Meeet Greg Little & The Friendship House at Duke #SITD

Greg Little, Director
Friendship House - Duke

Way back in 2008, Nella Uitvlught compelled me to join the board of directors of Friendship Ministries.  My introductory board meeting was hosted by Western Theological Seminary (Holland, MI) and scheduled conjointly with the NCC's Disability policy committee.  (Click here for my post 6 years ago). 

As part of that conference, we were able to tour the newly built Friendship House and interact with seminarians and persons with disability who lived together in a new model environment on the campus of Western / Hope College. (While both Friendship House and Friendship Ministries have common origins, similar ethos, and even some shared board members, we are distinct organizations).

I love that this model has been replicated elsewhere.  Greg Little, a recent M.Div graduate from Duke, is the director of Duke's Friendship House.  In my opinion, more seminaries need to develop these innovative housing programs in order to teach future pastors through mutual friendship and relationships much needed lessons about the human condition.  Thanks Greg!

#SITD #TheologyDisability

#SITD Day 3 AM -- Meet Colorado!

Amy & Tonya @SITD Dallas

It was good to see Tonya Whaley again this week. I first met her at the Central Baptist Theological Seminary's (Kansas) week long course on disability last year in 2013.  She has spent the past year serving as a chaplain with the UCEDD at UC Denver, helping develop an integrative model of teamcare that de-emphasizes the medical model while working with patients with disabilities.

She brought her fellow Illiff School of Theology classmate, Amy Petre Hill, Esq,  Amy, a trained attorney, began her career as a public defender in Northern California.  Her experience of defending clients with disabilities, combined with the impact of PTSD in her own life, led her to disability advocacy.  In the past several years, she has been called to the ministry. Having been both a consumer and provider of services, she is looking forward to uniting spirituality with her vocation.  She told me that church is a space where we can move forward to help heal broken legal and healthcare systems. Her goal is to continue to advocate and work with vets experiencing PTSD.

#SITD #TheologyDisability

Reflections on #SITD Dallas - Day 2 - Johannine Literature

Who sinned?  This inquisitive remark within the Johannine literature reflects the congruence of sin and disability in our common human mindset and was the theme of Day 2 of #SITD Dallas.

Quick Synopsis

Dr. Darly Schumm @ SITD Dallas

In 4 different sessions we dove deep and drank from this well. Dr. Darla Schumm, lectured on the healing of the blind man (John 9) from the perspective of a theologian with a visual impairment, challenging those of us temporarily able bodied to experience darkness while listening blindfolded for an hour. Jaime Clark-Soles framed this passages within John’s Incarnation prologue (John 1:1-18) and post-resurrection commissioning (John 21).  She continued in the third session by comparing and contrasting the healing of the lame man (John5) and with the healing of the blind man (John 9).  Jeremy Schipper concluded the final session by identifying the blind and lame characters in the OT- revealing these simple categories of impairment do not reflect the wide spectrum of possible severity.

My Reflections

I appreciated the disability privileged readings and the use of analogic imagination in the gap narratives. Their use shapes the setting and drama of the events, providing potentially new and liberating insights.  In many ways, this imaginative hermeneutic is not much different than that practiced in the inductive studies common in the evangelical subculture.  I, however, as a conservative, evangelical, pentecostal become troubled at some of resulting interpretations which seemed to minimize the interrupting eschatological work of Christ.  In Amos Yong’s earlier comments he challenged charismatics to intentionally read from a non normate perspective, precisely because their global growth coupled with phenomenological experience could lead (and has led) to unbalanced proclamation. To be sure, all lecturers today acknowledged that there is no monolithic experience of disability – For every disability theologian, there is a slightly different take on these texts.

Jaime Clark-Soles suggestion that the parents of the man born blind were perhaps at fault for choosing a life of community in the synagogue rather than defending their son, I, as a parent of a daughter with DS,  became uncomfortable.  I am more than willing to allow scriptural texts to challenge my thinking, yet my mind flashed through dozens of IEP meetings, where I’ve been either the school administrator, the special educator, the independent advocate, or the parent.  I’ve seen the passionate response from modern parents --- yet I am also aware of the practices of antiquity – so I yearn for a different explanation.  Making a binary choice – between community and a son – is harmful to all.  Too many family caregivers have little community and social relationship.  I wasn’t the only parent present disturbed by those images.  For fellow attendee Samuel Caraballlo’s response – click here.

