Logo

 

Banner Image:   National-News-banner-Purple
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet


'Making your church more accessible to disabled people does not make you inclusive' 

 

That's the opinion of the Revd Glen Graham who was born blind and is minister of Salisbury Road Baptist Church in Plymouth

Making your church more access

Speaking at the seminar organised by the BUGB Disability Justice Group entitled 'Overcoming Barriers to inclusion of Disabled People', Mr Graham said that improving accessibility for disabled people to attend services was welcoming, but just the first step of inclusion.

True inclusion would mean disabled people being equal at church and taking an active part in all aspects of church life from being church leaders to being part of the Baptist Union's structures.

Mr Graham went onto explain some barriers to inclusion. One of them was how the Bible can become a 'savage text' to misinterpret being disabled with sin and punishment. However the example of the way Jesus took the marginalised, like those with leprosy for instance, and brought them into the middle of society showed the Bible could be a 'narrative of hope and inclusivity'.

He recalled times when people have prayed for him to be healed of his blindness, something he feels suggests that 'God has made an error'. He doesn't agree with this - he believes God made him blind for a reason. 'I'm not broke,' he said.

The Revd Martin Hobgen, minister of Limbrick Wood Baptist Church in Coventry, then highlighted how the ways able bodied people speak about disabled people can label them as 'different', instilling a culture of 'them and us'. Quoting from the book The Disabled God he said, 'Disabled people do not live different lives. They live ordinary lives differently.'
 
    Post     Tweet
Baptist Union Council: October 2026
Revisions to our Ministerial Recognition Rules and ministerial disciplinary processes, and the initial presentation of a renewed framework to clarify Baptists Together's existing vision, values, mission and objectives, were among the key items
Celebrating 20 years of JPIT
The 20th anniversary of the formation of the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) was celebrated with a service of thanksgiving at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster
Christian social action 'at a crossroads'
The disconnect between charity and justice, problems of deepening dependency and the disconnect from distinctive Christian roots all need to be grappled with, according to a new report
Think tank reports findings on Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism is not a cohesive movement but part of a ‘shifting landscape of different attitudes’, and it is important to understand ‘the real range and nature of the views held by different parties,’ according to a new Theos report
What's NextUp for Baptists Together?
Participants from the latest Baptist learning community for 18-35 year olds gathered from across the UK to explore God's mission and His calling on their lives. Report by Alice Cheeseman
'Full of emotions and sadness but hope for the future'
More than 450 people took part in a day of remembering, lament, thanksgiving and hope to mark the closure of Spurgeon’s College
     Latest News 
    Posted: 10/11/2026
    Posted: 15/09/2026
    Posted: 02/09/2026
    Posted: 22/05/2026
    Posted: 21/05/2026
    Posted: 27/03/2026
     
    Text Size:  
    Small (Default)
    Medium
    Large
    Contrast:  
    Normal
    High Contrast