After attending seminary, Roddey Caughman felt called to minister to the deaf community. He began looking for opportunities, but all the ministries he contacted couldn’t afford to pay for any help.
Then he connected with a pastor at Redemption Hill Church (RHC) in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, where several deaf people were members of the congregation. The pastor was looking for ways to support them, so in June 2020, Caughman and his wife moved to Pennsylvania where he became the associate pastor and deaf ministry director at RHC.
Caughman admits that well-meaning people sometimes misunderstand what it means to minister to someone who cannot hear.
“Oftentimes when churches want to reach out to the deaf, they simply provide an interpreter,” says Caughman. “While that’s great, once the service is over, the deaf people go home and have no contact with anybody from the church.”
Matt and Megan Chopek were two such people. After Matt had experienced a failed cochlear implant surgery, Megan, who also had hearing loss, started interpreting for her husband at church.
“Deaf ministry is so needed. Only 2% of the deaf community around the world has been reached for Christ, so we still have a long way to go,” Matt shares. “People aren’t good at being patient or empathetic to the daily struggles we face, even those who are hearing and actively serve the deaf community.”
RHC’s deaf ministry is different in that it blends hearing people and those who are deaf.
“The way we do it is just one way—it’s not the way,” clarifies Caughman. “You have to look at the population in your area to figure out the best approach.”
“Since the deaf ministry officially began, my wife and I have a greater understanding of the Bible and a desire to reach out to the deaf community in Pittsburgh,” says Matt.
To find a deaf church near you, visit DeafChurchWhere.com.