United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Ministries

Vision Statement

To share Jesus' love by equipping and advocating access through effective communication and leadership among the diverse deaf community.

About the Committee

In 1992, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church established the National Committee on Deaf Ministries as a mission initiative (renewed at each General Conference.)

As its mission expanded to include all people with hearing loss, the committee broadened its name to reflect the diversity of the population it represents. It is now known as the United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries or DHM.

The committee operates under the auspices of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

Ten members make up the Committee as follows: two people who are Deaf, two late-deafened, two hard of hearing, one DeafBlind person, as well as one deaf institutional ministry professional, and two clergy with experience in ministry with people who are Deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind.

The Committee strives to be inclusive with regard to gender, ethnicity, jurisdiction, and different sign language and hearing abilities.

Read our General Conference authorization here.
 

Committee Members

	Rev. Willy Banza, Central Conference liaison and South Central Jurisdiction, hearing, clergy	Bryan Branson, President, Western Jurisdiction, Deaf, lay
	Rev. Dan Bryant, GBGM Board Representative, North Central Jurisdiction, hearing, clergy	Mary Ann Deters, Southeast Jurisdiction, Deaf, lay
	Kathleen Griffith, General Board of Global Ministries	Zach Holler, North Central Jurisdiction, Deafblind, clergy
	Rev. Thomas Hudspeth, Consultant, South Central Jurisdiction, Hard of hearing, clergy	Bishop Peggy Johnson, ex officio, Northeast Jurisdiction
	LaSander “Sandy” Saunders, Southeast Jurisdiction, late Deafened, lay	Carol Stevens, Northeast Jurisdiction, hearing, lay
	Lynn Swedberg, Disability Ministries Committee of the UMC, Western Jurisdiction, Deaconess	Tim Vermande, Communications, post-paralytic hearing loss, North Central Jurisdiction, lay
	Roy White, Treasurer, Northeastern Jurisdiction, Deaf, lay	Rev. Leo Yates jr., Northeast Jurisdiction, hearing, clergy

Our committee is seeking for balance of jurisdictions, ethnic, hearing, Deaf, hard-of-hearing, Deafblind, lay, clergy, age and gender. If you sense God calling you to serve on our committee, please see our Membership Guidelines and contact the committee vice-president.

Committee members and any others who plan to submit photographs or other illustrations for the site
should note that it is GBGM policy to have a signed release for any such use.
Click here to download the form for this use.