At the 2025 General Conference Session, a quiet but powerful shift is taking place. It’s about representation, involvement, and mission. For people with disabilities and members of the Deaf community, it’s about being seen, heard, and invited to contribute meaningfully to the life and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

According to E. Douglas Venn, associate director of GC Sabbath School and Personal Ministries for Adventist Possibility Ministries (APM), accessibility is not just a compliance issue—it’s a mission issue.

“I think in the future we can look forward to shining a brighter spotlight on people and their contribution in mission using their abilities,” Venn said.

In his advocacy role, Venn considers not only the physical aspects of accessibility but also the importance of visibility and participation. True inclusion, he says, means more than providing services. It’s about representation—seeing people with disabilities and members of the Deaf community on stage, selected as delegates, sharing their stories, leading in worship and participating in mission.

Legacy of Care

This year’s GC Session features the most intentional accessibility strategy to date—covering physical access, digital platforms, and program planning. It reflects the church’s growing commitment that every member, regardless of ability, has equal value and deserves full participation in governance and worship.

It’s a continuation of a journey that began decades ago. According to Venn, the Adventist Church has a legacy of care and inclusion that stretches back generations.

He recounts the story of Charles Axelsson (1943-1988), a Swedish Adventist who was paralyzed from the neck down yet translated Ellen White’s books into Swedish by operating a typewriter with a stick in his mouth. Axelsson shared his testimony as part of the Northern Europe-West Africa Division report at the 52nd GC Session. His story is included in the church history timeline featured just beyond the entrance to the exhibit hall.

It is Venn’s hope that stories of faith and impact like Axelsson’s will be shared on stage at future GC Sessions.

“We have a legacy of caring, a legacy of inclusion, not to say that we can’t do better, but that legacy is there, just maybe it’s not been highlighted,” he said.

He is quick to note that inclusion is not about tokenism—it’s about recognizing and affirming the God-given spiritual gifts of every person and involving them in mission.

A Growing Awareness

American Sign Language interpreter Nohelani Jarnes is coordinating the ASL team at this year’s GC Session. This is her third session, and she has noticed a growing awareness within the Adventist Church.

“As the years go by, we are seeing that our Adventist Church is becoming more aware that we have this blessed community,” she said. “And I call them blessed because God has blessed them just as much as He has everyone else, and now we are starting to recognize that they are a vital part of the church … and it’s so exciting for those of us who have been working in this ministry for a long time.”

Jarnes said livestreamed interpretation—introduced at the 2022 GC Session—had been a major leap forward. “Deaf people now know what’s going on,” she said. “They can see it firsthand ... and so they are in the know just like their hearing peers in the churches.”

She also highlighted the importance of mission outreach, with the Deaf considered one of the largest unreached people groups in the world. It’s estimated that only 2 percent of the Deaf have a relationship with Christ. “As you can see, we’ve got 98 percent of a people group that we have to reach,” she said.

First Deaf Delegate

In 2022, Jeffrey Jordan, a pastor from Tennessee, became the first Deaf person to serve as a delegate at a GC Session. He returns as a delegate for 2025.

“Through the Adventist Deaf Ministries International (ADMI and Adventist Possibility Ministries, the church could see that there was a large group, an unreached people group: the Deaf,” Jordan said.

“I believe that the church didn’t mean to marginalize them or ignore them, but it was like the quote ‘out of sight, out of mind’: they were there, they were going on with their business … but now the church through ADMI and APM is recognizing, ‘Oh, we do have this group, and they need representation.’ ”

“Did you know the world has 70 million Deaf people around the world and 466 million people with hearing loss? That’s a large number of people and the church can’t ignore them,” he continued.

“I’m thankful that the GC is recognizing we need a Deaf delegate to be their voice. I expect the church to continue having a Deaf person brought in at GC sessions or other sessions like this, so we become more visible; people know there’s this people group that they need to reach.”

Everyone Has Gifts

Jordan agreed that everyone has gifts that can be used in mission. “The harvest is plentiful, there is plenty of people who are hungry to hear God’s Word, but the problem is there are few workers,” he said.

“I’m trying to encourage them to reach out to their Deaf friends, reach out to the Deaf community, because Jesus is coming. I’m trying to empower people to spread the gospel to reach people for Jesus. Everyone has an ability to do something for the Lord.”

As the Adventist Church continues to move forward, Venn is convinced that the future of mission must include—and be led by—people of all abilities.

“I’m convicted that the next chapter of mission is not only the inclusion of people with disabilities and the Deaf community, but it is the involvement of these individuals who have been gifted by God in sharing the three angels’ messages and making disciples. I see that involvement in mission as the next chapter,” he said.

For more coverage of the 2025 General Conference Session, including live updates, interviews, and delegate stories, visit adventist.news and follow ANN on social media.