Friend of Aston Hearing His Honour Christopher Tyrer DL is Chair of the Oxford Diocesan Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The Oxford Diocese has long recognised the importance of inclusion and access to all and to this end the Council for The Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the appointment of Revd Dr Hannah Lewis in the role of Chaplin amongst the Deaf Community is such a positive step forward.
The role of the Chaplain amongst the Deaf Community is to provide pastoral and spiritual care for all members of the deaf community and support them to play a full part in the life of the Church, in particular the church in the parish in which they reside and with the Deaf Churches.
The Revd Dr Hannah Lewis will be an advocate for the Deaf community, working with our bishops, clergy, diocesan staff, church and parish leaders, congregations, and local Deaf centres and communities to find new ways of being church, improving church facilities for the Deaf, developing outreach and reflecting the needs and views of Deaf people across the diocese in the Thames Valley.
The Diocese of Oxford celebrates the inclusion, contribution, and ministry of Deaf and disabled people, recognising that the church community is only complete when all are welcome. This important chaplaincy role supports the diocese to tackle the barriers facing Deaf and hard of hearing people in the Church, to continue to develop the Church as a place that is accessible to all people, and to learn from one another to become a more Christ-like Church.
The Revd Dr Hannah Lewis shares her hopes for the chaplaincy role:
“I am looking forward to meeting people across the Diocese of Oxford, building new partnerships with parishes and churches, and exploring opportunities to grow the Deaf Church in places where it hasn’t been for a long time.
“It is not just people who are part of the Deaf community that benefit from chaplaincy, and it’s not just for those who go to church either. What I love about ministry is the challenge of going into a new place and meeting those people who may have had a negative experience or no experience of church at all and helping them to realise God’s love for them and know his presence in their lives.”
Reflecting on the appointment, His Honour Christopher Tyrer DL, Chair of the Oxford Diocesan Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODCD), said:
“The ODCD is looking forward to working with Hannah to continue to raise awareness among the hearing community of the challenges facing people in the Deaf community, promote inclusion and access for the Deaf community and enable them to achieve their full potential and participation in the mission of their parishes, deaneries and of the diocese.”
Recently Dr Lewis was interviewed by Radio Oxford – click here to listen.
