1998 Annual Meeting

The NCPWD Annual Meeting, October 8-10, 1998

The NCPWD met for its annual meeting, October 8-10, 1998, at our national denominational setting in Cleveland, Ohio. The meeting included joint sessions with Pathways for Promise, an ecumenical mental illness network chaired by Jennifer Shifrin from St. Louis, Missouri. Pathways' UCC representative is Rev. Bob Dell from Sandwich, Illinois, also our contact with the UCC Mental Illness Network. Joint Session Highlights:
Jennifer Shifrin of Pathways and Beezy Bentzen of NCPWD began the session with a celebration of the coming together of the two groups. The Rev. Jim Vanderlaan, of Pathways and the Christian Reformed Church, challenged Pathways and NCPWD representatives to find common ground for service in the life and mission of the UCC. Two areas of common concern emerged:

• The Rev. Dr. Charles Bamford of NCPWD offered findings from his UCC Employment Study which indicates that clergy who have disabilities are a source for leadership in our wider church which has a pastoral shortage.
• Jennifer Shifrin proposed that the two groups, Pathways and NCPWD, consider working together on an Aging and Disability Initiative.

Other NCPWD Meeting Highlights:

• Agreed to celebrate and support the Accessible Congregations Campaign initiated by the National Organization on Disability (NOD). A flier is enclosed. NCPWD invites your congregation to join in committing to access by completing the flier and returning it to:

  National Committee on Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD)

  Rev. David E. Denham, Consultant

  700 Prospect Avenue - 3rd Floor

  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1100.

  Address questions to Lorraine Thall, NOD Coordinator of Accessible Congregations Campaign, 202-293- 5960 or www.nod.org

• Agreed to support resolutions for General Synod 22 on Employment and Mental Illness
• Decided to sponsor jointly with the Mental Illness Network a meal, a caucus, a booth in the exhibit hall, and a workshop at General Synod 22
• Decided to update NCPWD Resource Packets for General Synod distribution and subsequent requests
• Will continue to advocate for the location of persons with disabilities to be in Local Church Ministries within the new Design of the Covenanted Ministries while celebrating the general recommendations for presence with voice and vote in the three other ministries. As of November, primary responsibility for persons with disabilities still is located in Wider Church Ministries
• Rejoiced over the new Radisson Hotel at Gateway, adjacent to the UCC building at 700 Prospect, which opened in June, 1998 and has 22 rooms specifically designed to be accessible. Thanks to the hotel staff and to Rip Noble, our UCC staffer, for working with NCPWD representatives, to make the hotel a model in accessibility and hospitality!
• Cooperated with UCC Live, Office of Communication in developing a video emphasizing disability issues and the ministry of NCPWD. Interviewed were Rita Fiero, NCPWD member; Rev. Doris Powell, NCPWD Associate Member; and David Denham, Consultant on Disability Issues. Call the Office of Communication, 216-736- 2222, to purchase your copy.

What is the UCC National Committee on Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD)?

NCPWD is a committee of seven (7) people charged with the responsibility of proclaiming that the message of Christ, which mandates the participation and contributions of individuals with disabilities in the life and mission of the local and wider church. It is a "moral and spiritual imperative" as noted in the 1995 General Synod 20 resolution (page 7), which called upon the church to be morally bound by the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. NCPWD also has a large network of associate members. Dr. Billie Louise "Beezy" Bentzen of Berlin, MA chairs NCPWD. Other members are Rev. Dr. Charles Bamforth, KS, vice-chairperson; Peggy Bronson, IA; Rev. Doris Dunn, CA; Rita Fiero, CT; Christina Thomas, PA; and Rev. Jeanne Tyler, NE. Rev. David Denham, a local church pastor in MD, serves as the consultant to NCPWD. This committee is part of the Ministries for Health and Welfare, staffed by Barbara Baylor of the American Missionary Association (AMA), United Church Board for Homeland Ministries.

