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The story of LCMS Deaf missions begins in the period following the American Civil War. Lutheran congregations involved in the efforts to provide homes for children left fatherless by the war established the Lutheran Children’s Friend Society. In 1873, Rev. J. A. Huegli led the efforts of Christians in the Detroit area to establish an LCFS orphanage. The board called as the orphanage’s first director Rev. George Speckhard, who was serving a Michigan Lutheran parish further north. Rev. Speckhard, himself an orphan, was well suited for the post but with him came a little surprise. Prior to becoming a pastor, Rev. Speckhard had been a teacher for the Deaf in Germany. When he was later serving as a parish pastor in Michigan, he discovered two Deaf girls, daughters of Lutheran parents. So he added to his pastoral duties the tutoring of these two girls. When Rev. Spechard received the call to become the director of the Detroit orphanage, both he and the parents of the Deaf children were concerned about the girls’ education. They asked the board of the orphanage to allow these two Deaf girls to reside at the orphanage so they could continue their schooling. The board agreed, and soon word spread to other families of Deaf children.
Twenty years after the founding of the Deaf school in Detroit, one of its graduates, Edward Pahl, enlisted the help of the school’s director, Daniel H. Uhlig, to address the spiritual needs of Deaf adults. Director Uhlig alerted Rev. Augustus Reinke of (First) Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Chicago, who, in turn, met with Mr. Pahl. By their combined efforts, Reinke and Pahl started congregational ministry for Deaf people on Sunday March 4, 1894. Within two years, Rev. Reinke also ministered regularly to Deaf people in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Louisville, and many other cities. The 1896 convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Fort Wayne, Indiana, had the opportunity to witness the fruit of Rev. Reinke’s ministry, as he led worship in Sign Language, assisted by Deaf members of the congregation. During that convention, Synod adopted Deaf Missions as an official mission program of Synod. Pastor Reinke was elected chairman of the new board, and within six months four other men were called to work full-time with Deaf people.  The Deaf mission program was administered by a separate board from 1896 until 1965. During that time also it was responsible for Blind Ministry until it had its own board in 1949. In 1965 Deaf Missions became part of the unified Board of Missions. Deaf congregations met in 1950 to draw up plans for a Deaf Mission Society which helped with the beginning of work with Deaf persons in the Orient. (See 1969 History of Deaf Missions, Dr. Augustus Suelflow) In 1959, Rev. William Ludwig became the first Deaf Lutheran to graduate from the seminary and receive ordination into the pastoral ministry. Since then, many other Deaf people have followed his lead, as they have given themselves to the Gospel ministry as pastors, teachers, parish assistants, and overseas missionaries.  In 1971, Deaf people
established the International
Lutheran Deaf Association (ILDA)
for the purpose of “Sharing the Good News with Deaf People through
fellowship and leadership training.” The Deaf Mission Society and The Deaf Lutheran
monthly magazine became a part of that organization. The ILDA raises
about $25,000 every two years for mission projects over and above
regular congregational missions. The 1973 LCMS convention voted to transfer administration of Deaf missions to the Districts of Synod, while the LCMS mission office continued to provide advisory support and train new workers. Most Districts embraced the Deaf congregations they inherited. Even though the LCMS Mission Board no longer had direct oversight of Deaf congregations and ministries, the LCMS Office for Deaf Mission served as the glue that held together the network of Deaf ministries scattered among the Districts. In 1994, the LCMS had 63 Deaf congregations in 25 states served by 30 full-time pastors or missionaries, plus three pastors in part-time Deaf ministry. About 200 “hearing” congregations had regular interpreted ministry for Deaf persons; less than a half-dozen of the pastors of those hearing churches were able to use Sign Language. Profoundly Deaf communicant members in the LCMS numbered about 8,000. A major change occurred in 2008 when Synod staff organized the Lutheran Deaf Mission Society (LDMS) an independent Recognized Service Organization of the LCMS. The Mission Board then transferred its Deaf mission programs to the LDMS, which continues Synod’s work of providing resources support for Districts, congregations, and Synod’s international mission partners. LDMS also works to recruit and train church workers for Deaf ministry. Today we have significantly fewer Deaf congregations where American Sign Language is the primary means of communication. One factor that has led to this decline is a reduction of District support for Deaf missions. Today we have 29 Deaf congregations, only seven of which receive any support from their District. We are thankful for many hearing congregations which now offer interpreted worship and Bible study. Directory of LCMS Deaf Missions  Lutheran Deaf schools exist in Brazil (2), Hong Kong (1), India (4), and Macau (1). In addition, Deaf adult missions are active in Ghana, Kenya, Hong Kong, India, as well as Australia, Norway. Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, offers courses which expose students to the church’s need for Deaf missions and various models for meeting those needs. The seminary also supports hearing churches with interpreted ministries through its summer Church Interpreter Training Institute. Church Interpreter Training Institute (CITI). Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, prepares Deaf students for professional church work as pastors and deaconesses through its online Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has enjoyed a long and fruitful ministry among Deaf people, sharing the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ with those whose primary mode of communication is Sign Language. Lutheran Deaf Mission Society Home |
