Live translation for church services
Your congregation is more multilingual than your sermon. Live translation closes that gap without interpreters on stage, headset receivers in a bin, or an app anyone has to install: guests scan a QR code and follow the whole service on their own phone — captions, a natural spoken voice, or both.
How it works on a Sunday
- The booth goes live. Whoever runs sound opens the broadcast console in a web browser and clicks Connect. The audio source is the microphone or board feed the church already has.
- Guests scan a QR code. On the screen, in the bulletin, or in the lobby. Their phone opens your church's listener page — no app, no account.
- Each guest picks a language. Live captions in 190+ languages, natural spoken voice in 60+. One broadcast serves every language at the same time.
- The sermon arrives as complete sentences. Readable captions with the original alongside — and for guests wearing earbuds, a natural voice speaking their language in real time.
That's the whole system. No translation booth, no per-language interpreter, no hardware to distribute and collect. For the deeper walkthrough — including how it compares to human interpreters and headset systems — see how to translate a church service live.
What it replaces
| Approach | Languages | What the church buys | What guests do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human interpreter | One per interpreter | An interpreter, every week, per language | Sit in a designated section or wear a receiver |
| Headset hardware | One per channel | Transmitters + a bin of receivers to maintain | Borrow, wear, and return a headset |
| Live translation platform | 190+ at once | A monthly subscription — no hardware | Scan a QR code on their own phone |
What it costs
Real numbers, published on our pricing page — no quote call required:
- Starter — $149/month ($124/mo billed annually): 5 broadcast hours a month and up to 200 listeners. Enough for a weekly service.
- Congregation — $469/month ($391/mo annually): 20 hours and up to 600 listeners, for churches running multiple services.
- Multi-Site — $1,299/month ($1,083/mo annually): 60 hours, up to 2,000 listeners, two or more campuses.
- Events — from $4,000/event: conferences and denominational gatherings, unlimited hours per event.
Every plan includes every feature — live captions, natural voices, the glossary, announcements, sermon notes, recordings — nothing is locked behind a higher tier. Going over your hours is $25/hour, never a mid-service cutoff. Nonprofits get 15% off the first two tiers, setup is $0, and the free trial is a real weekend of your own services with no card required.
Proof it holds up in a real church
Cape Vineyard Community Church in Cape Coral, Florida runs this at every service — Sunday mornings and their Thursday Dinner Church. Spanish-speaking members scan the lobby QR code and follow the whole sermon as live Spanish captions with a natural spoken voice. Read the full Cape Vineyard case study, or the broader picture of MyOpenDoor Translate for churches.
What your AV volunteer actually has to do
Open a web page, click Connect, and end the broadcast after the service. The console shows what's being heard and translated in real time, and the church holds the controls: pause the stream, edit the glossary, push an announcement to every phone in every language. If your booth can run the projector, it can run this — the console walkthrough shows every button.
Frequently asked questions
How does live translation work during a church service?
The pastor preaches normally into the microphone the church already uses. A laptop at the AV booth streams that audio to the translation service, which turns it into complete sentences in each listener’s chosen language — as on-screen captions, a natural spoken voice, or both. Guests join by scanning a QR code; everything happens on their own phone.
Do guests need an app or a headset?
No. The QR code opens a web page in the phone’s browser. There is no app to download, no account to create, and no headset receivers for the church to buy, hand out, or collect.
How much does live church translation cost?
MyOpenDoor Translate starts at $149/month (5 broadcast hours, up to 200 listeners) — enough for a weekly service. Larger plans are $469/month (20 hours, 600 listeners) and $1,299/month (60 hours, multi-campus). Every plan includes every feature; annual billing saves about two months; nonprofits get 15% off the first two tiers. There is no setup fee and no hardware to buy.
How many languages can we offer at the same time?
All of them at once. One broadcast serves live captions in 190+ languages and natural spoken voice in 60+ — each guest simply picks their own language on their phone. Adding a language costs nothing and requires nothing from the booth.
Will it get theological terms and names right?
You control a glossary of your church’s proper nouns and key terms — pastor names, ministry names, theological vocabulary — so they come through exactly, not as a guess. The engine translates what was said rather than paraphrasing it.
Try it on your own service
The only test that matters is your room, your preacher, your congregation. Book a free live test — we'll run a real weekend of services with you, no card required, and review the transcripts together afterward.