A chaplaincy which supports the spiritual and social needs of the Deaf is marking a significant milestone this year.
Northumbria Deaf Church (NDC), formerly known as Northumbria Deaf Mission was founded back in 1876. A special Pentecost service to mark its 150th anniversary took place at St Andrew’s Church in Newcastle on 24 May.
This momentous occasion included speeches from church members and staff, who welcomed many friends of the organisation from past and present. They were joined by Bishop Helen-Ann, Archdeacon Rachel Wood, and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Cllr Henry Gallagher.
“This was an excellent service and it was a joy to share it with so many guests,” said the Revd Canon Glyn Evans, Diocesan Chaplain for the Deaf. “A key thing for me was to see up to 50 people there from our Deaf community. These inspirational people are the reason we have NDC and they represented all the generations who have been part of our church for 150 years.”
Members of local Scout groups, who are studying Deaf Awareness as part of their Disability Awareness Activity Badge, also attended the service and took part by signing the National Anthem with the congregation.
The 150th anniversary follows a long and eventful journey dating back to 1876, when a small group of Deaf people approached a body of religious people in Newcastle asking for help regarding church services.
One of the founders was a Mr William Walter Adamson, a young man who worked as a clerk on Newcastle’s Quayside. He was seeking church services for his sister Ann, who was deaf, but in doing so was driven to study theology and he was eventually ordained as a priest. Canon Adamson became the first Chaplain for the Deaf and later went on to become vicar of Wylam.
Northumbria Deaf Church, which operates across both Newcastle and Durham dioceses, was originally based at St Mark’s Church on Newcastle’s Westgate Road. The office and church moved into other places during its lifetime, but in recent decades, the Parish Church of St Andrew’s in Newcastle has been its home. The work of the NDC is led by Vikki the wonderful and inspirational Office and Project Manager.
Over the years, branches of the Deaf Church were established in places such as Sunderland, Hartlepool, Durham, South Shields and Blyth and these were served by full time chaplains. In the early days, there were no social workers, so the church became responsible for the social, industrial, spiritual and individual welfare of the Deaf. Nowadays the chaplain’s role is voluntary and new chaplains are always needed.
British Sign Language (BSL), which was first used in the Church of England back in the 16th century, has always been the primary language for worship and fellowship in the Deaf Church.
Today, NDC hosts a monthly Sunday afternoon service at St Andrew’s, as well as regular prayer meetings. There are craft sessions, a woman’s health group, weekly coffee mornings and many other activities. There are events with Signs of God the National Christian BSL signing organisation. A Deaf Awareness Course will run later in the year for people interested in welcoming Deaf people to their churches.
Glyn, who leads many of the services, added: “We have a loyal team of volunteers and staff, who play a huge part in what is wonderful community. We laugh a lot! It’s both spiritual and social, as well as being a great support network for all involved.”