Shouldn’t More Churches Have Deaf (and other) Ministries?
Some of our best information is buried in the comments section. Here’s the first of several posts bringing those questions and answers forward for everyone to see.
Ministering to the deaf-Blind,and the Blind, and hard of hearing is also a ministry that should be in place in a lot more churches. The reason is because just like churches will do their very best to get ready for other people that have some kind of other disability what reason should they not have this ministry in place? -Inez, 1/13/2018 (Why is Deaf Ministry So Hard? part 1)
Yes, it should be a common thing among churches to make the gospel available to everyone who is, or may be, among their congregation. Jesus made it clear that He regarded everyone, whether blind, crippled, leper, or deaf, as a person equal to others and in need of saving grace, as we all are. The trouble comes in with our comfort levels and our perspectives on stewardship. Some find a live interpreter or open captions distracting. We tend to overlook special needs that may exist, whether for wheelchairs or alternate lighting. We find it inconvenient to make unique accommodations for those few who need the message delivered differently.
Meanwhile, finding quality interpreters with accurate doctrinal understanding is not as simple as widening a sanctuary door or designating a pew area for wheelchairs and walkers. Imagine a skilled interpreter with a Hindu perspective translating the phrase “you must be born again.” Hindus and Baptists understand those words quite differently. Then there’s the matter of community — if the only person deaf people interact with is the interpreter, while hearing congregants discuss the sermon, next Bible study, or lunch plans, the community and fellowship vital to growth is unavailable to them.
Should congregations make efforts to reach their neighbors? Absolutely, always. Is there more to it than a little reconstruction or the hiring of language resources? Yes, very much so. It takes a long-term dedicated commitment, and the willingness to keep going without an obvious or quick return on investment. It takes involvement by more than just the pastor and board – a healthy portion of the congregation would have to prepare themselves to welcome and befriend someone who perceives the world and processes thoughts differently, either because they depend completely upon their ears or completely upon their eyes without the multi-channel input the majority takes for granted.