Translation System Brings Church Congregation Closer Together

Asheboro, North Carolina, tucked up against the scenic Uwharrie National Forest in the heart of the state, is a small rural community with a population of just over 25,000. It’s also home to Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church with traditional, conservative values that has been ministering to the community of Asheboro since 1995.

Like the population of Asheboro itself, the congregation of Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church is diverse. One hundred of its six hundred members are Hispanic, and to serve them the church holds separate Spanish-language services every Sunday, as well as other Spanish-language events throughout the year.    

The church also holds combined services for both English- and Spanish-speaking members on Sunday nights, holidays, and other special occasions so its Hispanic members can feel more a part of the larger church community.

Church Audio Translation System

To assist congregants who aren’t fluent in English, the church recently purchased an audio communications system from Tripp Communications that allows Spanish speakers to hear the sermon in their native language, in real time. It consists of a one-way radio frequency transmitter that’s installed in a sound room at the back of the church and 26 portable receivers.  

Jason Hamilton, Youth Pastor and Audio Visual Director at Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church, explains how it works.  “During the service our Spanish Pastor Ricardo Rosario sits in the sound room, plugs headphones into our audio system, and listens to the sermon.  He simultaneously translates what he’s hearing into Spanish using a microphone connected to the RF transmitter.”

To hear the sermon in Spanish congregants use lightweight, portable receivers and ear buds that ushers hand out to whoever needs them. The receivers can be either hand-held or attached to a neck lanyard, and come with rechargeable batteries that provide up to eight hours of continuous use. 

Benefits of the Communication System

The biggest benefit of the new translation system has been to make the Hispanic members of Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church feel more included. “Our Spanish ministry is growing rapidly and we don’t want our Hispanic congregants to feel like they’re attending a separate church,” Hamilton says. “With the new translation system our Spanish-speaking members tell us they feel they’re participating fully in the church service  – by both experiencing what’s going on and understanding what’s being said.”

Cost Effective Hearing Solution

Hamilton has discovered another benefit of the RF translation system that he hadn’t anticipated. “Because there are two ports on each receiver, two people can listen to the sermon using the same device, simply by plugging an ear bud into each port. So for the price of one receiver we’re able to double our listening power!”  

Hearing-Impaired Assistance

Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church is no stranger to assistive listening systems – the church implemented a Listen Technologies RF system twelve years ago to serve hearing-impaired members of its congregation.  It’s similar to the new translation system but uses a separate RF transmitter that connects to the church’s audio system and operates on a different radio frequency.

Church members who have hearing aids or cochlear implants have the option to use a special neck loop that plugs into the receiver and slip over their necks. The neck loop electromagnetically generates a signal, transmitting it wirelessly to hearing aids or cochlear implants that use T-Coil technology.

Versatile, Scalable, and Reliable

Because the receivers are easily programmed to a different frequency, they can be used interchangeably for both hearing-impaired and Spanish-speaking church members. “Our goal is to make everyone attending our church feel welcome and included, and the communications solution we have in place helps us do that”, says Hamilton.  He expects the two RF transmission systems will meet the needs of the church’s hearing-impaired members and its growing Spanish ministry for years to come.