THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9602280140
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
David Bagley, 18, doesn't speak. But he laughs and he signs and you know when he's having fun.
I met David, mentally retarded but not unaware. He's one of three members of a special new Sunday school class at Calvary Baptist Church on London Boulevard.
The class is taught by two members of the church who just happen to be extremely qualified to work with special people.
Dawn Voll teaches special education at Pembroke Elementary in Virginia Beach and Brenda Decker teaches special ed at James Hurst Elementary in Portsmouth.
``We have three people right now with varying needs,'' Decker said. ``We can handle people at any level.''
The class meets at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Philip Parker, pastor of the church, said he hopes to be able to extend the time to cover the Sunday morning church hour if in the future someone who could not sit through the service should join the class.
Parker said Calvary is the only church in the Portsmouth Baptist Association with a class for special students.
The idea came from David's parents, Louis and Debra Bagley, who moved from Portsmouth to Suffolk but continue to attend church here.
``We saw a similar program at Liberty Baptist in Hampton and we felt like we needed one,'' Louis Bagley said. ``We're not trying to provide anything for special young people that others in the church don't have.''
And, Bagley added, ``It was a miracle that we had these two teachers right here in the church.''
Coincidentally, Debra Bagley is special education parent resource coordinator for the Suffolk schools.
Parker said the church welcomes any family with special members who would like to participate in the class.
``I think there are a lot of families out there who may not go to Sunday school or church because they have no place to take a special person,'' Parker said.
Parker said the class and Calvary are ``here for everyone.''
``You don't have to join to participate,'' he said. ``However, we discourage the drop-off mentality here at Calvary because we feel it's important to minister to the whole family.''
The class time includes singing, a short Bible story and the creation of a craft that relates to the story.
``We don't talk down to the class,'' Decker said. ``They're not babies and our reward is in their smiles.''
Voll said she would like to think ``the love and patience we show them helps them understand Christ's love and patience.''
It's not surprising that Calvary Baptist is the first here to provide a special education Sunday school.
Parker always is asking himself what the church is doing for the community.
``I take seriously our role in society and the community,'' he said. ``I think it is important for us to be here.''
Parker wants his church members to be involved. For instance, Calvary has a mentoring program in which members take a family in need and help them get back on their feet.
``You know, if each church here and everywhere reached out to one or two families a year and helped them to a more stable way of life, think what could be accomplished,'' Parker said.
Of course, Parker knew he was preaching to the choir when he made that statement to me. If every church in Portsmouth became directly and intimately involved in the problems of this city, think what a transformation could take place!
Fortunately, in recent months, we have begun to see more involvement on the part of Portsmouth churches and we hope that trend continues because they could be the answer for many people and many situations.
Meanwhile, we were happy to hear of Calvary's special Sunday school class and to help the church spread the word to others who might be interested.
KEYWORDS: DISABILITY by CNB