Family Cathedral of Praise: Making a Joyful Noise

CBN.com This choir is polished, professional, perfectly in sync, and profoundly deaf!

The choir are all members of Family Cathedral of Praise in Dallas, Texas. This church has many outstanding ministries, but none is more unique than their ministry to the deaf. It reflects a deep commitment by Pastor Harry Sewell and his congregation to give everyone a chance to “hear” the good news.

“I think often times in society we neglect those that aren’t as privileged as we are,” says Pastor Sewell. “My vision was that we didn’t leave anybody out at Family Cathedral of Praise.”

The church’s commitment to their deaf ministry is fueled by a very sobering statistic.

“Less than two percent of deaf people are saved in the United States,” Connie, director of the deaf ministry, says. “We’ve got several people that their whole life has changed. Maybe they were on drugs, addicted to alcohol and now are serving the Lord.”

Shelley is one of them. She says, “The deaf ministry is very important because it has taught me to trust God. Before, I didn’t really understand the Bible, but now that I have been here at Family Cathedral of Praise… I went to camp, and I learned that if you follow the Lord, He will bless you. I just want to serve Him forever.”

The deaf ministry at Family Cathedral of Praise is much more than a Sunday morning interpreted service

Connie says, “We grew from that into a deaf ministry about 10 years ago where we have to go with them 24/7, where we have to be their support. We have to help with communication problems. We have to minister to every member of the family and all their needs.”

The pastor’s wife Debbie says, “We bring them in, love them, and they are so involved. We give them the platform, they preach, they teach, they sing, they sign.”

For your commitment to reaching the deaf community with the gospel, The 700 Club salutes you, Family Cathedral of Praise in Dallas, Texas.