Church’s Deaf Ministry Pioneers Gospel Outreach For The Hearing Impaired
A Pennsylvania couple, Megan and Matt Chopek, both deaf since childhood, are actively leading a ministry for the deaf community in Pittsburgh. Their aim is to create awareness among churches about the needs of the hard-of-hearing individuals in their congregations.
Since October 2018, the Chopeks have been instrumental in the Deaf Life Gatherings at Redemption Hill Church in Jefferson Hills. Drawing from their own painful experiences in previous church settings, they aspire to dismantle misconceptions and stigmas through this ministry, hoping to prevent other deaf individuals from encountering similar “church hurt.”
At Redemption Hill, alongside a ministry leader fluent in American Sign Language, the Chopeks have initiated and driven the deaf ministry. They emphasize that God’s care extends beyond one’s hearing ability and emphasizes the significance of the heart, sin, and the afterlife.
Recognizing the challenges faced by the deaf community in church settings nationwide, the Chopeks stress the lack of sufficient deaf ministries and the common absence of interpreters in churches, creating significant language barriers for deaf individuals seeking spiritual engagement.
Sharing their own distressing encounter at a previous church where the departure of an interpreter led to the dissolution of the deaf community within the congregation, the Chopeks underscore the importance of inclusive practices and support from church leadership.
Their journey to find a church home that caters to their needs brought them to Redemption Hill, where they praise the senior pastor for taking a proactive interest in understanding and accommodating their requirements. Despite initial hesitance, the pastor learned sign language to communicate effectively with the deaf members, displaying a commitment to inclusivity driven by compassion and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Redemption Hill’s Senior Pastor, Peter Doerfler, emphasized the importance of churches uniting to establish deaf ministries, acknowledging the profound need for such initiatives. He highlighted the process of discernment and the significance of assessing the community’s interest before commencing a deaf ministry, emphasizing the necessity of hiring interpreters or offering ASL Bible studies.
Doerfler’s observations revealed the exponential growth of the deaf community’s spiritual journey through the ministry, emphasizing the significance of reaching out to a demographic often overlooked by traditional church settings. He stressed the responsibility to provide the best support and spiritual guidance for the deaf community, acknowledging the limited options available to them compared to the hearing population.