Transcript Disability and the Church One out of five people is affected by some type of disability. That has been translated to one in.

Disability and the Church
One out of five people is affected by some type of
disability.
That has been translated to one in four church
members.
One fourth of every congregation lives with some
disabling condition.
Where are they?
History
Historically, religious institutions were the first (and
often only) providers of care for persons with
disabilities.
—Avi Rose
Disability and Religious Life
 Disability as a Sign of Punishment, Evil Incarnation, and
Disease
 Disability as a Challenge to Divine Perfection
 Disability as an Object of Pity and Charity
 Disability as Incompetence and Exemption from Religious
Practice
Rose, 1997
Where We Are Now
Our current grasp of “integration” with regard to people with
disabilities is comparable to how many of us understood race
relations in the mid-1950s. We have assumed the task to be
much easier than it is. We have not dug beneath the surface.
Our greatest error may be in thinking that we already
understand the problem and know how to fix it.
—Rhode Island and Massachusetts Council
of Churches
Within the UMC
 National Task Force on Developmental Disabilities
 Association of Physically Challenged Ministers
 The United Methodist Committee on Ministries with
Deaf, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind
People
 Disability Concerns (DISC)
 Individual Churches and Annual Conferences
On Paper
 The 2008 Book of Discipline, ¶ 162.I
 Rights of Persons with Disabilities
 We recognize and affirm the full humanity and
personhood of all individuals with mental, physical,
developmental, neurological, and psychological
conditions or disabilities as full members of the
family of God. We also affirm their rightful place in
both the church and society. We affirm…
On Paper
 The 2008 Book of Discipline, ¶ 653
 There shall be in each annual conference a
committee on disability concerns or other
structure to provide for the functions of this ministry
and maintain the connectional relationships.
 1. The basic membership of the committee shall be
nominated and elected by established procedures of the
respective annual conference…
On Paper
 The 2008 Book of Discipline, ¶ 265.
 Approved Sundays for Annual Conference Observance
 4. Disability Awareness Sunday…shall be observed
annually on a date to be determined by the annual
conference. Disability Awareness Sunday calls the
Church to celebrate the gifts and graces of persons
with disabilities…
On Paper
 General Board of Global Ministries
 Goal 1: Support the National Committee on Ministries
with Deaf, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind People
 Goal 2: Support the National Task force on
Developmental Disabilities
In Practice
 Churches
 Speedway United Methodist – Indiana
 Church of the Resurrection – Kansas
 Trinity United Methodist – Florida
 Programs
 Justa Center – Arizona
 SEMAR – Southeastern Jurisdiction
 Annual Conferences
 Who is your Disability Concerns contact?
 Try calling your bishop’s office to find out
Looking to the Future
Models for Caring
Ministry Models
What We Have
What We Need
 Short-Term, Crisis-
 Continuing, Long-Term
Oriented Ministry
 Meal Prep and Delivery
Ministry
 Respite Care
Religion, Disability, and Receptivity
 Parts
 Individual
 Environment
 Religious Organization
Individual
Motor
Physiology
Sensory
Cognition
Spirituality
Psychology
Environment
Culture
Social
Policy
Social
Capital
Receptivity
Social
Support
Physical
Environment
Technology
Religious Organization
Physical Environment
Social Support
Social Policy
Culture
Social Capital
Technology
Receptivity
Religion and Disability Receptivity Model
Culture
Social Support
Social Policy
Physical
Environment
Social Capital
Receptivity
Technology