How Is the Gospel of Luke Being Brought to Deaf Communities Through Sign Language?

A new Bible resource is being developed to make the Gospel more accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing people around the world. Biblical media company Revelation Media has partnered with the International Mission Board (IMB) to create an animated presentation of the Gospel of Luke entirely in American Sign Language (ASL). Unlike traditional videos that place a sign-language interpreter in a small section of the screen, the new project will have the characters themselves communicate through sign language as the story unfolds. The creators say this approach is intended to provide a more immersive visual experience for Deaf audiences. The project is designed around the Gospel of Luke and aims to help Deaf people engage with the life and message of Jesus through a format that is accessible to them. Revelation Media and IMB say there is a significant need for resources serving Deaf communities, which they describe as one of the world's least-reached people groups. The animation will use technology developed for BIBLE, a visual and interactive Bible project that presents the biblical narrative as one connected story. By incorporating sign language directly into the characters and scenes, the producers hope to make Scripture more accessible and engaging. Revelation Media plans to produce 24 episodes, corresponding to the 24 chapters of Luke. The organization describes the project as the first natural sign-language animation of the Gospel of Luke in ASL. The long-term vision extends beyond American Sign Language. Once the first chapter is completed, the scenes are planned to be reanimated in more than 300 sign languages used around the world. This would allow Deaf people in different countries to encounter the Gospel through their own sign languages. Steve Cleary, founder and CEO of Revelation Media, said the project is intended to bring the message of the Gospel to Deaf people through a visual format they can understand. Victor Hou of the International Mission Board also highlighted the partnership's use of technology to support Bible translation for Deaf communities. The project has also received attention from members of the Deaf Christian community. Christian writer and Deaf advocate Emily Owen described the concept as innovative, while also raising questions about how clearly the signs will be presented and whether the use of English word order will be fully accessible to native sign-language users. Owen noted that translating Scripture into sign language involves more than simply converting individual English words into signs because sign languages have their own grammar and structure. She also pointed out that human translators are already working on Bible translations for Deaf communities. The project therefore represents one technological approach to making biblical content available to Deaf audiences. Its planned expansion into hundreds of sign languages could eventually make the Gospel of Luke accessible to communities with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. As development continues, the initiative seeks to combine animation, sign language and biblical storytelling to help more Deaf people encounter the Gospel in a format designed specifically for visual communication.