Part 1

Bert Barritt (H) from York has had many new beginnings In his life and is never afraid of challenges and changes. Bert led the Deaf Christian Fellowship (DCF) for over thirty years.

Describe yourself
I am 82 years of age, I am married to Marie (for 60 years this year [2007]), have three children, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. I live in York and am involved in many different activities - church prayer groups, Normandy Veterans Association, Alzheimer’s Society, Neighbourhood Watch and serve in various ways in the Senior Citizen’s group at church. I read a lot and correspond with a wide range of people. I seem to always be busy and my children are always trying to slow me down!

How did you become a Christian?
As a child, I went to the Sunday School in the Bermondsey Gospel Mission in South East London. My aunts took me and my two brothers there. When I was 13, I joined a Bible Class for young men. Some were working and others were still at school. I enjoyed it and liked being with other teenagers. As I looked at the lives of the other members, I began to realize that there was something missing in my life. The other young men had a faith in Jesus as their Saviour and they had assurance of His love. I believed in Jesus but did not have the assurance of knowing Jesus as my Saviour. By Easter time in 1939, when I was 14, I committed my life to Jesus and knew in my heart that I was forgiven and assured of His love.

What changes were noticed in your life?
Some changes came quickly but others were slower. I was still selfish and wanted my own way. But I remember beginning to attend the Monday night prayer meeting and though I never prayed aloud, I was blessed by going and hearing older people pray. I loved the singing in the Bible class and often when the meeting finished, we would stand round the piano and sing some choruses and hymns. I found that I had a desire to tell people about Jesus and wanted to talk about my faith. Another thing that I remember is that I found it easy to give money to the Mission. I had a Mission box in my bedroom and quite often put some money in it. I did not earn much money but it seemed that the more money I put in the box for the Mission, I still had enough in my pocket. That was an important lesson to learn so early.

How did you grow in your Christian life?
When I was about 16 years of age the Blitz (WW2) began and my Christian life was disrupted for a while but the thing that helped me to grow was fellowship with other Christians. To see other people who were following Jesus encouraged me and helped me. A team of Christian policemen came to the Mission and held evangelistic meetings for ten days. That was a great boost to my life and to the lives of some other friends. I met Henry Tyler at that time. He became a great friend and took the marriage service at my wedding. I realized that if I was going to be a strong Christian then I need to faithfully read my Bible. That made the difference in my life, sometimes it was as if God was speaking to me as I read the words of truth. I believe the key to growing in the Christian life is to read the Bible. In Colossians 3:16 it says, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly’. I remember one of the Christian policemen, Tom Robson showing a verse to my friend and me. It was Acts 17:11, ‘The people of Berea received the message and examined the Scriptures every day’.

How do you spend your time with God?
I believe that God is with me all the time but I am not always conscious of His presence. I thank God that I have always been able to get up early and have time with Him. I have a pattern that has developed through the years. First of all I pray the words of Psalm 19:14. Then I pray the words of the chorus, ‘O make me understand it, help me to take it in, what it meant to You, the Holy One, to bear away my sin’. Then I read in Daily Light for that day. I choose a verse from the passage and copy it in a notebook. Afterwards I pray the Lord’s Prayer. I did not do that when I was younger but I love it now. I then write out one of the petitions. Next, I use a book of spiritual verses chosen by A W Tozer. I read one or two pieces and find some very precious thoughts and prayers. After that, I use the book, Operation World. There is information about every country in the world and guidance about what to pray for. I find it invaluable.

Then I have my personal prayers. I have a folder with prayer letters and missionary information, names of family and friends and of Christian work and workers. The folder is divided into seven sections, one for each day. Then I read the Bible, usually a Psalm and then a chapter from the Old Testament. Sometimes I will read from a Bible Commentary on the Bible passage. Marie and I have always had a Bible reading and prayer together, after breakfast. We do miss sometimes but usually we pray together.

Which church do you attend?
Before we moved to York we knew which church we would attend. Our daughter, Dorothy, was already in the church and when we visited her, we would go with her. When we moved, we were already familiar with the people. The church is now called Gateway Church about 130 adults attend the church. We have a good youth group and children’s groups. In recent years, we have built up a flourishing group of older people. Marie and I are part of this. The congregation bought an old school and renovated it. Now we are planning to build the church building into the playground. We expect to see the builders start in the autumn. Praise God.

Why did you want to learn Sign Language?
My parents were deaf and used sign language but my two brothers and I never learnt it. My father became deaf in his late teens and so had a reasonable voice and though mother became deaf at a young age, she was educated at Old Kent Road School and given strong oral training. So communication was not a big problem at home.

My wife and I with our three children went to an evangelistic training school in North London for several months. We were encouraged to pray about where we should go to serve God. God answered our prayers and directed us to go to Northern Ireland. For three months, we lived in Portrush and I gave out Christian literature and visited house to house, talking to people about the Lord.

After three months, we were invited to Lisburn to speak at a home meeting. Whilst there, we met the wife of Rev. Tommy Riddall who had started the Deaf Christian Fellowship (DCF) some years before. Mrs. Riddall wanted me to meet her husband. We met the next day and he said that he had been praying for someone to come to Ireland to lead the DCF as he was going to Canada. He then said I was the answer to his prayers as I had deaf parents. Marie and I felt that God had called us to Ireland and though we never expected to work with deaf people, we had prayed for years that deaf people would be able to hear the message of the Gospel. So we felt God was opening a door for us with deaf people.

Tommy Riddall was leaving Belfast (in Ireland) in three weeks time and so Marie and I began to learn the fingerspelling alphabet. After just thee weeks, I took a deaf meeting and used only fingerspelling. At that time, many deaf people in Ireland were happy to read finger-spelling. That is how it all started and we progressed from there.

In what ways are you involved with deaf people?
From 1957 when I joined the DCF in Belfast, we have worked extensively with deaf people, both in UK and abroad in Europe, South Africa, America and India. I pastored a deaf church in SE London and travelled to support deaf groups. Towards the end of this time, God began to teach us about integration. After I retired, we moved to York and kept in contact with deaf people and I preached in some deaf churches and groups.

After a gap, because of my hip operation, I am now expecting to take occasional services for a small congregation of deaf people in Harrogate and Leeds. Also I have been invited to speak at the Scarborough Church for the deaf. I am in contact with a number of deaf people, by letters and faxes. Sometimes deaf people visit us or we visit them and talk over problems or about the Christian faith. I am also in contact with the deaf friends I preached to in South Africa and other African countries. I am praying regularly for deaf work in the UK and praise God for all that is happening in the deaf community.

It will be 50 years since Marie and I started in the DCF in Belfast and we plan to be in Belfast in October, God willing, to celebrate and give thanks to God for all He has done!

What is your view of deaf people in a hearing church?
Some years ago, I preached at Hands Together Conference and took the theme of BBT - ‘Being Built Together’ Ephesians 2:22. I believe that is God’s purpose for all His people. The church is not perfect or ideal in every situation, but here God’s people, including deaf people, can be together, I believe it is the right way. Thank God we have some examples where this is working in the UK. In other situations, deaf people have not been able to fit in. There needs to be awareness and education and there needs to be the right people with loads of love. In many churches different groups meet together from time to time and it should be that a group of deaf people in a church should meet together at times.

More in the next Issue (Part 2) ….

(Extracted from Hands Together Summer 2007, UK)

By Bert Barritt (H), York, UK