Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it."
- 1 Corinthians 12:12,27 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 the 1996 and 2000 General Conferences.) 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.
Ten members make up the Committee as follows: two people who are Deaf, two late-deafened, two hard of hearing, one deaf-blind 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 deaf-blind.
The Committee strives to be inclusive with regard to gender, ethnicity, jurisdiction, and different sign language and hearing abilities. See Power Point Presentation for more information.
Members of the Committee
Michelle Martin,
President of Committee,
South Central Jurisdiction,
Late-Deafened person,
Rev. Sam Carpenter,
Vice-President of Committee
South Central Jurisdiction,
Hard of hearing local pastor working in Deaf ministry
Late-deafened
Rev. Elke Sharma,
Secretary of Committee
North Central Jurisdiction,
Hard-of-Hearing
Rev. Nancy Hale,
Grants Chairperson,
North Eastern Jurisdiction,
Hard-of-hearing
Trevor Swearingen,
South Central Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Rev. Rebecca Kelly,
North Eastern Jurisdiction,
Hearing pastor in deaf ministry
Rev. Diana Williams,
Western Jurisdiction,
Hearing pastor in deaf ministry
Barbara Reynolds,
South Eastern Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Lydia Ross,
Deaf-blind
Jeff Burns,
Western Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Carol Rieke,
GBGM Board Representative,
Hard of Hearing
Dr. Rick Gentzler,
Board of Discipleship Staff Representative,
Hard of Hearing
Patricia Magyar,
Executive Secretary, Health and Welfare Ministries,
Hearing
Rev. Wineva Hankamer,
Consultant to Committee,
Hard of hearing
Michelle Martin,
President of Committee,South Central Jurisdiction,
Late-Deafened person,
Rev. Sam Carpenter,Vice-President of Committee
South Central Jurisdiction,
Hard of hearing local pastor working in Deaf ministry
Late-deafened
Rev. Elke Sharma,Secretary of Committee
North Central Jurisdiction,
Hard-of-Hearing
Rev. Nancy Hale,Grants Chairperson,
North Eastern Jurisdiction,
Hard-of-hearing
Trevor Swearingen,South Central Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Rev. Rebecca Kelly,North Eastern Jurisdiction,
Hearing pastor in deaf ministry
Rev. Diana Williams,Western Jurisdiction,
Hearing pastor in deaf ministry
Barbara Reynolds,South Eastern Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Lydia Ross,
Deaf-blind
Jeff Burns,Western Jurisdiction,
Deaf
Carol Rieke,GBGM Board Representative,
Hard of Hearing
Dr. Rick Gentzler,Board of Discipleship Staff Representative,
Hard of Hearing
Patricia Magyar,Executive Secretary, Health and Welfare Ministries,
Hearing
Rev. Wineva Hankamer,Consultant to Committee,
Hard of hearing