In my final comment, I wanted to explore the hermeneutic of liberation and suspicion.  The rejection of binary paradigms and the influence of Foucalt and Derrida has helped constructive theology to highlight oversights and tease out nuance.  Yet constructive theology based on textual criticism without the influence of the fields of covenental Biblical meta-narrative, systematic theology, and historical theology strain against the three legged framework of church tradition, worshiping community, and scriptural revelation cherished by many evangelicals.  Liberation – like many other categories is a spectrum of thought.  Fredrick Ware’s analysis of three strands of liberation thought within the methodologies of black theology is helpful.  Many evangelicals are comfortable in the first strand, the one based within the worshiping community which uses the Eschatological language of Exodus, yet are uncomfortable in the others.

Finally, I am glad the lecturers are “thick skinned.”  Furthermore, I appreciate their work, insight, and experience and am gratefully transformed by it.  Unfortunately, few voices in the evangelical / charismatic academy have yet to fully address and reconcile their perspectives within the disability.  I look forward to their emergence.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen!  (Eph. 3.20-21 ESV) 

#SITD #TheologyDisability

Zacchaeus and the Gift of Work - Reflection on #SITD Dallas Day 2

Chris Horst’s guest post “The Surprising Gift of Work” for Amy Joe Becker’s Christianity Today blog appeared on my Facebook timeline this morning.  In the article, Chris talks of his brother with an intellectual disability, who has been able to fulfill his God given vocation through the gift of work, achieving basic human dignity, purchasing a house, and becoming an essential member of his community.

Coincidentally, the story appeared on my laptop screen during the middle of Dr. Amos Yong’s disability privileged reading of the well-known Zacchaeus passage at the Summer Institute for Theology and Disability.  Dr. Yong reminded us that in antiquity, those who were described by this particular Greek word translated as “short” (pathological dwarfism) had a difficult time finding their place in the community.  Furthermore, the Levitical laws (Lev. 21) prohibited those with dwarfism from coming into the full tabernacling of God.  Dr. Yong suggested that his opportunities for employment may have been extremely limited – to the point that he was willing to opt for a despised position as an agent of an oppressive foreign government.  The beauty of this passage is that Jesus welcomed Zacchaeus as a friend – choosing to tabernacle at his house. (read Dr. Amos Yong’s full article here)

Employment continues to be a critical issue for persons with disability and remains one of the highest concerns of family caregivers. In Kansas, Families Together has made a strong state wide effort through the FEAT events (Family Employment Awareness Training).  Yesterday, I met Dr. Penny Seay from the Texas Center for Disabilities, who told me of a pilot program Putting Faith to Work funded by the Kessler Foundation in several states (TN, KY, TX, MN) where networks of faith communities were being mobilized to help persons with disabilities to find work and fulfill their vocational calling.  The church has a unique role in which it can help provide sustainable hope and dignity through a robust theology of work.  The Acton Institute’s recent emphasis on a reshaping calling, vocation, and work is a reminder of our roles and responsibilities in God’s world; My hope is that those discussions include perspectives of those traditionally not allowed to carry out their calling.

#SITD #TheologyDisability

SITD 2014 - An author, a missionary...

Tim & Larry @ SITD 2014 Dallas

On occasion, I actually meet someone that went to the same schools I've attended!  Meet Dr. Tim Basselin, an alumni of both Evangel University and Fuller Theological Seminary (PhD - 2010).  His latest book is Flannery O'Conner - Writing a Theology of Disabled Humanity. 

He was here with his fellow Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) colleague, Dr. Larry Waters, currently professor of Biblical Exposition and former missionary to the Philippines.  Dr Waters and DTS have developed a free audio course available on I-Tunes on disability ministry, crafted from his work on the book of Job. As he discussed with me the evolving nature of graduate course work, I was glad to hear that incoming students are now required to spend a minimum amount of hours in compassionate service learning. I think this is key to future ministry leadership training. Thanks for your service to the church!

