Yesterday, I just found a place that I haven't ever seen and it was on Instagram. A Deaf mom of a hearing son uploaded a reel on Instagram about worship at a Deaf Christian church in Jakarta-- it is maybe going to be the first-ever Deaf church in Indonesia--- as so far as I know that America has many Deaf churches. They have Deaf pastors! It crossed my mind that should we need a Deaf church? And, is it unnecessary?
Well, some months ago, I attended a Deaf Theology webinar held by the Catholic church featuring Laura Lesmana, a Deaf Catholic who ever represented Indonesia at the Asian Deaf Catholic Conference in Manila, Philippines and is also still my favorite English teacher. I had a question, "Laura, what do you think we should need a Deaf church? And, we should mingle with hearing people despite it getting left behind?" Laura responded, "Actually we do not. We don't want to separate but I would respect if you want to have a Deaf church that Deaf people only. We are on the same mission coming to the church, is the Lord Jesus Christ, either if someone is Deaf or hearing. We have the Deaf ministry or the study itself that is organized by the church. So, that's why we unnecessary to have own church." Alright, that is just opinion and it doesn't a must. Moreover, I do not know why America has many Deaf churches. I think it's a sense of Deaf people's life problems so Deaf Americans need their own place that can be educated and grow themselves by the Deaf culture. Maybe it is America only.
Personally, actually, I am in the same what Laura said. I don't need a Deaf church. I wrote about that (https://johnsonjones174.wixsite.com/website/post/deaf-and-hearing-christian-communities). It can be explained why I do not need a Deaf church. I am a Deaf Christian who doesn't grow up in the Deaf Christian community but I fully know the reasons that we should need a Deaf church. Like what Laura said, we just need a Deaf ministry, study, and partial events then the church should have its own sign language interpreters to work at worship and other services-- which means a church opens the sign language class or recruit professional and certified sign language interpreters, as well as voluntary interpreters. At least, we need to have Deaf pastors because of the same feelings and experiences as a Deaf Christian person and as well as a role model that we need. Born-to-Deaf means you need out of from comfort zone and ready for spending more with the hearing community for the whole of your life. That's life!
You are never alone because He has promised never to leave you in Isaiah 41: 10 and He also has provided what you need in reaching the glory of Lord Jesus Christ that He has prepared in Philippians 4: 19 NIV and in Matthew 6: 31-32. Matthew 6: 31, God knows what your problem facing is. That is the same as what I struggled for. I have moved to six different churches and ended up God placed me into English Worship which has an interpreter and will more my hearing friends know sign language! Although I am the only Deaf person at the English Worship. I realized that He knew what my problem of moving to six different churches and He placed me in the right place to grow up and spend more quality with my hearing friends. I hope English Worship will have more Deaf people like me and provides Deaf accessibility like subtitles, sign language, and more friendly things for the Deaf people.
Above what am I thinking about a Deaf church is just opinion, you can disagree with me and it's okay. I am going to be curious about what looks like a Deaf church. I'll come! In my imagination, it would be full sign language and a friendly community that I have never met before. But, back to a real topic, I do not want to separate Deaf and hearing communities. We are together. Deaf people love hearing people as human beings and a follower of Christ. Nothing can be separated from the love of Christ, we are being loved and building on the same mission in the glory of Jesus Christ.
Deaf people love hearing people as He loves you.
Thanks for reading.
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