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In Adelaide, the Deaf community worships fully in Auslan — no sound, no barriers. Discover how one church is making the Gospel visible for all.

Across Australia, many churches share the Gospel through sound.
But for Deaf people, faith must be seen, not heard.

This is why Deaf ministry is so important.

In Adelaide, the Adelaide Deaf Community Church (ADCC) is a living example of how God is reaching Deaf people through Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and visual worship. The ADCC is a congregation of Deaf people who worship every Sunday in Auslan, currently at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Magill, SA.

But this ministry is not new. A Deaf congregation was established in 1890 through the Royal South Australian Deaf Society, and over generations it has grown into what is now known as the Adelaide Deaf Community Church.

It is served by a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA), whose stipend is funded by the LCA SA-NT District’s Deaf Ministry. The ministry, in turn, is reliant on donations from the wider church.

The first Deaf Pastor was John Hoopmann (1990-2016). Then, the first hearing Pastor who knew Auslan (Cert 3) was Michael Prenzler (2016-2023). After Michael was myself, an Australian Lutheran College-trained Deaf student, ordained in 2023 as the second Deaf Pastor – Julian Mazzeo (2023-currently).

Ps Julian Mazzeo and his wife Lidya with their child. Photo: LCA blog.

A Church for Deaf People

ADCC is a Christian church created especially for the Deaf community.
The church worships fully in AUSLAN. No sound and no music.

Is the service really held without music? Yes. Because all our members are Deaf, we do not need music during our services. Unlike music-based worship, such as Hillsongs. No musical equipment is used.
Bible readings, prayers, songs(silent in sign), sermons, and teaching are all signed.

For many Deaf people, spoken English is not their first language.
Auslan is their heart language.
When God’s Word is shared in Auslan, it becomes clear, personal, and alive.

This allows Deaf people to fully understand the Gospel, grow in faith, and worship without barriers. Not all Deaf, some of them who cannot read or easily translate the English Bible.

Our services are live-streamed every week, so even Deaf interstate can access them.

Deaf Ministry Matters

Some people wonder, why not just include the Deaf in a hearing church service?

Many Deaf Christians often experience isolation. Even with interpreters, when the preacher speaks too fast, the interpreter tries to catch up, but can miss sections. Also, Deaf people often feel like visitors instead of full members, unlike congregants with full hearing.

There are also deeper challenges:

• The Bible has not yet been fully translated into Auslan.
• Lack of other teaching resources in Auslan.
• A difference in languages/culture/worship style affect understanding.
• A difference in literacy levels can make interpretation difficult.

At ADCC, Deaf people belong. With a Deaf Pastor, fully trained and fluent in AUSLAN.
They lead.
They serve.
They worship together in sign language as one body in Christ with AUSLAN.

This shows the truth of Scripture: the Church is one body with many parts, and every part is needed.

Deaf ministry and Deaf churches also exist in other states and denominations across Australia.

Worship You Can See

Worship at ADCC is very visual.

The Hearing Pastor usually tells hearing people during worship, “Open your Bible” (everyone opens their Bibles, and follows along by reading and listening to the scripture).

But in Deaf worship, we can’t listen, because our eyes need to perceive sign language visually, not looking down and reading (thus missing out what the pastor preaches). That is why we use a PowerPoint presentation slideshow, so that everyone can look and read the scripture at the same time.

We use the NIrV translation most of the time, suitable for the Deaf and comfortable for us to read. But it is not easy to clearly understand the Bible with Auslan translation or imaginary Auslan body language. It depends on which scripture stories are being shared.

Hands move. Faces impart meaning. Body language depicts emotions and understanding in worship. People imagine the Bible scriptures in their minds.

ADCC has live-streaming through YouTube, online every Sunday. Other Deaf/Hard of hearing from different Australian states can watch our services online.

It is also good for hearing people who are interested in Auslan. Many learn Auslan through courses (Levels 1–4), but these courses usually do not include Bible or church language. People are welcome to come and see how Auslan is used in worship with us, in person or online.

Deaf worship reminds us that worship is more than music.
It is the whole body responding to God. God’s word is powerful.

“You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:27

“There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:4

Deaf worship shows that praise is not limited to sound.

Every Sunday, We Meet Up

ADCC is more than a Sunday service.
It is a community. We meet every Sunday for worship, followed by fellowship, enjoying long chats, coffee/tea and food together.

Deaf people gather for fellowship. We pray for one another and support each other. Sometimes we have Bible studies.
The church also shares worship online, reaching Deaf people across Australia who are interested in a Deaf pastor and Auslan.

Many Australians may learn Auslan, but have never experienced church in their own language.
Through this ministry, they are discovering Jesus in a new and powerful way.

A Call to the Wider Church

Some people may ask, why is Deaf church important?

Because Deaf people need to receive Jesus and God’s Word clearly too.

Many Deaf people grow up in hearing churches, but cannot fully follow everything. An interpreter can help, but it is still not always the same. Deaf people can feel left out, even when they are sitting inside the church.

But when worship is in AUSLAN, Deaf people can fully understand, fully join, and fully belong together in Christ.

Jesus welcomed people who were often forgotten or pushed aside by society. The Deaf community is one of those groups today.

The Gospel is for all people. Not only hearing people, but also Deaf people. It can be shared through spoken words and also through sign language.

Deaf ministry in Adelaide shows what is possible when the Church follows Jesus in love, service, and inclusion.

We pray that more churches across Australia will support Deaf ministry, learn about the Deaf community, and see the value of worship in sign language.

God is working through Deaf ministry in Adelaide.

And in Deaf church, the Gospel is not only heard — it is seen.

Auslan is their heart language.

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How can you support Deaf ministry? You can make a financial contribution.

How can you learn more about Deaf/ADCC?

• Visit our Facebook page
• Visit our website

Watch our live-streamed services on YouTube.

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Image courtesy of Adobe: sign language for “Jesus”.