2020 has introduced so many new words into our vocabulary that we had never said before. Pandemic, quarantine, social distancing…coronageddon?
And now, months after we all thought and hoped these words would be a thing of the past, we are still working on another new term: our “Comeback Plans,” in which churches outline detailed processes for how to return to what typical church used to look like.
But as we adjust to this new reality and re-envision what the future of Church will look like, I am left wondering—what if a “return” to how church used to be isn’t enough?
Many of the concepts that the general population have experienced for the first time in 2020 are all too familiar to some in the disability community. Even in a world without pandemic, one study showed that the average person with a disability spent less than 30 minutes a day with another human. The new reality that many of us are experiencing for the first time is all too familiar for many families who face manifold barriers to leave their home on a typical day.
Photo credit: Kaye on Lightstock.com.
So what if we took this opportunity to re-imagine a church that was accessible to 100% of people—rather than just the 85% who don’t live with disabilities? What if we refused to be satisfied with a congregation that didn’t have a place for people with disabilities to contribute to the full-bodied life of the church? What if our “comeback plans” didn’t stop at defining the cleaning protocol or the socially-distanced pew setup? What if these plans went on to address inaccessible buildings, liturgies, and attitudes?
We believe the Church can rise to this challenge. We believe the Church can be a place where the largest under-reached people group—people with disabilities—are fully welcomed.
We believe that the Church is able to adapt; not just out of necessity when a global pandemic demands it, but also out of love when a global population is excluded.
We believe that God can use this time of disruption to reshape our own awareness and thoughts about our communities so that when we “can” go back to our churches, everyone “can” join us.
If you want to find out more about how to help your church create an “Ultimate Comeback Plan,” connect with us at info@thebanquetnetwork.com.
Hunter and Amberle Brown help lead an organization called The Banquet Network that is based in Baltimore, MD. The Banquet Network works with churches to inspire, equip, and resource them to reach people with disabilities who are on the margins of their communities. Hunter is pursuing post-graduate studies in Theology at the University of Oxford. Amberle works full-time for World Relief, an international health and development NGO, and is passionate about helping churches include and reach people with disabilities based on her own experience of becoming visually impaired and her encounters with people with disabilities in her work in developing countries.
