Synod Stories 18: ASL Liturgy, Closed Communion, and No-Script Sermons
Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller runs two congregations in Austin, Texas — a large English-speaking parish and a small congregation that worships entirely in American Sign Language. He explains how the historic liturgy adapts into ASL, how his church handles close communion responsibly with 80-100 visitors most Sundays, and the tiered catechism program that shapes confirmation.
He also lays out a theory of church retention built on family versus friendship, argues the pastor shortage is a financial problem before a vocational one, and explains why he stopped writing manuscript sermons after two decades in the pulpit.
