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Churches challenged to embrace people with disabilities

Posted: Saturday, October 11, 2008, 10:44 (BST)

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Churches in the UK have been accused of "questioning God's creativity within people with disabilities".

The claim comes from Aman Lee, who is autistic and suffers from a speech impediment. He is to be the keynote speaker at a unique conference in Manchester next weekend on how churches can and must become fully inclusive of people with learning disabilities.

Organised by Prospects for People with Learning Disabilities (Prospects), a national Christian charity specialising in the support and spiritual development of people with learning disabilities, the 'Creative God, Creative People' event in Manchester on October 18 is the start of a nationwide campaign by the charity help change attitudes within churches to the gifts and value of disabled people.

In his address, Mr Lee will tell church leaders gathered from across the country that, "We see that God created the universe yet we question his creativity within people with disabilities, it is like killing part of God. Killing the very being that created in the first place.

"We need to challenge some of our churches to take the veils off. God despairs when he sees part of his body, destined to be givers, shut out of His house. Opportunities to people to be givers not just receivers should be found. We tend to underestimate people with disabilities. Our bodies may be different but our spirits are intact."

Whilst recognising that churches are starting to be aware of the issues related to learning difficulties, he will add: "The kindness of people who see us as poor souls only isolates us from each other, tearing apart the heart of God and dampening creativity.

"I don't think the church realises that sitting in its pews is a work force of prayer and an expression of the unbelievable uniqueness of God."

Event organiser, David Bendor-Samuel said: "There are between 1.4 and 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities and yet very few are to be found in our churches.

"In recent years, the Disabilities Act has driven churches to make their church buildings physically more accessible to people with physical disabilities. This conference is about moving the agenda onwards and helping churches to value people with learning disabilities and to give them opportunities for service within the church.

"We recognise that for many this is an area of church life (and indeed society) which they may have reservations about, perhaps feel ignorant of, and may need considerable help.

"Through this conference, and our nationwide resources, we hope to offer partnership-based support until we reach a stage where people of all and any ability are welcomed and valued equally in our churches."

On the web: www.prospects.org.uk

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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.

Added: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 17:25 (BST)

Autism is a many-faceted entity. It goes from the 'screaming tantrum', non-communicative, 'world-of-one's-own' classical autism to the High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, the latter two being that the autist has an average to high level of intelligence, or I.Q. I have Asperger's Syndrome, and was diagnosed in 2002, at age 42, and have been a Christian since age 17 (1976). My Christian life has been quite chequered, as has my career, in nursing (until 1996), and married life (divorced once, remarried to a woman who understands me, but is quite often driven up the wall by my predilictions!), and I have been both learning to deal with my 'condition', and relate it to my life events and Christian faith, ever since. Needless to say, the Church, by that I mean the CofE, has been either reticent in their dealings with me, locally, or downright ignorant of Asperger's (unless its 'in-yer-face' autism), or just don't want to know. And although anyone on the ASD/ARC milieu can present with a learning disability, it ain't necessarily so. This seems to be the case for a whole range of mental health issues, problems or illnesses - they're not due to demonic posession (although it does make for easier oppression to occur!) - clergy, both ordained and non-, do not seem to be able to cope with the mentally disabled, unless something like Down's Syndrome (though that's just ONE example), and prefer to avoid or disregard the issue altogether. And when the autist, or whomever, presents themselves for service, especially if they wish to enter the ministry, the Church authorities will focus on the disability as a barrier against entering training. This is the same with many employers, who, on the whole, seem not to want to take on those with HFA or AS, out of ignorance, fear, or just plain discrimination, fobbing the potential employee off with 'someone with more experience offered the post', not wanting to take on any potential problems, but not admitting to it, as the employers don't want to be seen, or complained about, as being discriminatory. If this seems like a grinding axe, well, then you are right, as this has happened to me many times, especially when I declare my mental health disability on an application form. But from the websites and blogs I read, this is a common event amongst HFAs and Aspies. So we remain, by and large, unemployed, living on Incapacity Benefit, often under threat by the Govt., and other, if they can be accessed, benefits, but seen as 'malingerers' and/or 'scroungers', as we are not on crutches or in wheelchairs. And the Church offers minimal, if any,real support in this. Autists are intelligent, creative and sociable, as long as one understands that a little sociability, for an autist, can go a long way. But we do not want to be either left out or actively excluded from things like the PCCs or Readership training, or even going into the ministry! There are prison or hospital chaplaincies, for instance. We can learn to be and act 'normal' but we know our limits. More than that, with the right support, we can be very successful in doing things, loyal, hard-working, caring, thoughtful and supportive. And much more. The LORD can use us, so, CofE and other denominations, let Him. This conference is a great start, and a message, maybe, from the LORD to HIs Church in general. It needs further highlighting and go nationwide, to teach and instruct church leaders, congrenants, and fellowships everywhere.

Chris Maguire, Ventnor, IOW, UK