The calling from the margins : mission to and by hearing-impaired people in francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg

Abstract

This thesis is very much concerned about the marginalised, specifically people who are hearing-impaired (deaf and mute) regarding their full participation in the Francophone churches in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and how the church can extend support toward them. Though the communication barrier is standing in between I believe through mission and theology of justice and advocacy as strong instruments to break the wall that has marginalised hearing-impaired to the church and societies. In Francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg hearing-impaired people are marginalised and don’t attend church services or participate as ministers in the church, this study sought to examine the access of people who are hearing-impaired in Francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg. The objective was to discover and accurately evaluate the missiological, theological, social, and justice dimension of the exclusion of people who are physically-impaired especially hearing-impaired people in the Francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg. The social, justice, missiological, and theological factors that influence equal access for physically-impaired people especially hearing-impaired people in the church and ministry was exploring to some extent. The study is based on empirical theological praxis as a methodology, a qualitative approach was used in this study, and the data are collected with different approaches as followed: literature study, interview, observation, and life histories will be guided in the nature of qualitative interviewing and requires that questions are composed during the research project. It has been found that the Francophone in Pretoria and Johannesburg views disability as a curse and it is built in their culture as well as their biblical perspective of disabled. As a result, there is constant pressure on people with disabilities to heal. It has been established, therefore, that Francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg should learn from South Africa justice and advocacy for disabled and there is a necessity of professional coaching with regard to hearing-impaired people in order to promote their integration and involvement in the church. This study is the action plan to break the walls of marginalisation, liberating the language barrier. I furthermore strongly believe, it is also going to bring genuine hope in the African communities. In chapter five, six and the last one, I list a series of recommendations as ways to attempt solving this problem. In addition, I propose that the Francophone churches in Pretoria and Johannesburg, as instruments of God's mission, should have the task of ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access in the church and as ministers. To conclude, from a missio Dei dimension, Francophone in Pretoria and Johannesburg as instruments of God's mission must be inclusive in all their ministries and activities without any form of discrimination, and exclusion. Therefore, is only when equal access to churches and ministry is guaranteed to people with disabilities that they can truly reflect their true commitment to the missio Dei