“Do
not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you
will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why
do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention
to the plank in your own eye?
Matthew 7:1-3
For many
years, church interpreters were not recognized by the interpreting community as
professionals. Many of those who interpreted in a church setting were children
of deaf adults (CODA) or those who were fascinated with the language without
any formal training. Some of the signers would only sign the music portion of a
religious service and many signed to a hearing audience.
As American
Sign Language (ASL) evolved over the last 50 years as a profession, Interpreter
Training Programs (ITPs) have popped up across the country offering those who
desire training the opportunity to attend and receive training on the
linguistics of ASL and the culture of the Deaf. In addition to ITPs being
offered at local community colleges and universities, trained facilitators who
have mastered specific skills have offered workshops and seminars in an effort
to share their knowledge with individuals interested in learning the language
and culture.
The reason
the stigma was assigned to church interpreters years ago is because many church
interpreters never took advantage of the opportunities to excel and advance in
the language. While workshops and training were being offered at minimal to no
cost, many church interpreters passed on the opportunity to attend. To many,
learning the craft before attempting to minister using it was not a priority.
As a result, many oppressed the Deaf community by not properly explaining the
Word of Truth.
Sadly,
today, many church interpreters still won’t take advantage of the opportunities
for growth through ITPs, workshops, or conferences. Many have become set in
their ways and have no desire to pursue excellence. IIDS has even offered
complimentary registration for a few of our conferences to more than 18
individuals, and of these 18 only one or two have attended.
This plight
is not true for all church interpreters. There are many interpreting in a
church setting who are professional, whether working in the secular setting or
not. Many recognize the importance of understanding the language and the
culture in order to minister effectively. They understand the importance of
meeting the needs of the Deaf community by understanding those needs,
respecting their language, and being involved in their culture. These
interpreters realize that the only difference between “interpreting” in a
secular setting and a religious setting is the vocabulary. The processes for message
delivery from the source language into the target language are the same. In
fact, those who interpret in a religious setting should not only be expected to
meet the standards set by the interpreting profession, they should exceed those
standards.
As a church
interpreter, I have also served as an educational interpreter, a platform
interpreter, a free-lance interpreter, and an ASL 1 instructor. The notion that
I’m not professional just because I interpret in a religious setting is
ludicrous to me. The principles I use in a secular setting are also used when I
interpret in church. In fact, an in-depth knowledge of the Word of God is
required in addition to all of the ASL rules for effective ministry.
It is my
hope that those who pass judgment would evaluate each church interpreter by the
merits they possess instead of stereotyping or grouping all church interpreters
into a category labeled as ineffective or unimportant. In fact, I wish those
who label any interpreter would first look into a mirror.
