A travelling clergyman for the deaf

In the late 19th century, early 20th century, the church and the deaf community discussed arrangements for pastoral care for deaf people. The first formal proposal on the matter was made by the assembly of the clergy of the Diocese of Kuopio in 1896. In that same year, the Kuuromykkäin Lehti magazine published an article on the establishment of a post for a travelling minister who could sign. Both the council of the church and the second general meeting of the deaf held in 1900 proposed the establishment of such a post.

In the 19th century, pastoral care could refer to the church’s general teaching and ceremonial activities or to assistance given to individual members of the congregation in spiritual matters. At the assemblies of the clergy, church services, communion and confirmation studies were mentioned as pastoral care. In their own proposal, deaf people considered only church services as pastoral care. However, for both bodies, the main thing was the establishment of the post and not the specific tasks covered by it. The hearing saw the need for traveling ministers as a charitable act, whereas for the deaf community it was a question of equality.

During the Russification period in Finland, the matter did not progress due to the political situation but when the political atmosphere became more relaxed after the general strike in 1905, posts for travelling ministers were finally established. With a decree issued by the tsar in 1906, two travelling ministers were hired to provide pastoral care to deaf people at the expense of the state and under the supervision of the church.  The country was divided into eastern and western districts and a minister was appointed for each district. The Senate approved the regulation for the ministers in 1907. In late 1907, early 1908, Huugo Nyberg and Jalmari Vesenterä began their work as the first travelling ministers (K. A. Nyman was appointed for a post later).

The districts allocated to the ministers were large, which meant that not all deaf people had equal access to the services the ministers offered. In the early 20th century, deaf people lived in different parts of the country and transportation services were poor. Consequently, it could take years before deaf people in rural areas had the opportunity to meet the minister. Both the Association for the Deaf and the council of the church stated that the ministers’ districts were too large and proposed that the country be divided into four districts, with two new ministers hired. This proposal was accepted and Otto Myyryläinen was appointed in 1917 and Tuomo Itkonen in 1918. This helped improve the services deaf people received from the church at first, but later the number of ministers was reduced to three. The fourth post was not reinstated until 1961 when Eino Savisaari was appointed for the post. As a hearing son of deaf parents, Savisaari could sign.

In the early 1970s, four ministers for deaf people worked in Finland but they were assisted by deaconesses who were hired to work in the bigger cities. One of the main goals was to increase the number of employees, and in the 1970s this goal was achieved. A post for a deaf theologian was also established, with the tasks including child-rearing work carried out among children, young people and families. Eeva Ylönen was the first person to be appointed for the post. By 1980, the church employed 19 people who worked with deaf people.