UCC Disabilities Ministries

God Is Still Speaking . . . General Synod 24 theme of the UCC proclaims loud and clear that God has more work for us to do as individuals, local churches, the United Church of Christ, and the church universal. Our role is to listen as God speaks, to follow, and act.

How is God speaking to and through the UCC Disabilities Ministries? At last Synod,
UCCDM celebrated 25 years of service within the church and 10 in the UCC Mental
Illness Network with the message that the disability community brings a diversity of
gifts needed to make the Body of Christ complete.

We celebrated the gift of writing manifested in newly published books by Disabilities
Ministries members–Lessons from a Dog Guide and Preaching the Parables, Cycle C
by Dee Brauninger; the new UCC resource booklet, Letters from My Sisters: Words of
Wisdom and Comfort for Women Living with a Brain Disorder Commonly Known
as Mental Illness, edited by Norma Mengel; Bob Molsberry’s Blindsided by Grace:
Entering the World of Disability; and the forthcoming autobiography of Virginia
Kreyer, early UCCDM pioneer and staff person (1978–1995).

Much has been accomplished in these years with the leadership of retiring UCCDM co-chairs Rita Fiero and Rev. Jeanne Tyler and MIN activist-advocate Rev. Robert Dell. As
we move forward, God continues to call us to eliminate the stigma and marginalization
that are still manifested. This need was evident as teenagers, parents, spouses, pastors,
and friends visited our Synod exhibit to gather materials and share stories of healing
or of continuing heartache at exclusion from the full life of the church.

It is time the whole church listens–God’s Word is that all persons are created in God’s
image, are of value, and have unique gifts. God calls us to radical hospitality to all of
God’s people.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive