Tabitha Beam developed an interest in learning sign language through watching the interpreter at her church where she grew up in TN. In 2005, God directed her to take a mission trip to the Philippines to help with summer Deaf camp,where she met a missionary who told her about Silent Word Ministries. God used the trip to the Philippines to begin directing her into full-time deaf ministry. In 2009, she attended college in Nashville to study sign language interpreting.Since 2011, she has been serving at SWM as a home-office missionary who daily ensures that the ministry functions while others are in meetings. Some of her daily duties are answering the phone, handling all mail orders, sending missionary prayer letters, overseeing literature inventories, directing office volunteers, assisting with social media outreach & website upkeep. She also assists SWM missionaries, helping their ministries function more efficiently. In simple words, she serves to help others serve. Tabitha is involved in the local church deaf ministry and assists in SWM meetings. She also assists in SWMI team trips. Her sending church is Franklin Road Baptist Church.

Lois accepted Jesus as her savior at the age of 6. When she was 8 years old, she told the Lord that she would be a missionary, if that was His will. While attending summer camp at the Bill Rice Ranch, Lois became burdened for the Deaf. She surrendered to deaf ministry at the age of 16.

To prepare for this calling, Lois attended Calvary Baptist Bible College in Puerto Rico, where she majored in both Elementary Education and Deaf Ministry. While there, the Lord gave Lois a burden for Deaf people around the world. This burden also included deaf education. In 2018, Lois took a mission trip to Haiti. There she saw first hand that some countries provide only minimal access to education for the Deaf, resulting in limited language skills and therefore limited access to the Gospel.

After graduating in 2019, Lois began to prepare to return to Haiti to work in a Deaf school. However, she and other missionaries were unable to return to Haiti due to civil unrest. While on a mission trip with SWMI in 2022, David Bennett (Silent Word Ministries International Director) encouraged Lois to get special training at a Deaf school in India, with the goal of starting similar schools elsewhere. In 2024, Lois joined with SWMI as a missionary to Deaf people worldwide.

Lois's goals include starting Deaf Schools in strategic areas and countries worldwide, training administrators for those schools, and ultimately helping to train and develop hearing and Deaf national believers, teachers, leaders, and missionaries to serve and fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Deaf world.

Nicole Condra is a second-generation missionary to the deaf. She grew up knowing sign language and working with deaf people alongside her parents, Reed and Donna Condra. When once asked about her specific call into deaf missions, Nicole thought and replied, “I don’t ever remember a time when God called me out of deaf missions.”In 2004, she was asked by leaders of Silent Word Ministries to serve as a home-office missionary. This she did for 6 years. Nicole resigned her office responsibilities in 2011 and focused on further training to prepare her for the foreign field.

The Reed Condra family have been missionaries since 1981. Their ministry has been quite varied, serving the Lord with Bill Rice Ranch Missions, with local churches in the Bahamas, as interim pastor, and, of course, with deaf people. In January of 1998, the Condras joined Silent Word Ministries. Through the years, the Condras have served in deaf rallies and meetings, local church deaf ministries, and deaf camp programs. Donna loves to work with children in conferences while Reed speaks to the deaf and deaf workers. Reed has been called “The Bible Teacher” at SWM, and he loves to make the Old Testament clear and understandable. The Condras base their ministry out of Morning Star Baptist Church in Whitwell, TN.

Mission Statement: “But We Will Give Ourselves … To The Ministry Of The Word … So Deaf People Will Be Saved … Families Strengthened … Churches Served” Acts 6:4.

Diana and her late husband, Larry, wanted to serve the Lord in their later season of their life. Larry pastored three churches and served as a layman in many capacities of the church. Larry also worked in the Information Technology field for 16 years, solving both hardware and software issues.

Diana taught school and homeschooled all seven of their children. After Larry's unexpected homegoing to Heaven, Diana continues to serve the Lord in her local church and with Silent Word Ministries.

Ben grew up in a Pastor’s home in Cheyenne, WY and Marie grew up in a Christian home in Frederick, Maryland. Ben and Marie both came to a personal saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at early ages. God impressed on both of their hearts the need for missions and flexibility and they each pursued trade based degrees; Ben graduating with an Aircraft Maintenance degree (’14) and Marie with her nursing degree (BSN ’12). Through a series of events the Lord led each of them into Deaf missions. God gave Ben a burden to reach the Deaf in Eastern Europe by establishing a local church and training institute in Romania for Deaf and hearing to multiply laborers for the Deaf world. They were married on June 6, 2020 and joined Silent Word Ministries International on July 31 of that same year. They are excited about discipleship and investing their lives in the Silent World. Their sending church is Stanley Heights Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.

Jeremy (Bud) & Jenna Ring are missionaries to Canada. In 2009, through the ministry of Jim Bracelin, SWM Vice President, they began working with Deaf people in their area. God touched their hearts to win Deaf for Christ. Both are excited about serving the Lord as a missionary family. Jeremy says, “By God’s grace and with His help, I want to spread the good news of salvation to the Deaf World.” The Rings are sent by Blessed Hope Baptist Church (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada – Pastor Percy Lake).