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For persons with disabilities, scripture has been a, source of hope and tension. We offer this workshop to help participants explore how "the healing stories" can come alive and become a channel for personal and spiritual wholeness. It is intended to help church leaders preach and teach scripture with meaning for persons facing their vulnerability. Panel participants will be Harold Wilke, Charles Bamforth, Rita Fiero, Bob Dell, and Jeanne Tyler. The workshop will be interactive. The NCPWD will be active and visible at General Synod 22, July 1 to 6 in Providence, RI at the NCPWD & MIN DINNER, July 2 5:15 p.m. The NCPWD and Mental Illness Network (MIN) are jointly sponsoring this dinner during which we will be offering resources and strategies for conference task forces on disability issues including mental illness. If you are coming to GS and are a member of a conference task force, please come and share your expertise. If you would like to help start a task force in your conference, please come and learn. If you will not be at GS but would like to see a task force on disability issues in your conference, please ask your conference to send a representative to this dinner. Reservations need to be made on the form for General Synod-sponsored meals, which was included in the first General Synod mailing. If you would like to make a reservation and don't have this form, call Edith Guffey at 216-736-2110. The cost is $24.25. The NCPWD will be active and visible at General Synod 22, July 1 to 6 in Providence, RI at the NCPWD Caucus. The NCPWD will caucus for one-half hour each evening at 9:30 p.m. (Check at our booth for the location.) Members and interested persons will have the opportunity to discuss General Synod business related to the interests of persons with disabilities, to work on passage of the two resolutions of greatest interest to persons with disabilities (see resolutions on pp. 11-12), and to discuss a new NCPWD structure for carrying UCC ministry with persons with disabilities into the new century. Please let Chairperson Beezy Bentzen know if you will be attending General Synod. ( 978-838-2307 day/eve or bbentzen@ma.ultranetcom )

NCPWD Annual Meeting, July 7, 1999

Westin Hotel, Providence, RI 9:00am-4:00pm The annual meeting of the NCPWD will take place in Providence on the day following General Synod. This will enable us to keep expenses of the meeting within our very limited budget, while also including Associate Members who are coming to general Synod and who may be able to stay for an extra day. The primary item on the agenda will be to design and develop a new committee structure which is consistent with fulfilling our responsibilities in the new UCC structure, one which will enable us to meet our objectives more effectively as we move into the new century. We will be examining the structures, including the bylaws and financing, of other UCC special interest groups such as the UC Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns and the Council for Hispanic Ministries, to help us envision and decide how to work toward a larger, more active, and self-sustaining model for work on disability ministries within the UCC.

Facing the Challenge - Finding a Solution: The Cornerstone Fund

Local churches throughout the United Church of Christ have often encountered a difficult time borrowing funds for property-related projects -- money needed to improve accessibility, renovate or expand facilities, or to refinance existing real estate debt. As a solution to this challenge, the United Church Board Ministries created the Cornerstone Fund. The mission of the Cornerstone Fund is to help strengthen local churches by providing real state-secured loans at the lowest possible interest rates. Specifically designed to meet the needs of UCC congregations, these loans feature flexible terms and the choice of fixed rate or adjustable rate options. But best of all, the Cornerstone Fund does not charge the fees normally associated with similar loans -- application fees, appraisals, loan origination fees, surveys, and most closing costs are eliminated. In working with local congregations across the homeland, the Cornerstone Fund has held that on new construction and major renovation projects, architectural barriers be addressed. Most often, these churches have realized that the removal of architectural barriers is an act of hospitality and a commitment to their faith, That They May All Be One. To date, the Cornerstone Fund has provided financing for the installation of elevators, the building of ramps, and the renovation and remodeling of older structures so that hallways, restrooms, educational spaces, meeting rooms, sanctuaries, and chancels are welcoming and accessible to all. Investments from local churches and their members create the pool of funds to make these loans possible. "Investing .from the Heart, Building for the Future" is the mission of the Cornerstone Fund. From the start, churches and their members were delighted to discover a way to participate with other churches in their building projects, a way to contribute without making an outright donation. By investing in the Cornerstone Fund, you are really investing in the future of other local churches. Now is the time to become part of the solution. If your church is considering a building-related project to improve accessibility, renovate existing space, or add additional space, call the Cornerstone Fund at its toll-free number of 1-800-UCC-FUND (1-888-822-3863). We'll be glad to discuss your project, send information on borrowing, and provide a copy of our user-friendly loan application. If you or your church want to help other local congregations, why not become an investor in the Cornerstone Fund. Just call 1-888-822-3863. We'll send an Offering Circular and current rate information. Through the work accomplished by the Cornerstone Fund, we praise God by celebrating and advancing the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone of our faith. For more information on the Cornerstone Fund, please contact Gordon Gilles, Vice President at 1-888-822-3863, or gillesg@uccorg.

Where Will NCPWD Be in the New UCC Structure?

