RID’s Standard Practice Paper, a document that “provides a framework for basic and respectable standards,” outlines the specialized skills needed for interpretation in religious settings. “Knowledge of a source language of an original text found in scripture such as Arabic, Hebrew, Latin or others would enhance the overall interpretation,” it points out. “It is ideal for the interpreter to have familiarity with the sacred text; however, the interpreter may need to work with an English translation.”
Due to the intimate nature of religious services, the Standard Practice Paper encourages interpreters to “enhance their skills by working with a religious mentor who is a seasoned and/or certified interpreter before working independently.”
Michael and Sharon Ligon. (Courtesy photo)
Stewart would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree in interpretation studies and gain certification, but in the early days of the Holy Hands ministry, Stewart and Ligon worked to better understand the Bible.
“If she wanted to know about certain signs, she would find words, and then we would talk about how they were meant to be communicated. She would ask me, ‘What’s the sign for this?’And I would show her, and then we would keep going from there,” said Ligon.
Eventually the two collaborated to teach a course at the church for members interested in learning ASL.
Stewart remains steadfast in her goal to interpret in church because of three core values: “community, culture, language, that’s what’s playing out in my head, those three things,” she said. “Before understanding the culture, you need to know that this language is communication access for that community. Without those three things, your message is not going to come across clearly in a religious setting.”
There are now seven church members working in the Holy Hands ministry, carrying on Stewart’s legacy of service, though Stewart has turned leadership over to a member of the congregation named Sharon Ford. A hearing woman who joined Holy Hands early on, Ford witnessed the moment where Ligon and her husband were baptized in the church, as Holy Hands members interpreted.
“They came to know the Lord and have a relationship with him. They joined the church and were baptized here,” she said. “So the congregation got to see that we were doing God’s work by spreading the gospel and making sure that everyone could understand it regardless of any differences.”
In reflecting on her journey, Stewart often punctuates her sentences with the phrase: “Look at God.”
“God has laid out a plan for his people, and every time something happens in my life or the lives of others, I hearken back to His promises. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He always lights our pathways, and so anytime God shows up, I give him the glory, and I say, ‘Look at God.’”
This article written by Reina Coulibaly was produced as part of the RNS/Interfaith America Religion Journalism Fellowship and originally appeared here.
