UCC Disabilities Ministries

United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries
Strategic Plan of Action for 2005-2007

The UCCDM calls the UCC to achieve full accessibility in all aspects of the church’s work and ministry.

Part 1. Rationale

In 1995 General Synod expanded the multiracial multicultural vision of the UCC to be – multicultural, multiracial, open and affirming, accessible to all. There has been evident systemic change related to the calls for multiracial multi-cultural, and open and affirming. While strides can be noted for A2A, this portion of the call lags significantly behind.

Now is the time for a “call to action” to make “Accessible to All” a central focus throughout the whole church to complete the vision.

Since 1995, General Synod has passed four resolutions: Calling the Church to be morally bound by the spirit of the ADA (1995); to promote the calling and support of clergy with disabilities (1999): to work for justice and inclusion for persons with brain disorders (1999) and to implement a study and commitment process for A2A patterned after the O&A process (2005).

Given the “Extravagant Welcome—Courageous Evangelism” theme of this biennium of the UCC, the UCCDM is prepared to assist and support the whole church in fulfilling our General Synod mandates. There are a minimum of 54 million persons with disabilities in the United States—the largest minority in our society.) Nearly 100% of the population becomes disabled at some point in life. Yet persons with disabilities remain largely invisible, marginalized and discriminated against in the life of our churches and in society at large. Obviously, persons with disabilities should be a major focus of our extravagant welcome.

The UCCDM is prepared to covenant with our UCC leadership to create and carry out an intentional plan with evidence-based strategies to systematically and systemically bring about full integration of the A2A mandate into all settings of the church (national, international, conferences, seminaries, local churches, camps,) so that the church moves into a new day of claiming A2A, operationally, in every aspect of the church’s work and ministry.

Persons with disabilities with their rich life experiences are a great resource in developing disciples around the model of Jesus. Persons with disabilities are leaders, teachers, examples and more, deeply experienced in bringing alive the church’s understand of human vulnerability and interdependence, a core message of our faith tradition. Moses (who had a speech impediment) and Jesus (who included persons with disabilities as central to his ministry) modeled a disability focus for loving God and neighbor.

The UCC Disabilities Ministries was established by General Synod in 1977 with the first board meeting 1978 with the leadership of the Rev. Virginia Kreyer (consultant) and the Rev Dr. Harold Wilke (the first chairperson). In the 1980’s, the early boards developed the Usher’s Guide, Everyone’s Welcome, and the Church Accessibility check list. In 1992, the Mental Illness Network was founded by the Rev. Robert Dell. Regional gathering were convened, and newer members were added to the Disabilities Ministries and the Mental Illness Network.

Since 1995, the UCC Disabilities Ministries and the Mental Illness Network have been active in seeking a way that the disability movement would be woven into our church’s fabric at the level of multiracial/multicultural, and open and affirming. The 1995 addition of “Accessible to All” became lost words in the minutes of General Synod. Discovering again this proclamation would lead the Board of the late 1990’s to work closely with the restructure process so that the UCCDM would be located in Local Church Ministries. This achievement came after considerable resistance. The call of the committee was to place the UCCDM not from a medical model, but rather by an evangelism/community building model.

With the restructure in 2000, the UCCDM emerged from being present on church boards as voice without vote to voice with vote. The UCCDM presence and needs would become more apparent. By 2001, the UCCDM began to consider a design for a local church study process that would model the open and affirming study process. This plan of action culminated with the passage of the 2005 resolution, calling upon the church to implement such a process.

Yet, even with these accomplishments, the church still would lack a fundamental process of proclaiming a theology of disability, training seminarians with disabilities, supporting clergy with disabilities and their family members who have disabilities, weaving disability issues throughout the church’s life in employment, curricula, publications, other written material, among other needs.
The UCCDM requests each of the covenanted ministries to create with the UCCDM a partnership to formulate a cooperative plan to fully implement these resolutions and other measures that are needed to make A2A a visible and fundamental reality in the life of our church. A Disabilities Table needs to be created to oversee a church wide plan with representatives from each of the Covenanted Ministries and the appropriate board representatives. A plan of action needs to be implemented to partner with our Covenanted Ministers to offer them the information needed to support such a plan. A church wide national event or events around disabilities would prepare the church at large for such an initiative.

