Now Hear This!

Our story begins with a conversation between two friends, Percy and Ron, at a camp meeting in Australia when Percy asked, “Do you have trouble hearing in a group setting?”

Ron didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I do. For years I’ve struggled because while I can hear people talking, I can’t understand what they’re saying. My hearing aids help, but I still have trouble with all the background noise.”

During the camp Ron tried a simple listening app connected to the venue’s audio system. “It makes the speaker’s voice so much clearer,” he shared. “It cuts out the background noise.” When Percy asked if he would recommend something like this for other churches, Ron’s response was immediate: “Absolutely. It’s vital that when you go to church you hear the message. If you can’t hear it, you don’t feel like being there—you feel disenfranchised.” He added that he had met several people who no longer attended church simply because they could not hear what was being said.[1]

A Silent Crisis in Our Churches

What a tragedy—and what a tip of the iceberg—that a conversation like this could occur in any of our churches. Unfortunately, drifting away from church because of hearing loss is an inconvenient truth that happens far more often than any of us might imagine. And like an iceberg, the real size is out of sight. Every pastor needs to ask, How many members are silently drifting away because they cannot hear? And how many visitors have decided not to return for the same reason?

The numbers are huge. The World Health Organization estimates the total number of people with significant hearing loss in the world as 466 million.[2] Christian Vision and Hearing Services, a service department of the South Pacific Division (SPD), used this figure to calculate an estimate of the number of people with hearing loss in each of our 13 world divisions.[3]

Based on division church membership from adventistyearbook.org, June 2023.

For many suffering with hearing loss, it isn’t just reduced loudness that causes problems. The most debilitating effect is difficulty understanding speech, especially in large, noisy areas filled with people. The impact on family and social relationships—and therefore on the ability to enjoy church—can be devastating, sometimes causing complete avoidance of all group activities.

The potential for such huge numbers of people to avoid attending church services or educational programs at any of our institutions simply because they can’t hear clearly is a tragedy that must be avoided at all costs. Fixing this problem is neither difficult nor costly. Unlike the Deaf population, who have no usable hearing and require sign language interpreters, most hard-of-hearing individuals simply need clearer access to sound. The easy and simple answer is to install appropriate assistive listening systems as an add-on to existing audio setups.[4]

But you may be thinking: What’s the problem? Aren’t hearing aids supposed to fix hearing loss so life can continue as normal? Why do we need to spend money on specialized assistive listening systems for our facility? Our public address system is loud and clear—why isn’t that good enough? Can’t people just turn their hearing aids up?

The potential for such huge numbers of people to avoid attending church services or educational programs at any of our institutions simply because they can’t hear clearly is a tragedy that must be avoided at all costs.

The short answer is that hearing aids help, but they do not cure hearing loss. Their ability to restore speech clarity rapidly deteriorates as background noise increases or room acoustics become more reverberant. Turning up the volume only increases the difficulty. Unfortunately, avoiding church or educational programs altogether becomes the least-stressful solution for many.

Stories of Improved Worship Experiences

Assistive listening systems have been available for many years, and like all technologies, they continue to be upgraded with new capabilities. Several of our churches in the South Pacific Division are already using these systems and discovering what a tremendous difference they can make.

Phyllis at the Harvey church in Western Australia shared: “My experience with the new hearing system is first-class wonderful. I have missed so many sermons over the years, but now I can hear like everybody else, and it is a real blessing.”

Another member at Harvey described how essential it has become for him: “I use this system every week and couldn’t manage without it. If my church didn’t have this system, I would just have to stay at home and watch services on YouTube with captions. For me this technology means I can hear every word of the sermon clearly and still enjoy the fellowship.”

Val, a regular visitor to Harvey, also commented: “All in all it’s a wonderful system to have access to and certainly is appreciated—and missed when attending other churches without the system in place.”

At the Mount Barker church in Western Australia, Jim said: “Mount Barker church installed the infrared hearing equipment some two years ago. One gentleman found it extremely helpful and used it solidly every week until he recently died. Another woman finds it makes the difference between hearing clearly and simply not being sure of what is being said.”

He noted that members are comfortable using the headphones provided and that the system has been reliable. “We have been very happy with the system,” he wrote, while also recognizing the need for renewed promotion and volunteers trained to assist older members.

At Coastlife church in New South Wales, Tony shared how a listening app has supported neurodivergent members: “We have some neurodivergent people who find it difficult to listen through the house speakers. One person wears headphones and uses the listening app, which makes it much easier for them to listen and concentrate.”

