Learning to Sign ‘Amen’

When Chantal Noseworthy was young, her family attended a Salvation Army church. But without access to an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter during services, she struggled to connect with the experience.

“I never understood what church was about, really,” she says. “I didn’t feel a connection to it.”

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Rev. Phil Wilson, whose parents were also Deaf and whose first language was ASL, recalls a similar story about his mother’s childhood: when she was a little girl, “church” meant sitting in the sanctuary and counting the lights. Without an interpreter, she was cut off not only from what was being said during the service, but also from fellowship with the congregation.

Before his ordination in the United Church of Canada in 2018, Wilson had been Noseworthy’s interpreter at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ont. So when she and her wife, Teisha, decided to get married in 2021 shortly before the birth of their first child, Noseworthy immediately thought of Wilson, despite not having been to church in years.

He officiated their wedding at Riverside United Church in Yarker, Ont., one of the four congregations he serves. A few years later, Teisha and their son Camilo were both baptized at Emmanuel United Church in Odessa, Ont. — another of Wilson’s congregations — and the family began attending worship services there.

Initially, Wilson incorporated ASL components into the services himself. But when the Noseworthys’ friend Erin Burrell, who is also Deaf, joined them in church, Emmanuel United committed funds for ASL interpretation at all their worship services. Later they secured a commitment from the United Church of Canada Foundation and East Central Ontario Regional Council to fund ASL interpretation every other Sunday.

While the congregation had made significant strides toward accessibility, Wilson felt there was still a piece missing. Even though the Noseworthys and Burrell could now fully follow the services, a communication barrier remained between them and the rest of the congregation.

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He decided to organize a free weekly ASL class at Emmanuel United, open to everyone in the congregation and wider community. The classes, taught by qualified ASL instructor Leah Riddell, are funded by a $5,000 Strengthening Invitation Grant from the United Church of Canada Foundation.

“We were just excited to have a young family want to join the church, and so we wanted to make them feel welcome,” says Laurie Hogan, one of the ASL students. Her husband Donald, who is also taking the class, is experiencing hearing loss after years of using power tools in his work as a carpenter — so knowing ASL is proving useful at home as well, she adds.

“It just doesn’t feel right to not be able to talk to [the Deaf members of the congregation] directly,” adds fellow ASL student Peggy Aiky. “When they first started coming in, we didn’t even know [how to say] good morning. Yes, the interpreter is there, and you can speak through her, but it’s just nice to be able to look them in the eye and do it yourself.”

The church’s efforts towards inclusion have been greatly appreciated. Burrell says she feels inspired by all the people learning ASL. “When I see them signing the threefold amen, it makes me feel at home.”

Interpreter Renée McKinley and Rev Phil Wilson during the worship service on May 10, 2026. (Photo by Anne Thériault)

“It makes us understand what the whole point of church is,” says Teisha Noseworthy. “Without access to an interpreter, we’d be sitting there twiddling our thumbs. [But now] we’re getting to hear the Word of God.”

For Wilson, the experience has become deeply personal. His mother died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with her passing, he realized he had lost his last link to his native language. Through Emmanuel United’s Deaf ministry, however, he has found a renewed connection to the culture that shaped him.

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Anne Thériault is a journalist in Kingston, Ont., and co-host of the Broadview podcast And Also Some Women.