In the proposed Amendments to the Bylaws of the UCC to be voted upon by the 22nd General Synod, the NCPWD, along with other historically under- represented groups, will have voting membership on the Boards of Directors of three of the four Covenanted Ministries: Local Church Ministries (LCM), Wider Church Ministries (WCM), and Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM). Terms of office will normally be six years, however, in implementing the new structure, initial terms will be two, four and six years. We will have a voting member on the Executive Council of the General Synod. We will also be eligible to submit two names for the pool of candidates who will qualify for possible membership on the Nominating Committee of General Synod. In the design of the Covenanted Ministries established by the Bylaws, three of the ministries have clearly articulated responsibilities related to disability concerns. Each responsibility is placed under a particular ministry team. The three Covenanted Ministries recognize that the right and needs of persons with disabilities are social justice issues that local churches need to be open to, and inclusive and affirming of persons with disabilities that persons with disabilities have health and welfare needs. Within LCM, the mandate of the Evangelism Ministry Team is the "developing (of) churches which are multiracial, multicultural, and accessible to all." It also includes the Cornerstone Fund. The mandates for the Parish Life and Leadership Ministry Team of LCM encompass responsibilities in the areas of "ministries by, for, and with persons with disabilities." The JWMplaces disability concerns under the Human Rights, Justice for Women, and Transformation Ministry Team, with mandates to work in the areas of "liberation (age, physical accessibility, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender concerns)" and "full inclusion of persons with disabilities." In WCM, "ministry by, for, and with persons with disabilities" is placed under the Health and Welfare Relationships and Advocacy Ministry Team. It is of great significance that it is under the WCM that the work of the NCPWD is to be coordinated. Although recognizing that health and welfare are important issues concerning persons with disabilities, the NCPWD has been strongly advocating that it should not be coordinated by WCM but instead by LCM. This is because placement within WCM perpetuates the medical model of looking at disability issues. Persons with disabilities have felt alienated and separated under the medical model when the medical model is the paradigm, persons with disabilities have been made to feel that their disabilities are what defines them. When that is the paradigm, persons with disabilities, as a group, are "done to and for" and not expected to take charge of their own lives or to contribute to society. The medical model perpetuates the stereotype that persons with disabilities are "unable." On the other hand, the minority empowerment model, which resulted in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a civil rights law, grants persons with disabilities both dignity and self-determination. This is in contrast to the medical model which emphasizes weaknesses and dependency. The NCPWD has repeatedly advocated for coordination of ministries by, for and with persons with disabilities under the Local Church Ministries, recognizing that the most important issue for persons with disabilities in the United Church of Christ is full inclusion in all aspects of church life, for both lay and clergy. To address this concern, David E. Denham, Consultant on Disability Issues, UCBHM, met with the Planning and Correlation Committee of the UCC Executive Council (EC), March 11, 1999. As a result the minutes of the EC Planning and Correlation Committee reflect the presentation given by him, with supporting comments by EC member and NCPWD Associate Member, Richard Pulling, as follows: EC minutes for March 10-14, 1999 Item: 99-3-P&C-2 "The Planning and Correlation Committee recommends the Executive Council approve the request that the Collegium of Officers and The Mission Planning Council make it a priority to reconsider the placement of the coordinating function of the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities." - Passed by the Executive Council, 3/14/99. - Item: 99-3-P&C-C "The Planning and Correlation Committee expresses its appreciation to David Denham, representative of the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities, for his helpful and informative presentation and dialog regarding restructure and about the work of the Committee."

 

KUdos to -

• The Indiana-Kentucky and Central Atlantic Conferences which make copies of this newsletter to send to all their churches in all-conference mailings.
• Molly Chaffee of Coeur D'Alene, ID, who became the first donor to the Newsletter Fund, a fund by which we cover some of the expenses of producing and mailing newsletters.

Other contributions can be mailed to: Ms. Luvette Hickey, UCBHM, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115- 1100, made payable to UCBHM, and designated for the Newsletter Fund.

We celebrate our name That All May Worship and Serve. There were no responses to requests other names for our newsletter.

 

A Network of Support

NCPWD is ready to guide your church to needed resources and to lend support. There are written resources to help you get started. There are people resources, persons from other churches who have had experiences with church accessibility issues and with resolving the problems. Within the Division of Evangelism and Local Church Development/United Church Board for Homeland Ministries there are the UCC Fellowship of Architects and financial resources for local churches. Does your conference have a Task Force or Committee dedicated to accessibility like the EDATF of the Central Atlantic Conference? Such a group is central to developing conference-wide energy focused on accessibility. NCPWD can assist your Conference with starting a Task Force or Committee with the help of someone with experience.

Contributors to this Issue

Billie Louise (Beezy) Bentzen, David E. Denham, Gordon J. Gilles, Gay H. McCormick.

 

Vote

At the Annual Meeting of the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities following General Synod 22, the body voted to change its name to UCC Disabilities' Ministries. Please note this name change-in future correspondences - Disabilities Ministries is a group of church leaders, lay and clergy, with and without disabilities, available to assist individuals, conferences, and congregations, "We are all vulnerable. -We are not all disabled. Person with a disability is defined as any person who has or has acquired a physical or mental impairment, which limits one or more major life activities, such as self care, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, and working on a temporary or permanent basis." Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

 

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive