Lagos, Nigeria (AP) – It’s the same as other churches Nigeria Governor of Lagos. The rectane faces a row of plastic chairs. The biblical quote is written on the beam above. There is a music section with a set of drums. The church guards in the sashwear are moving around to implement order.
But that’s also different. For hours, the only sound is an exclamation point and a burst of thunderous drums, whose vibrations are clues when praying, kneeling, or responding to the call of the “Hallelujah” preacher.
This is a church for the deaf in Somol, a mixed-income suburb that approximately 50-60 people worship every week.
Imoh Udoka, the father of two, has been at church for 36 years. He was nine years old and suffered from meningitis, losing access to hearing and faith. Most churches in Nigeria do not have accommodations for the deaf.
Udoka, now a sign language teacher, later discovered the church via community outreach. “In this church, we can worship God through sign language,” he told The Associated Press.
“God understands us too.”
Remiakinrenmi is one of the pastors. Every Sunday he installs a pulpit with charismatic energy to preach in sign language. His big frame brings a commanding presence.
One Sunday he preached about the ominous consequences of jealousy. In the other, he preached the importance of faith. Participants waved over their heads in response to “praise the Lord.”
Most importantly for Akinrenmi, members view the church as a community.
“We had no community for us before the hearing impaired churches began,” he said. “Now we see each other and say, ‘Oh, you’re deaf, I’m deaf, either.” And we are now together and we are forming a community. ”
God understands all languages, he said: “In sign language, God understands us too.”
Advocates for people with disabilities say that in the absence of comprehensive churches and institutions, such churches and a small number of affiliates in Southern Nigeria are particularly important in African societies where perceptions of people with disabilities are influenced by traditional beliefs. Some view disability as divine punishment.
“This church-like exclusive space provides them with the opportunity for safe spaces to connect and relate to,” says Uchegbu, founder of Speaking Fingers, a sign language advocacy group in Lagos. “They can say, ‘I’m just standing alone, not a deaf person with other deaf people.’ ”
How did the church look?
The church will organize evangelism outreach programs to other deaf communities in Lagos. It also implements the Sign Language Education Unit, an important tool for better understanding the world, according to Akinrenmi. Children of church members attend classes to better interact with parents and others, while some hearing students attend church services for immersion learning.
The church began in 1956 in Colonial Nigeria as a Christian mission for deaf Africans. In Nigeria today, an estimated 10 million people out of a population of 220 million are deaf or difficult to hear.
Nigeria has limited infrastructure for people with disabilities, and few laws have been enforced to improve welfare and prevent discrimination. Advocates’ efforts to promote more comprehensive legislation have not been realized. They condemn the lack of political will.
Oluwakemi Oluwatoke-Gunjirin, a 49-year-old worker in the Lagos State Government, was born with a deaf person. She attended listening to church with her family, and she always felt lost.
Depending solely on the public infrastructure of other parts of life, she has a hard time reaching out. But in the church, she said she found a community where she could feel safe and understandable.
“The church is beyond faith. We have people like ourselves who can speak as friends,” Oluwatalk Ogunziring said.
With the help of the church, she can improve sign language, communicate widely, and break the isolation she grew up in.
“Sign language makes life very easy for us,” she said. “It helps us communicate beyond the church.”
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