Amarillo Deaf Church, located at 3817 Holiday Drive in Amarillo, is known for worship in American Sign Language and for gathering Deaf people, their families, and friends. The church pairs its ASL worship with interpretation and caption support for people with different communication needs.
Sunday School, Coffee Fellowship, and ASL Worship
The regular Sunday schedule includes Sunday School from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., coffee fellowship at 10:00 a.m., and worship at 10:30 a.m. Coffee fellowship precedes the main ASL service. Adults and young people also gather for Bible study on Wednesday evenings. Childcare is not provided.
Children's Church on the Second Sunday
ADC children's church is held on the second Sunday of each month. Melanie Lyons serves in children and youth ministry and encourages young people to find their identity in Christ.
Different Ways to Follow the Same Worship
Worship takes place in ASL. The church provides deaf-blind interpreters for the service, captions for oral deaf people and for hard-of-hearing people who do not know ASL, and voice interpreters. MSS interpreters are also available. Captioning, interpretation, and signed worship give people who sign, speak, or read captions ways to follow the gathering. Together, these supports serve different communication needs within the regular worship gathering.
Wednesday Adult and Youth Bible Study
Adult and Youth Bible Study meets on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Scott Tankersley is a teacher and prayer intercessor. He regards the Bible as Vox Dei, the Voice of God. The church's sermons have addressed Romans, baptism, prayer, the Lord's Supper, church covenant, grace, giving, ministry, and Christian living. Sermon recordings and vlogs are available online.
Founded in 1980 by Deaf Members
Senior Elder Darrell Bonjour and two other Deaf members co-founded the church in 1980 under the name Paramount Baptist Deaf Mission. It is now known as Amarillo Deaf Church. Bonjour has led Deaf conferences, camps, and mission trips. He also serves as president of Texas Baptist Deaf Ministries and as a co-founding board member of Deaf Men's Conference.
Elders, Pastor, and Ministry Leaders
Mark Sturkie has been an elder since 2014. Before retirement, he directed Panhandle Council for the Deaf, where he provided interpreting services, taught sign-language classes, and led Deaf-centered workshops. He previously spent 19 years on the staff of Silent Friends Chapel in Dallas.
Melanie Lyons began as a summer missionary at Paramount Baptist Deaf Church in 1999 and joined the staff in 2000. Her responsibilities combine children and youth ministry with administration and building logistics. She works to encourage ADC's children and youth to find their identity in Christ.
Scott Tankersley has been part of ADC since the 1980s and serves as pastor. He is also a teacher and prayer intercessor. He retired after 33 years as a high school teacher and coach.
Core Beliefs Held in Common
Amarillo Deaf Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Its foundational beliefs align with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church also describes itself as multi-denominational, with agreement on core beliefs. Its shared faith emphasizes:
- God and revelation: There is one living, all-powerful God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The entire Bible is God's inspired Word and is without error.
- Sin and Christ: Sin entered the world through Adam, so every person is born in sin and separated from God. Jesus Christ came to earth through a virgin, was fully human and fully God, lived without sin, died on the cross, and rose from the dead after three days. His resurrection overcame the power of death.
- Forgiveness and salvation: The blood Christ shed on the cross has power to forgive all sin and free people from guilt and punishment. People become acceptable and right with God not by works but by God's grace through faith in Christ. Christ ascended into heaven and serves as man's intercessor and only access to God. True believers look forward to his return in power and glory.
- The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit draws sinners to repentance, belief in the gospel, and faith in the risen Christ. He gives assurance of salvation, gifts for ministry, and power to minister to people who are lost, poor, or oppressed.
- The Church and God's sovereignty: All believers in Jesus Christ are members of his body called the Church, and Christ is its head. God's Church is called to preach the gospel to everyone, make disciples, and teach obedience to everything God commands. God is sovereign in his plan and in the life of his Church.
A Vision for Deaf People, Families, and Friends
The church's vision is for the Deaf community, their families, and friends in Amarillo and around the world to encounter the love of God and his mighty power so that they lead lives that glorify him. The church expresses that vision through ASL worship, adult and youth Bible study, monthly children's church, and communication support. Its leaders bring experience in Deaf-centered interpreting, sign-language classes, workshops, conferences, camps, mission trips, administration, and prayer.
Amarillo Deaf Church's identity is formed around ASL worship, biblical teaching, prayer, and the participation of Deaf adults, families, and friends.