhibition.  She didn't know that night would changed her life forever.

 

On June 3rd, 2000, all three of them finally met.  Not only three of them but met John Blake and his wife, Alberta who arranged the meeting series in Toronto for the deaf and Deaf Pastor David Trexler, who preached the Revelation series.  His signed lectures about Revelation cleared the deaf people's mind who came to the meeting.  To continue nurturing the deaf's spiritual needs, Deaf Pastor Paul Kelly, from Rochester, New York, visits Harmony SDA Church twice monthly to give out Bible Study and Sermon which lead Farrah to be baptized and joined into the church in December 2003.

 

The devil hates their work for the Deaf Ministries and tried to put them down.  After a year of struggling, Farrah took over the role of co-ordinator for the Deaf Ministries in 2005 and was on fire to fight back the devil.  She set up a website for the Deaf Ministry for the first time.  Nigel helped designing logos and banners.  Ruby helped with checking spelling and grammars.  Also we want to express many thanks to everyone who helped us to develop the Deaf Ministries in Toronto.

 

In 2007, Nigel and Ruby Persaud took over the role of coordinator of the deaf ministries while Farrah Gooding left in pursuit of career in the US.

 

Currently, we are only two Seventh-day Adventist members in Toronto, Ontario with few visitors.  We meet every Sabbath at 10am for Bible School and Church Service.  We appreciate your participation in our Ministries and for making it worthwhile.