#SITD #TheologyDisability

SITD 2014 Dallas - Meet Ft Lauderdale!

It's time to meet a few more people!  I don't like sitting in the same spot during conferences, so I invaded a different table today where I met two new friends up from Florida.  I couldn't help but notice that Phil was already complaining about the Dallas heat -- It's barely touched 90, so it's not even hot yet!  But being a Los Angeles basin semi-native for 20 years before locating to Kansas... yeah, I get it.

Phil Letizia's a great guy -- he's got a daughter with Down Syndrome.  Some might say those two things are not necessarily co-relates, but us pastor-dads of daughters with DS, well, we are a rare breed.  My daughter turns 12 this week, while his is still in infancy.  I had a rare-moment of self-recognition -- Now I know what I must have looked like, showing up at a National Organization of Disability (NOD) That All May Worship Conference 10 years ago, surprised that my seminary training had not prepared me for this chapter of fatherhood, much less ministry.  As Rev. Dr. Helen Betenbaugh said yesterday, these are moments of liminality.

Phil & Ed at SITD 2014 Dallas

Another reason to like Phil is his call to church planting with the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian - think Tim Keller).  As he realizes the team around him, undoubtedly the community of believers he leads will have compassion (not pity) as a core value; I guarantee they will seek to enter in and create authentic relationships with those who have disabilities as well as others typically disenfranchised by the church.  I look forward to hearing his reports of the trans-formative and liberating power of the gospel narrative in his congregation.

Ed Copeland serves with Hope South Florida -- the leading provider of entry point services for the homeless in Broward County.  With a coalition of 53 churches, their aim is to provide housing and community, providing hope and restoration to broken families. Studies have repeatedly shown that a large percentage of the homeless population have either visible or hidden disabilities.  Families caught in this oppressive cycle tend to have children at risk for increased learning disabilities due to poor nutrition and living conditions.  While the categories of the poor and the disabled are not a singularity, the overlap cannot be ignored. You can learn more about Hope South Florida's model here. Thanks to both of you for your service to His church!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen!  (Eph. 3.20-21 ESV)

#SITD #TheologyDisability

SITD 2014- Dallas - Day 2 AM

Part of the fun of these conferences is meeting Christians from all around the world doing ministry alongside those with disabilities and their families.  One innovater I've met this week is Irene Cheung, from the Toronto, Canada region.  She is part of an English speaking congregation comprised primarily of persons within the Chinese community. Currently working on an Ed.D. in Christian education from Talbot (La Mirada, CA), she works with youth and children, particularly those with special needs.  Way to go!

SITD - 2014 Dallas - Day 1

This week I am attending the Fifth Annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.  I am posting my highlights, thoughts and pictures from this first day.

First, it’s always great to meet new people from around the world—Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Australia, Scotland, and Iran.  The Texan hospitality is overwhelming – never had shrimp and grits before!

Dr. Yong is my D.Min Project advisor

Dr. Amos Yong (Professor of Missiology, Fuller Theological Seminary) began the morning by challenging us to develop a Redemptive Pastoral Praxis that begins to move beyond the perceptions of suffering and disability which Temporarily Able Bodied (TAB) – tend to assign persons with disability.  By changing the focus of the disability conversation from causality to eschatology, themes of theological hope emerge.  Yong also hinted at the possibility of looking beyond the crucified narrative towards Pentecost to see the fullness of God’s redemptive story.  Of course, these theological paradigms must be grounded in pastoral practice. The lingering narrative of Pentecost empowers all people to become ministers with – not just ministers to.  People with disabilities are not passive recipients of ministry, but agents empowered to minister to others.

Dr. Jeremy Schipper (Hebrew Bible Scholar, Temple University) and Dr. Jaime Clark Soles (Professor of NT, Perkins) presented an excellent Biblical study of Leviticus 15 as it relates to the Mark and Matthew passage of the woman with the issue of blood.  Their reframed narrative moves the story from an isolated episode of faith healing into the redemptive story of Christ emptying himself and becoming weak, even unto the cross.

