Board of Social Witness - Specialist Ministries

Kinghan Church

13 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6LJ
Tel. (028) 9032 2588 (Voice/Minicom) | Fax: (028) 9032 9238 | Email: kinghan@presbyterianireland.org

The Kinghan Mission Committee manages the Kinghan Church in Botanic Avenue which functions as a worshipping community of deaf and hearing impaired persons and others. In addition, other services are available in the form of individual and family support, expert interpretation at particular events and assistance to ministers who require specialist help.

The Kinghan Mission was founded in 1857 by John Kinghan, a teacher in the Ulster Society for the Promotion of the Education of the Deaf, the Dumb and the Blind, Belfast. He realised that Deaf people had no Church where they could worship God and be taught the Gospel in their own language. He started a small mission to the Deaf and eventually in 1872, and after the princely sum of £722 5s 41/2 d was gathered a hall was built in Sandy Row. It was called the Bethel and where it stood is now an Apartment complex.

John Kinghan died in 1895 and left a bequest of £2,000 to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to continue this work. In 1899 the present building in Botanic Avenue, Belfast was bought from the Seceders.

The Rev. R. W. Dodds was the first Minister/Superintendent of the Kinghan Mission. A former teacher of the deaf he was appointed in 1898. As well as ministering to deaf people throughout N. Ireland he pioneered social work with the deaf and, with his wife, looked after a hostel for young deaf women. It was called the Jubilee Home and was also in Botanic Avenue almost opposite the Mission. As well as all his Church work he ran a private school for deaf children.

The Rev. Dr. R. Allen took over from Rev. Dodds in 1938. He continued to emphasise the spiritual aspect of the Mission and was also involved in the social aspect of their lives. He furnished a beautiful first floor church in the Botanic Avenue building and encouraged the Presbyterian Church In Ireland to see the Mission as a Church and part of the Presbyterian family. The Mission became known as the Kinghan Church though it is still known as the Kinghan Mission to the Deaf for legal purposes.

The Rev. Dr. George Grindle, originally a teacher of the deaf in the Belfast school, became Superintendent in 1967. He studied for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church In Ireland and was ordained in 1972. For a number of years he continued with others to develop services to deaf people, e.g. interpreting and the training of interpreters, setting up a register of interpreters for N. Ireland, sign language teaching and assessment, social work, job placement, total communication, etc until in the late 1980's he believed God was calling the Kinghan Church to "focus on the spiritual" and leave social activities to others.

In 1990 a new Christian Centre for the Deaf was built on the Botanic Avenue site at a cost of £575,000. Funding for the rebuilding came from Churches and Church groups and friends of the Kinghan Church and the total amount was raised within 4 years. The focal point of the new centre is the ground floor church which has been especially designed to meet the needs of Deaf and hard of hearing people. A spacious recreation hall, now known as 'The George Grindle Hall', and kitchen facilities are on the first floor, and are used by various groups both within and without the Church.

In 1998 Mrs. Anne Rodgers joined the team as Lay Assistant. Her responsibilities involve her in every aspect of the administrative and pastoral duties connected to Kinghan. As well as these responsibilities, Anne has a focus on the needs of Deaf children and young people.

Mary Hagan, a Deaf member of the congregation, is the part-time Church Officer.

In September 2001 Rev. Simon Henning became the Assistant Minister, and in April 2003 he took over as the Minister and Superintendent of the Kinghan Church following the retirement of Rev. Dr. George Grindle.

Although the Kinghan Church is a Mission of the Presbyterian Church, Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people with different denominational backgrounds are members and the church is open to all who wish to join or need the ministry of the Church. The Church is a place for worship, prayer, healing, teaching and reconciliation.

Services are conducted in sign language each Sunday at 11.15 a.m. Sunday School and Creche are on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. The fourth Sunday in the month is designated as a Family Service. There are other Special Services as announced.

The Midweek is at 7.30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month. It meets in the Committee Room in Kinghan Church.

There is a lunch club that runs every Thursday from 12.45 p.m. and is an inexpensive way for deaf (and hearing) people to meet over a meal and spend some time together.

The Family Fun Night happens on the third Saturday of the month at 7 p.m. A range of activities takes place and a programme for the coming year is available from September.

There is an annual Church weekend in May, and a Church BBQ in June.

The Church office is open Monday-Thursday from 10am to 2pm. Anyone is welcome to call in if they need to speak to the Minister or Lay Assistant.