The Lutheran Deaf Mission Society (LDMS) is a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS).
LDMS strives to equip Lutheran congregations, pastors, missionaries, seminarians, and laity
to help Deaf people and their families see Jesus Christ as their Lord
and Savior through personal evangelism and Christian education, and to
help Deaf Christians serve Jesus Christ as His redeemed people through
stewardship and leadership training.
We offer resources and training to Deaf Christians
who have responded to God’s call witness to their faith in Christ and
encourage fellow Deaf believers to grow in their knowledge of Scripture
and their Christian service.
We train Deaf congregations to become indigenous, as they become:
self-governing;
self-supporting; and
self-sharing of God's Word by skilled teachers.
We offer resources and training to Hearing congregations who want to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Deaf community in their midst.
We provide means for networking and support among workers – both Deaf and Hearing – who are laborers in the Deaf mission field.
We seek to raise awareness among LCMS congregations, Districts, and Synodical administration of the needs, opportunities, and presence of Deaf ministry in their midst.
Deaf People and the Gospel
The heart language of the Deaf community in the United States is
American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is the language of worship for Deaf
people. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has had indigenous deaf
churches that communicate the Gospel in ASL since 1894.
In 1994 it was estimated that approximately ninety percent of Deaf
people in the United States did not attend church. This was, in part,
due to the limited number of indigenous deaf churches. The estimate has
risen to ninety-eight percent.
In 1994 we had we had sixty-one indigenous deaf churches in the
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and several interpreted ministries.
The number of full-time pastors serving indigenous deaf churches has
decreased since then and the number of intepreted ministries has
increased. To see our churches in North America click on Directory.
While the number of full-time pastors serving Deaf churches has
decreased, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has seen an increase in
the number of Deaf pastors, deacons, deaconesses, and lay leaders who
use ASL to communicate the Gospel message. This has happened because of
programs like Deaf Pah and the Deaf Institute of Theology working in partnership with Concordia Seminary’s EIIT program. We praise God that He continues to use His people to share the love of Jesus with Deaf and hard of hearing people.
History of Deaf Missions in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Deaf Mission Society Working Documents