Not all the sessions focus on theology or Biblical study, other sessions I missed today included innovative ways to empower the special needs community through worship, and learning to practice presence during pastoral care – and this is only the first day of five!

TX Chaplains Paul & Jim

Of course, often the best parts of conferences are the conversations during lunch and in between sessions. Russell, a minister from St Louis; Peggy, a speech pathologist from Grand Rapids,  Jenna, a social worker from Chicago, Sunil, a medical doctor from Texas, Keith – a Canadian who found me on Twitter.  I met 3 of the 11 chaplains (there’s a 4th one here!) in the Texas state supported living system.  All of them talked of regularly working with 300+ persons with disabilities as being the highlight of their pastoral career.  During the course of the week, I will be chatting with more people and featuring them here.  The collective wisdom they hold will benefit us all.

In the next couple days I hope to introduce a few more people -- Devan, currently working on the bioethics of the human genome project; Lorna, who has created a great parent support model; Sam, reaching into the Hispanic community; and Ben, part of the Joni and Friends Christian Institute of Disability.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen!  (Eph. 3.20-21 ESV)

#SITD #TheologyDisability

Thoughts from the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability

This week, I am attending the 5th Annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability hosted by the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.  Bethesda Institute and Rev. Bill Gaventa have been instrumental in developing this program over the past several years, bringing together the best scholarship and ministry models from around the world.  (For more background, information, and past presentations, click here)

I've decided to blog daily during this conference.  My goals are to give my friends, colleagues, pastors, and local disability ministers a chance to hear what is going on.  Some might ask, what does this conference have to do with my weekly Sunday School special needs program?  A lot!  Many of the speakers and presenters here "doing theology" have been in this field as a person with a disability, a family relative of a person with a disability, or been doing disability ministry in the trenches ever since Willowbrook was closed 42 years ago. The creation of theology is simultaneously done by the trained academy (professors, clergy) and the local church (people, laity).  On rare occasions the two intersect, sparking rich conversations and ground breaking initiatives. This is one of those places!

I've already met some of the new young faces that are the up and coming face of the movement who are breaking new ground in bioethics and in Spanish speaking communities.  I hope to be introducing them on this blog throughout the week.

This marks my 10th year involved in the theology and disability movement. During the course of that time, I have seen a major surge in the interest of churches, pastors, and theologians in disability issues.  The academic discipline really only appeared in 2004 with the Society of Biblical Literature 's creation of a subgroup of scholars.  Since that time, many of the initiatives I called for in 2005 (see the article here) have come into being in the last decade.  As 35 year disability ministry veteran AG pastor Charlie Chivers of Special Touch told me last month, the sovereign Spirit of God has been moving over his people and disability ministries is moving to the forefront in the US and around the world.

I am attending this year in several roles:  As the Executive Treasurer for Friendship Ministries, I am exhibiting some of the best curriculum developed for adults with intellectual disabilities, used on 4 continents, dozens of countries, and available in both Spanish and English.

I am also attending as a student completing my D.Min from AGTS at Evangel University.  I'm looking forward to hearing my project advisor, AG theologian and now Fuller Seminary missiologist Amos Yong kick off the morning plenary session. I'm scheduled to learn from the authors I've read extensively from over the past decade -- Hans Reinders, John Swinton, Stanley Haeurwas, Ben Conner, Tom Reynolds, Jeremy Schipper, and fellow NACSPED colleague and Friendship Ministries board member Erik Carter.

Finally, I'm attending as friend.  Looking through the list of attendees I see colleagues from past courses and even some 2006 Special Touch Summer Getaway (Minnesota) attendees.  I like how Wichita represents -- Myra Jacobs (my fellow Haysville USD 261 special educator) and Tom Racunas, former principal of HeartSpring and current Director of Ministry for Persons with Disability for the Wichita Catholic Diocese.

It's going to be a great week!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen!  (Eph. 3.20-21 ESV)

Take The Survey

Dear fellow AGK leaders:

If you have not received a personalized email in your box with an invitation to take the survey on disability ministry, you can take it by clicking on this link here. 

For more information, you may visit this page:

http://www.abilitychurch.org/p/takethesurvey.html

Blessings,

Pastor Marvin

survey@abilityed.com