Jacob was called to preach to and work with Deaf people in the mid-1990’s. He has continued to serve in deaf ministries in several locations. In 2021 the Lord led the Roths into what he calls Deaf Ministry Helps Missions, “Steady Help Ministry.” Along with preaching to and teaching Deaf people, Jacob’s burden is to assist deaf leaders and deaf pastors, and to provide Deaf access to Christian conferences, such as marriage and preacher conferences. Sending Church Pastor, Larry Hobbs, says, “Jacob Roth has been a faithful member of Flagler County Baptist Church.... He and his family are a tremendous asset to this church body as they are involved in almost every ministry of our church.... It was my privilege to ordain Brother Jacob Roth to the gospel ministry. He possesses a strong understanding of the Word of God and is gifted in conveying this knowledge through preaching and teaching.... Without reservation, I wholeheartedly and highly recommend Bro. Jacob Roth."

Mission Statement: "Supporting Deaf Ministries, Pastors and Leaders to steadily reach, teach, grow and disciple all DEAF for Christ."

Allen Snare is a deaf man reaching deaf people. His late wife, Debbie, was saved under his preaching. Debbie passed away in January, 2006, after a 5-year battle with cancer. Allen has one hearing daughter, Joy (married), two deaf sons, John and Justin (both married), and 6 grandchildren. Allen has a great burden to see deaf people saved both in America and around the world. Allen preaches at several Deaf camps every summer and at various meetings throughout the year. Occasionally, he travels internationally for short-term trips. He is a wonderful soul-winner and preaches clear messages that deaf people can understand. Both deaf and hearing congregations can be blessed by his dynamic preaching. When he is not traveling, Allen helps at the Silent Word Home Office in Trenton, GA, where he prints materials, records short devotionals in ASL for social media, disciples other Deaf, and more.

Mission Statement: "My Heart's Desire Is To See More Deaf Saved."

Paul Strosnider was called to preach as a teen while working at the Bill Rice Ranch. Paul graduated from Bob Jones University in 1992. He served as assistant pastor for five years in two churches in Iowa and South Carolina, and then for three years, he assisted two missionary families in church planting in the Marshall Islands. In 2000, the Lord burdened Paul's heart for Deaf people. In 2002, he began a deaf ministry in a hearing church. Paul joined Silent Word Ministries in 2005. Rachel surrendered to Deaf missions in 2003. She began attending Ephraim Baptist Church for the Deaf in 2005, a church-planting outreach from the hearing church where Paul began a deaf ministry. In 2008, God led Paul and Rachel together as husband and wife. They are now serving the Lord as SWM missionaries to the Deaf at Ephraim Baptist Church for the Deaf in St. Louis, Missouri. Their goal is to turn this church over to a Deaf pastor, and establish other Deaf churches to fulfill the Great Commission.

Mission Statement: “Planting Deaf Churches to Fulfill the Great Commission”

Bruce and Amanda Stuart were both raised in Christian homes, and both trusted in Christ for salvation at an early age. Bruce began learning sign language when he worked at the Bill Rice Ranch in Tennessee, and continued studying it at New England Baptist College where he also received his degree in Missions. Amanda started learning ASL when a deaf couple began attending her home church, and continued to study it at New England Baptist College, where she received a degree in Office Administration. The Lord burdened both of their hearts for Deaf missions. As a senior in high school, God gave Bruce a burden for the country of Gabon, Africa. For five years, Bruce and Amanda pursued going to Gabon as missionaries both to the Deaf and hearing. Eventually in 2021, God closed the doors to Gabon, and redirected them to Liberia, West Africa. They began their first term in April 2022, and lived in the capital of Monrovia for eight months. They surveyed areas for future deaf ministry and secured housing in their target city, Ganta. After returning to the States in December 2022 for the birth of their son, David, they arrived back to Liberia in July 2023. Since that time, they have been living in Ganta and are assisting an already established church and deaf school. They work primarily with the deaf school teachers, discipling them in their walk with Christ and every day Christian living.

Rusty grew up in a Christian family and attended Harvest Bible College (Ringgold, GA), where he was saved. The Lord burdened him to become a pastor. He struggled with where the Lord wanted him. He resisted God’s call back to his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. But in 2015, after visiting Greenville and seeing the need, he surrendered to the Lord’s call to start a Deaf Church there.

Mission Statement: “Planting Deaf Churches to Fulfill the Great Commission”

Carrie Whaley was raised in a Christian home in Eastern North Carolina. She was saved at an early age and surrendered to missions when she was 12 years old. At that time, she promised God she would go anywhere, “except Africa…’cause that place is scary!”

In 2016, she took a personal trip to Ireland. While there, she surrendered to truly go anywhere, even to Africa. Carrie met SWM International Director David Bennett in 2017. He invited her to join a short term mission team to West Africa. On the trip she surrendered to full-time deaf ministry in Liberia.

Carrie has always had a heart to serve those who are different, ignored, forgotten, or overlooked. Her heart is to reach deaf people, people with special needs, and their families for Christ. She is especially burdened for people with minimal language abilities. All people need to know of God’s love and redemptive work for them. She seeks to reach deaf and differently-abled individuals, then to teach and train them to know God and make Him known!