commands us – when we have something good to share, like a banquet – not to act in our own self-interest but to ‘invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,’ (Luke 14.12-24). This command surely, one might think, has especial relevance when the ‘something good’ in question is the Christian life itself. Inclusion here begins to look less like an optional extra and more like a central aspect of our calling: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to me,” (Matt. 25.40). That, then, is one, pretty standard, answer to my question. A church (in particular) should be accessible to those with impairments because God shows special care to those who are excluded. Yet, at the risk of being controversial, it’s not one that I find particularly convincing. For it relies on us assuming that all people with disabilities are the excluded and the oppressed. It posits that there is some special theological value to being disabled and that this should be the grounds for our inclusion. I would argue that there is a much simpler and more acceptable answer. The collect for the seventh Sunday after Trinity in the 1984 Book of Common Prayer reads: ‘God, for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee: mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts.’ In a condensed and prayerful form, this is the Christian theology of grace. All are, from God’s perspective, impaired and require the Holy Spirit (given to us through the church) in order to become fully what they have the potential to be. Against this background, questions of theological value fade into insignificance: all are equally valuable and yet in need of ‘the Holy Spirit, which is given to us,’ (Romans 5:5). If we take this theology of grace seriously, we ought to ensure that the only barrier to participation in our churches is unwillingness to receive the Holy Spirit. More specifically, since a physical impairment is no barrier to the receipt of divine grace, so it ought not to be to living out of that grace in the church community. The great thing about inclusion in the church is that, when it is done for the right reasons, it is not based on the offer of any value at all. All are welcome because all are equally valued in the sight of God. To lose sight of that is to lose what it is to be His people.
Rhondda Ministry Area have begun adapting their churches for mobility equipment with sloped entrances, accessible parking, handrails.
Reaching Out to the Neurodiverse For many people, places of worship, the liturgy we use, how we express fellowship and how we use the opportunities we have to serve in the community as Christ’s servants are hard to join in with. As part of Rhondda Ministry Area’s journey to inclusiveness, the team are looking at how they can reach out to the neurodiverse within the community. As the parents of an autistic child, Rev’d Phillip Leyshon and wife Hannah understand the need for adjustments to be made in the churches that would help the church family think about ways in which they could adapt worship spaces and create forms of liturgy that speak to and support the neurodiverse community. The ministry team began this journey in 2019 (before the pandemic) in the former Upper Rhondda Ministry Area. At a meeting of the Ystradyfodwg PCC (St. John’s, Ton Pentre & St. Peter’s, Pentre) they examined the ways in which they could reach out to the neurodiverse community, providing opportunities for worship, and for the creation of a social group which would help provide a meeting place where fellowship and fun could be enjoyed. “Hannah and I understand the need for adjustments to be made in our churches that would help the church family think about ways in which we could adapt our worship spaces and creative forms of worship. After all, everyone should know they are welcomed and loved in Jesus,” said Fr Phillip. Work is now beginning on assessing our church buildings, coming together to share learn from and learn good practice across the Church in Wales, and beyond, and to investigate the possibility of creating social groups during school holidays, after school, to provide support for families where there are additional learning needs. Fr Phillip asks, Please keep our work in your prayers
as we keep your work in ours.
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