In the South Pacific Division a helpful initiative by Adventist Media’s Christian Vision and Hearing Services has encouraged churches to take this step.[5] Local congregations that install an assistive listening system can receive a modest subsidy from the division—matched by their local conference—to help reduce the cost. Even small incentives like this have made it easier for churches to act and support members who struggle to hear.

What Can Churches Do?

There are several kinds of assistive listening systems available today. One type that has been widely used for many years is the audio loop, or “hearing loop.” These systems run a loop of wire around a designated seating area, sending sound directly to hearing aids equipped with a small internal receiver called a telecoil. As hearing-aid manufacturers move toward newer wireless technology, telecoils are becoming less common, and many churches are now updating to more current options.

Newer systems use a wireless streaming method that allows in-house audio to be sent directly to a person’s smartphone through a simple app. Since most modern hearing aids can be controlled through the user’s phone, connecting to the church audio can be done discreetly and without additional accessories.

For those who do not use smartphones, other systems are available that rely on small individual receivers with earbuds or headphones. Some use standard wireless transmission from the sound desk, while others use invisible infrared light to send the audio to the receivers. Wireless systems can cover large areas and even adjacent rooms, while infrared systems keep the audio securely contained within one room.

As His disciples today, we can do no less than use the tools He has enabled humanity to create to uplift, encourage, and help one another clearly hear and understand His messages.

An Adventist retirement complex in Rossmoyne, Western Australia, chose to install an infrared system in the auditorium of one of its high-rise buildings. Several hard-of-hearing residents use it regularly. One resident shared: “I was astounded at the clarity of the sound through this system. It was far better than using my hearing aids, which made everything sound very hollow and confusing in that big room. All the background noise was gone, and I didn’t miss a single word from the pastor. I wished my hearing aids could perform like that.”

Technical advances in assistive listening continue to move rapidly. A new wireless standard called Auracast—often referred to as next-generation broadcast audio—is being developed across the hearing-aid and consumer audio industries. This technology allows large numbers of people with compatible hearing aids, earbuds, smartphones, or tablets to connect directly to an audio source without needing extra devices. It may also support real-time translation during presentations.

Several major venues around the world are beginning to adopt this emerging standard. But until most hearing-aid manufacturers include this new capability in their devices, it is generally premature for churches or aged-care facilities to install such systems. As manufacturers continue to update their models, adoption will gradually increase over the next few years, and churches can evaluate the technology when it becomes more widely available.

Some countries, including the United States and Australia, have accessibility laws that require public venues to provide assistive listening options and appropriate signage wherever amplified sound is used. Churches, schools, and aged-care facilities should check the requirements in their own region and ensure that any system they install is clearly signposted and easy for members and visitors to use.[6]

The Final Word

Whether people acknowledge Him or not, our God is the source of every good gift and every innovation that improves the lives of His children (see James 1:17). During His life on earth, Jesus continually showed His love and care for those suffering the effects of sin. As His disciples today, we can do no less than use the tools He has enabled humanity to create to uplift, encourage, and help one another clearly hear and understand His messages.

Ellen White described this responsibility beautifully when she wrote, “Like Job, you should be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, and you should inquire into the cause which you know not and search it out with the object in view to relieve their necessities and help just where they most need help.”[7]

Laws may vary from place to place, but the spiritual principle does not. As Seventh-day Adventists we have a moral obligation—following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ—to ensure that no one is denied access to our church services, aged-care villages, educational institutions, or health facilities simply because of hearing loss or any other accessibility barrier. Everyone deserves to hear the good news clearly.

Churches seeking guidance on supporting members who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact Adventist Possibility Ministries at PossibilityMinistries@gc.adventist.org—Editors.

[1] For a fuller description of the impact of hearing loss on church participation, including the interview between Dr. Percy Harrold and Ron Ringrose, see the video resource Hearing Loss and Church Life, https://vimeo.com/914247794.

[2] Lydia M. Haile et al., “Hearing Loss Prevalence and Years Lived With Disability, 1990-2019: Findings From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019,” The Lancet 397, no. 10278 (2021): 996-1009.

[3] W. Boehm and C. Schofield, unpublished data, Christian Vision and Hearing Services, Adventist Media Centre, South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2024.

[4] For practical guidance on preparing venues for people with hearing difficulties, see Graham Weir, How to Equip Your Church or Venue for People With Hearing Problems (Wahroonga, N.S.W.: Christian Vision and Hearing Services, 2019).

[5] For SPD churches wanting to learn more about Christian Vision and Hearing Services, please visit cvhs.info.

[6] For more detailed information on technology options and how to choose the best system for a congregation, see the video resource Assistive Listening for Churches, https://vimeo.com/910654217.

[7] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 3, p. 530.