Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
In a journal article, Scott Landes recounts his conversation with a father who has a son with a developmental disability:
I talked with a father last week about his son, Brian. Brian just turned nine and is enjoying the new school year. The father was excited because this is the first year that Brian is in a class with other students who do not have a developmental disability. Brian is one of three kids with a developmental disability in the class, and he seems to enjoy school more since he has experienced a fuller amount of inclusion in his classroom. The father expressed feelings of relief, excitement, and encouragement – finally his son had a place at the table. He then paused, thought for a moment, and said, “I wish it was the same at our church.”1
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident but a sentiment shared by many families of children with disabilities. In fact, people with disabilities and their families often feel unwelcome and isolated in the church.
What’s Wrong in the Picture?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau Report, 19% of the population had a disability in 2010. This means nearly 1 in 5 people has a disability. When a pastor looks at the congregation on Sundays but sees no one with a disability present, what is wrong with the picture?
It means a significant section of the community is missing from the church.
Participation Gaps
Religious faith is important to many Americans. According to a 2021 Gallup Poll, 69% of Americans identify with a Christian religion, and 49% consider religion very important. The statistics also show that 37% of Americans consider themselves very religious. Even though religious faith is equally important to people with and without disabilities, studies show that people with disabilities are less likely to attend religious services regularly than those without disabilities. And this participation gap has been a persistent occurrence.2 Erik Carter points out that in addition to the attendance gap between people with and without disabilities, a much more important gap exists in churches today – “people who want to be part of the faith community are not finding that community that’s going to welcome them well.”3 What is wrong with this picture?
It means the spiritual needs of many people with disabilities and their families are not being met.
What Did Jesus Do?
Jesus’ first Advent ushered in the Kingdom of God. He died on the cross to take away the sins of the world and offered salvation to all who call on His name. During His earthly ministry, Jesus mended the effect of the curse and fulfilled the commands of God’s Law, the praise of the psalmists, and the foretelling of the prophets by showing compassion, forgiving sins, and healing the disabled.4
Jesus did not perform healing miracles to impress others or elevate Himself. Rather, His purpose was to prove that He is the Son of God, to point people to His heavenly Father, and to confront the pride and oppressive practices of the powerful, the rich, and the privileged. Jesus has imparted His value system to Christians and commissioned us to continue the work He has begun.5
Where Are We Now?
Most human societies applaud success, idolize beauty, and value physical prowess. Unfortunately, this worldly value judgment has encroached upon the church. Consequently, people with disabilities are often undervalued and rarely receive recognition. Many churches remain inaccessible to people with disabilities, let alone give people with disabilities a chance to succeed or contribute.6
What Would Jesus Think?
And the king will answer them, “I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Believers belong to the family of Jesus. Jesus exhorted His followers to love and do good for the vulnerable and marginalized believers in their midst. When we show love and kindness toward fellow believers who are overlooked and neglected, we show love and kindness for Jesus.
What would Jesus think if He visited our church today as a disabled person? Would He be pleased by our welcoming and loving attitude? Or would He be grieved by our indifference, even prejudice?
Where to Go from Here?
When Jesus left the perfection of heaven and came into this sin-infested world, He voluntarily set aside the prerogatives of His divinity. He took upon Himself human flesh with all its vulnerability and limitations; He chose the way of weakness to shame the strong. Jesus voluntarily became disabled when He entered the human condition and experienced mankind’s weakness. He understands humanity’s suffering, identifies with their weaknesses, relates to their disabilities, and sympathizes with their pain.7
Jesus has set an example for believers and charged us to continue His work till His return. To be obedient to the Bible’s teaching and worthy followers of Jesus Christ, believers are to live out God’s truth, challenge society’s value system, and reach people with disabilities through acts of love and compassion.
So, where do we go from here? What basic steps should churches take to reach out to persons with disabilities and make the Gospel accessible to them?
1 – Self-Reflection
The very first and the most essential step is for the congregation to consider and answer honestly:
- How welcoming are we as a church?
- Do we love, welcome, include, teach, and disciple people with disabilities as we would anyone else?
2 – Accessibility Check-up
- Attitude: Do we show pity, reluctance, or even avoidance when encountering people with disabilities? Or do we genuinely welcome them with excitement at having them in our midst?
- Architecture: Are our church buildings and facilities accessible to people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or other adaptive equipment? Are the lighting and signs adequate and clear for people with low vision? Is Braille signage provided for building features typically with a printed sign?
- Communication: Are printed materials accessible to people with visual impairments? Do we use proper verbiage and communicate respectfully with people with disabilities? Are we listening to them? Do we make an effort to know their support needs?
- Programs: Do we provide adequate accommodations so people with disabilities and their families can participate in church programs? Do we consider the needs of people with disabilities when planning activities or events?
3 – Congregational Awareness
- Do our church leaders cast a vision of inclusion and communicate that vision clearly to the congregation?
- Is the inclusive vision communicated from the pulpits, in the classrooms, and through various communication vehicles?
- Does our church offer disability awareness training and host disability awareness events?
4 – Community Outreach
- Do we proactively reach out to the disability community?
- Do we seek guidance and help from outside service providers or support organizations to improve our capacity to serve people with disabilities?
- Do we invite people with disabilities or disability advocates to speak in our church?
What Lies Ahead?
These are only the very first steps. We cannot stop at inviting and welcoming people with disabilities to our communities. We are to embrace them so they can participate fully in church life. Moreover, the Church has a God-given mandate to love, support, and disciple them. People with disabilities should be given opportunities to use their gifts and serve alongside their fellow believers.
Our goal should be to make our churches truly accessible to all and make the truth of the Gospel accessible to all. We should strive to re-write the story at the beginning of this post: “The father expressed feelings of relief, excitement, and encouragement – finally, his son, Brian, had a place at the table. He then paused, thought for a moment, and said, ‘And it is at our church.’”
1. Landes, S. D. (2001). Atlanta’s Interfaith Disabilities Network. Impact, 14(3). https://publications.ici.umn.edu/impact/14-3/atlantas-interfaith-disabilities-network
2. THE ADA, 20 YEARS LATER. (n.d.). Kipdf.Com. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://kipdf.com/the-ada-20-years-later_5afcc3b78ead0eb9108b4636.html
3. Carter, E. W. (2017). Transcript of “From Barriers to Belonging: The Church and People with Disabilities.” 6.
4. Li, Yun. “Effective Disability Ministry Practices at Local Churches.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified November 17, 2022. Microsoft Word file.
Scripture references: Matthew 9:1-8; 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37; 10:46-52; Luke 7:18-22; 13:10-13; John 5:1-9; 9:1-7.
5. Li, Yun. “Effective Disability Ministry Practices at Local Churches.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified November 17, 2022. Microsoft Word file.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.