Episcopal Press and News
A Call to Renew Support for the Church's Ministry with the Deaf
Episcopal News Service. January 13, 2000 [2000-011]
J.D. Ellertson, Contributor to Interchange, the diocesan newspaper of Southern Ohio
(ENS) Bringing together representatives from across the country, a seminar last fall sponsored by the accessibility task force of the Diocese of Southern Ohio sought to review and recharge the Episcopal Church's longstanding commitment to ministry for and among deaf persons.
The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel of Syracuse, New York, provided a thorough background on the history of the deaf from 1800. "The Episcopal Church was the first church in the United States to minister to the deaf community," she said in her keynote speech, adding that it was the first church to permit deaf people to run their own congregations, and the first church to ordain deaf people to the priesthood.
"We have much to be proud of in our past," she reflected. "However, there hasn't been much support for such ministry to the deaf and hearing-impaired for the past 25 years. I hope this seminar is a sign that this unique type of ministry will come to life again in the tradition of the church and its founder."
Nagel is president of the church's Conference of the Deaf, vicar of Ephphatha Parish of the Deaf in the Diocese of Central New York, and priest-in-charge of the Henry Winter Syle Ministry with the Deaf in the Diocese of Albany.
"Less than 10 percent of deafness is hereditary," she told the seminar audience at the Procter Camp and Conference Center. "This means that hearing parents have deaf children, and deaf parents usually have hearing children. Pastorally this presents a dilemma. Currently we have between 65 and 70 congregations for deaf Episcopalians affiliated with the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf. This begs the question, how can we serve the needs of the deaf?"
Nagel also called attention to the fact that the deaf don't easily understand the English language. "A 5-year-old hearing student has a spoken vocabulary of over 5,000 words. A deaf student has a vocabulary of three to five words."
"It seems clear that the church has the obligation to minister to the deaf community in a way that they can understand and accept. If we are to minister to the deaf, we must become bilingually proficient in both speech and signing. I might add, the language of signs is a legitimate language. Many schools and universities accept fluency in sign language as fulfilling a language requirement for graduation. Sign language is also the third most used language in the United States today," she said.
Another speaker explained that she lost her hearing as a young child, but was fortunate to have a mother who was a speech therapist. "You'll never know how many throats of people she made me touch to feel the vibrations. Her caring and insistence on my learning is the reason why I'm able to speak today."
One of the biggest problems for the deaf is the feeling of isolation, she said. How would you feel if you were cut off from the major sources of information -- no radio, no TV, no movies -- and totally left out of dinner-table conversations? How would this change your behavior? You'd become withdrawn; you'd have little self-esteem. You'd avoid groups of people. You'd become isolated from the rest of the world. This is the cycle that the church can help break. This is why it is important for the hearing to learn about the deaf and learn from the deaf.
Nagel noted that the Episcopal Church was the first church to allow deaf people to run their own congregations in a signed service. This is the traditional and preferred model. A little thought will show why. Since we belong to a sacramental church, who would want an interpreter present at confession or at marriage counseling?
The hearing community needs to be more inclusive, she said. If the deaf community attends a hearing church, new challenges arise. If deaf congregants are not part of the vestry, not asked to serve on the Altar Guild, not asked to usher, don't read the lessons or the prayers of the people, they don't really become an active part of the whole body of Christ.
Nagel also pointed out how we can learn from each other. For example, she explained, the deaf community runs its affairs in a different manner. In a hearing vestry meeting, something will be moved, seconded, discussed briefly and voted upon. Those who supported the losing side will swallow their disappointment and go on working for the good of the whole group.
In the deaf vestry meeting, something will be moved and seconded. Then it will be discussed until a consensus is reached. There will be no losing side, everyone will be pretty much satisfied, and that is that. But the discussion will have gone on and one until everyone is content.
There are other differences, Nagel stated. Why should the deaf members of a hearing church get excited about a fund drive for repairing the organ, a choir concert or the hiring of a new organist? Often, the differences can be bridged by common sense; the problem is the common-sense moves are seldom made.
The Episcopal Conference of the Deaf (ECD) is the official agency of the Episcopal Church for ministry with deaf people. Nagel said, "We have a sign-language version of the hymnal and are currently producing a sign-language version of the Episcopal Eucharistic Lectionary. ECD also conducts workshops for lay leaders, lay readers and church officers. We are also responsible for the advocacy for the deaf within the Episcopal Church. Generally, ECD serves as a clearinghouse for information and resources on ministry with the deaf within the Episcopal Church."
An ecumenical discussion panel made the point that at least 90 percent of those in the deaf community are not church-going people. They emphasized the importance of building a one-on-one relationship with a deaf person; building rapport and trust.
"It would be unfair of me not to let you know that this is one difficult kind of ministry," Nagel concluded, "but it is also one of the most rewarding."