We are delighted to welcome Philippa Donald as the Bishop’s Advisor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Philippa started learning British Sign Language (BSL) in 2021, and she hopes to use her skills to be a friendly point of contact for anyone seeking to explore the Christian faith or find a church community.
She said:
“I’m very excited and honoured to be taking on the role of ‘Bishop’s Advisor for the deaf and hard of hearing’ in the Diocese of Gloucester. It has been one of the desires of my heart for some time, to see our churches and church services becoming more accessible to those with whom we cannot communicate in the traditional way of speaking and being heard.
“British Sign Language has its own alphabet. There is a sign for each letter, but most words have their own sign, and some signs can work for several words. The sentence structure in BSL is also different from English, and all elements must work together – including facial expressions, which convey the mood of what you are signing. It can be challenging, but it’s very rewarding when someone understands your efforts to communicate.
“The message of God’s love and salvation for everyone needs to be able to be proclaimed to all, in a way that they can receive, understand and respond.
“Please pray for me as I begin this exciting new role, that it will enable more people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ for themselves and begin or continue their journey of faith.”
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