About Jim and Terry Bracelin

Salvation:

Jim was raised in a Christian family with both father and mother having been saved as teenagers. He attended a fundamental Bible preaching, teaching church all his life. When he was six years old, he realized for the first time that he was a sinner, even though he had been a sinner before that time. Shortly after that, he attended an old-fashioned evangelistic tent meeting with his parents and came to the understanding that his sin was condemning him to Hell. It was later that day that he knelt with his mother by her bedside, and received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Just before his freshman year in High School, he worked at a camp in Kentucky as a Junior Counselor. While there he surrendered his life to full-time Christian service. As a senior in High School he was baptized by immersion, desiring to serve God with his whole heart.

Experience:

Jim served as an Assistant Pastor in two different churches from 1980-1992. He served first at Grace Bible Church in Phoenixville, PA for a year and a half. He and his wife, Terry then served at Church of the Open Door in Westminster, MD for ten and a half years. He served there as an Associate Pastor with the youth, young couples, camp ministry, coaching, and the Deaf. He then answered the call to become the Senior Pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Phoenixville, PA. He served there for five years. He and Terry had always had a desire to be missionaries, and had attempted to go to the mission field twice. During these years, God never opened the door to the mission field for us. However, all during this time in the pastorate, Jim felt that he was a Pastor with a Missionaries heart.  He gained incredible experience serving as a Pastor during these years. He and Terry learned many lessons that they could only learn in the role of an Assistant, and Senior Pastor. As a result of this experience, God has uniquely equipped Jim and Terry to help local churches in establishing Deaf ministries. They do it with the heart of the Pastor and his local church in full view, and with a clear understanding of the challenges the pastor and church face daily.

Missionary Call:

Jim and Terry surrendered their lives to be used as missionaries with Silent Word Ministries in January of 1999.  Both Jim and Terry had graduated with a Bible major and the Missions track as a minor in college. Terry spent a summer in Alaska as a summer missionary while they were in college. They thought that God was calling them to Alaska. However, after applying with a mission board and being accepted, they were unable to gain the support (of the church we were serving as Youth Pastor). They sensed God closing the door to Alaska at that time. It was at this point that they accepted the position at Church of the Open Door in Westminster, MD. It was during their time there that God allowed their paths to cross the path of Ted Camp (with the Bill Rice Ranch at the time). A few years later they felt that God was leading us to surrender to full-time ministry with the Deaf. It was during this time that they applied at Bill Rice Ranch to pursue that. They were accepted, but it was explained that the finances were not there for them to come with the Bill Rice Ranch at that time. It was immediately after that, that God opened the door for them to take the Senior Pastor position at Calvary Bible Church in Phoenixville, PA. They continued to have a burden for the Deaf, and started a Deaf ministry at Calvary Bible Church. Ted Camp presented a special meeting at our church (after establishing Silent Word Ministries) with the theme, “Come Help Us!” They sensed the call of God, and surrendered to give their lives to full-time ministry to the Deaf. They praise God to be a part of the Silent Word Ministries team of missionaries in reaching the Deaf of the world, and the Deaf of the Northeast specifically with the Gospel. Their desire has been, and continues to be that they will use their lives God has given them to reach lost people with the Gospel, and specifically the Deaf.