Disability and The Church

Preston Sprinkle

Christian leaders everywhere should be asking: “How are we including, caring for, discipling, learning from, and empowering people with disabilities?” Around 25% of the U.S. population has some kind of disability. Do our churches and church structures reflect this reality? 


The truth is, I have way more questions about this topic than I have answers. In fact, I’m such a novice that I hardly know what questions to ask. In the spirit of Theology in the Raw, I’ll just put these out there so you can see just how far I have to go in this conversation… 

      • Am I using the right language? Should I say “disabled people,” “people with disabilities,” “handicap,” “neurodivergent,” “ableism,” and the like? 
      • Is it helpful or offensive to have a separate “special needs” ministry? 
      • Do our church buildings have sufficient accessibility to welcome gifted and qualified leaders who might preach in a wheelchair? Could we even accommodate someone who walks with difficulty? 
      • Does our approach to how we plan worship services (sound, lighting, etc.) welcome people with sensory issues and what does this say about our values? 
      • Do our sermons, small groups and discipleship practices only appeal to the 75% of people who don’t have some kind of disability? 
      • Does the percentage of our church attendees that have disabilities match the greater population? If not, why? 


I’m so excited to learn more about this crucial (and often neglected) area of ministry at the “Exiles in Babylon 2023” conference! I’m particularly excited about our diverse range of speakers, all of whom are personally affected by disability.
Devin Stahl is a theologian of disability and experiences MS. Lamar Hardwick is a pastor and author, who is on the autism spectrum. Julie and Bill Briley have two adopted kids with Downs Syndrome and have done an amazing job making their church a safe place for people with disabilities. And Cameron Horner is a Christian leader who suffered from an accident that put him in a wheelchair over ten years ago. 


I’m most excited about this conversation because I’m coming to it as a learner and ignorant Christian that needs to be challenged and informed. Christianity is a religion tailored to the marginalized and those ignored by society. I’m truly hoping that this session in particular will help us align our church structures with the rhythms of the gospel. 

Join us live or virtually in March 2023! Click here to register!



  • Share this story:

RELATED BLOGS

podcast-image
Orphan Care Journey: Calling

By Brandon Stiver. Learn more about Brandon here and get help to transform your orphanage here. This blog post is the first in...

Read Story
podcast-image
What Does “Head” (Kephalē) Mean in Paul’s Letters? Part 8: Ephesians 5:23

Introduction We come now to the first of our two highly anticipated texts in Paul. (The other being 1 Corinthians...

Read Story
podcast-image
Why Abused Voices and Taboo Questions Belong in the Church

By Brenna Blain. Learn more about Brenna here, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram. “Come on up, Brenna!”  I...

Read Story
podcast-image
3 Christian Views of Politics 

With the election year ramping up, the church needs some serious political discipleship. That’s why I’m excited about our fourth...

Read Story
podcast-image
What Does “Head” (Kephalē) Mean in Paul’s Letters? Part 7: Household Codes (Eph. 5)

Introduction  We finally come to Ephesians 5, where Paul says that “the husband is the head (kephalē) of the wife”...

Read Story
podcast-image
What Does “Head” (Kephalē) Mean in Paul’s Letters? Part 6: Ephesians 1:22 and 4:15

Introduction This has been a lengthy series thus far, but I promise you, we’re getting closer to exploring the meaning...

Read Story
podcast-image
Living as Exiles in the Shadow of Empire 

My book Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire releases in less than a month! You can pre-order it today. And if...

Read Story
podcast-image
The Theology & Politics of Israel-Palestine

On October 7th, 2023, 1200 Israelis were murdered in a Hamas attack. I felt sick to my stomach and angered...

Read Story
podcast-image
Women, Power, and Abuse in the Church

I’m writing these words with a profound sense of urgency and nervousness. I can easily confess that the evangelical Christian...

Read Story
podcast-image
What Does “Head” (Kephalē) Mean in Paul’s Letters? Part 5: Linguistics and Interpretation

The following post is by Dr. Kevin Grasso, a linguist and biblical scholar. Dr. Grasso have a BA in Communications...

Read Story

EXILES

 

The Latest from Preston Sprinkle

 

LEARN MORE BUY NOW