Part 2. Individual Ministries

Disabilities Ministries

1. Provide leadership for implementing a church-wide strategic plan to achieve full accessibility in every setting and in every aspect of the church’s work and ministry.
2. Develop basic statement of mission; core philosophy, values and image (branding) guide every aspect of DM’s work.
3. Develop a style sheet with terminology that DM approves for use in all media work related to disabilities.
4. Adapt materials for individuals with intellectual challenges and formulate a program to facilitate the development of leadership skills.
5. Define and put in writing the structure and functioning that most effectively and efficiently carries out the mission of DM. (network with similar bodies in the UCC for ideas.)
6. Complete the 501-C-3 process and incorporation.
7. Complete and implement the A2A process and study materials for churches to become an A2A church.
8. In consultation with appropriate national and conference staff, devise a funding program to support DM more fully. (including grant writing).
9. Formulate and initiate a plan for building a general supportive constituency,
10. Formulate a plan to develop relationships with conferences and promote the formation of task forces/inclusion committees there.
11. Devise a program of Wilke lectures.
12. Publish a curriculum for local churches for education and ministry with and to person and families coping with brain disorders (mental illnesses), patterned on the NAMI Family to Family program.
13. Define more clearly the relationship between DM and Mental Illness Network and any other networks that might be formed in the future.
14. Sponsor a regional/national gathering and or sponsored events at next Synod for persons with or interested in disabilities.
15. Work with all the other ministries in the national settings to form partnerships and create a Disabilities Table.
16. Provide periodic inservice for Proclamation and Identity staff.
17. Devise a more comprehensive process for receiving nominations for the DM board and to expand involvement in board related activities.

Local Church Ministries

1. Review all publications and websites of LCM and identify where DM should be included. Formulate a plan to facilitate this happening.
2. Devise a plan for publishing books and resources for A2A ministries and have then incorporated into the UCC Resources Catalog comparable to other under-represented groups such as O&A.
3. Explore with appropriate staff how A2A materials and program could be integrated with the Congregational Vitality Initiative.
4. Produce a video on disabilities ministries for congregations with a significant portion being devoted to search and call committees related to clergy with disabilities.
5. Form a partnership between DM and appropriate LCM staff and other ministries in the national setting, including representation on a Disabilities Table.
6. Plan and hold an event for Seminary professors related to disability curriculum. Develop an ongoing plan to assist and support seminaries to weave disabilities issues into their admissions process, academia, and general campus life.
7. Form a partnership with UCC architects.

Wider Church Ministries

1.Educate staff to what is happening around the world related to disability issues in the World Council of Churches and in various countries. Provide orientation to staff about international disability organizations and resources.

2. Review all publications and websites of WCM and identify where DM issues, A2A language, etc. should be included. Formulate a plan to facilitate this happening.

3. Continue to develop and expand the Wilke Scholarship fund to include both national and international seminary students.

4. Form a partnership between DM and appropriate WCM staff and other ministries in the national setting, including representation on a Disabilities Table.

5. Seek to identify a staff person whose portfolio is disability issues from a global perspective.

Justice and Witness Ministries

1. Educate staff related to Justice and Witness issues related to persons with disabilities, including emphasis on newly disable veterans.

2. Review all publications and websites of J&W and identify where DM issues, A2A language, etc. should be included. Formulate a plan to facilitate this happening.

3. Form a partnership between DM and appropriate J&W staff and other ministries in the national setting, including representation on a Disabilities Table.

4. Seek to identify a staff person whose portfolio is disability issues from a justice perspective.

5. Devise a strategy to work for justice in health insurance, jobs, housing, etc for persons with brain disorders (mental illness) to include the UCC Public Policy office in Washington. (1999 resolution implementations)

General Ministries

1. Work with Proclamation and Identity Ministries to incorporate disability issues and language in every place possible.
2. Work with DM to educate staff to issues and language.
3. Work with financial planning staff to identify a fund raising strategy for DM.
4. Work with the God is Still Speaking initiative to incorporate disability issues and language.
5. Work with Human resources to formulate a plane to achieve fuller employment of persons with disabilities in the national offices.
6. Form a partnership between DM and appropriate General Ministries staff and other ministries in the national setting, including representation on a Disabilities Table.
7. Meet with the Collegium to present the strategy and seek their support.
8. Work with conference related staff to devise a plan for the UCC conferences and seek to be on the agenda for the conference minister consultation annually.

This Strategic Plan was accepted as revised by formal vote of the UCC DM Board at its June 6, 2006, phone conference. db