The Orthodox Christian Deaf Association (OCDA) will host its second annual conference, The Word Made Flesh, April 17–19, 2026, at St. John of the Ladder in Greenville, South Carolina. The conference welcomes Orthodox Deaf, Hard of Hearing, families, clergy, and friends from across the country.
The announcement follows a significant moment for the OCDA community: on March 1, the organization livestreamed a Divine Liturgy translated in American Sign Language, incorporating newly developed signs created by the Lexicon team of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. The team has been working to establish ASL equivalents for theological terms that previously lacked them, offering Deaf worshippers a fuller translation of worship than ever before.
Watch the ASL Divine Liturgy here.
The April gathering will include sessions on Deaf culture and its integration within Orthodoxy, efforts to improve church accessibility for the Deaf community, and a closer look at the new ASL signs being introduced into the Divine Liturgy.
Those interested in attending can register at OrthodoxDeaf.org, or reach the organization at orthodoxdeaf@gmail.com or +1 (318)-349-0901.
