For five days, hundreds of ELCA Lutherans descended on Phoenix, AZ, for the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. This gathering is set to do the business of the church: to receive reports from the churchwide officers, leaders, and units, to consider proposals from synod assemblies, elect officers and board members, establish ELCA churchwide policy, and to adopt a budget. The business is grounded in opportunities to worship together, to network with ELCA partners, and to live into our calling as the church for the sake of the world.

Whenever you put that many Lutherans in a room, one can expect worship will be holy and moving, and that is exactly what each worship experience was. From dynamic preaching to moving songs, each service had something for everyone. A highlight of worship was to see the diversity of leadership, including leaders with disabilities. While there were many times accessibility came into play, the worship space was laid out in a way that wheelchairs and walkers were not forced to be in the back. Extra space throughout gave room for those who found the small chairs constricting, and a ramp on one side of the stage was something that wasn’t an afterthought or just used by those who need it.

One of the major things that the assembly was tasked with was the election of both a Presiding Bishop and a Secretary. Giving thanks for Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Secretary Deacon Sue Rothmeyer, we began to look towards what the next six years might look like under new leadership. From the very beginning, it was clear that our next leaders need to be bold in their proclamation of the gospel, bold in their service to the church, and ready for an ever-changing church. As the voting process continued, those who advanced were clear in their commitment to uplifting lay leaders, developing new ways of inviting more folks to the table and doubling down on our identity as beloved children of God. In the end, Bishop Yehiel Curry of the Metro Chicago Synod was elected as our Presiding Bishop, and Pastor CeeCee Mills from the North Carolina Synod was elected as Secretary. Both of these elections are a first for the ELCA, not only did we elect two BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) leaders, but all three of the top elected positions for the ELCA are held by diverse individuals.

Throughout the rest of the business of the church, a few things happened quietly that are important to note. The following memorials, resolutions sent from synod assemblies to the Churchwide Assembly were passed en bloc but could have an impact on our communities:

• A5: Youth Gathering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
  • Giving thanks to the Minneapolis Area Synod, the churchwide assembly requests that the ELCA Youth Gathering team explore ways to implement a racial equity audit for the Youth Gathering to address barriers for participation with the goal of increasing and strengthening the leadership of youth participants with persons of color and intersecting identities.
• B4: Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection
  • Giving thanks to the Minneapolis Area Synod and the St. Paul Area Synod, the churchwide assembly urges synods to include the protection of children and vulnerable adults in their trainings for rostered ministers and other leaders in their synod and to adopt policies to ensure that all leaders who are working with children and vulnerable adults are protected, like ensuring training is done and background checks have been completed.

While neither of these memorials speaks directly to people with disabilities, they do speak to an urge in the church to be more aware of how our identities are played out and to provide resources to better live into them. Having served on the tAble planning team the last two cycles, I am excited to see how the ELCA Youth Gathering teams take to heart not only addressing barriers to individuals of color but also to youth with disabilities. What would it look like to see better representation throughout the entire Youth Gathering that reminds us that we are not just included be belong there?

As a church, we have done a good job of including people with disabilities; we have added ramps to stages and ensured accessible bathrooms are available, but we have only begun the work that is needed to move from being included to belonging. As an observer, I witnessed the inaccessibility of events like this, from the long hallways of a convention center to the assumptions made by others, frustrations for some ran high. The desire to be a more inclusive church is there, but we have failed in many ways. With the election of new leadership, it is our time to hold our elected officers accountable for the things they say and do. One of the things that continued to be a theme throughout the week together was our calling to be the church for the sake of the world, our calling to live boldly in service to a world longing for healing, justice, and hope. There were many missed opportunities to make this assembly more accessible. There were moments of changing direction after folks spoke up, but we have to do better, and I hope that we can move from inclusion to belonging.

Pastor Mack Patrick (he/they) is currently serving as Assistant to the Bishop in the Northern Illinois synod, where he oversees communications, stewardship, and youth ministry and is one of the newest members of the ELCA Disability Ministries advisory team.

John Christensen is a life-long ELCA Lutheran, currently working with the World Council of Churches as a Project Officer in the Churches’ Commission for Health & Healing, and the WCC’S Ecumenical Disability Advocates’ Network (EDAN)

I am the son of not one but two Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastors. I have been a part of the church my whole life. I currently work as a project officer for Mental Health Advocacy for the World Council of Churches (WCC), as well as being one of the WCC staff members responsible for the Ecumenical Disability Advocates’ Network (EDAN). It is that last role that makes me the most proud because as a person living with a life-long disability, being in a disability advocacy role is a powerful thing. “No conversation about us, without us,” right?

Working in a transversal space between disability advocacy and mental health advocacy is also an important thing to celebrate because, as I keep reminding people, “You cannot have a conversation about disability without having a conversation about mental health, and you shouldn’t have a conversation about mental health without having one about disability.”

It is estimated by the World Health Organization that 1.3 billion people or approximately 16% of the world’s population experience significant disabilities. Additionally, even pre-pandemic, nearly 970 million people (12.5% of the world’s population) struggled with a diagnosable mental health condition, with that number rising significantly in recent years (WHO, 2019 & 2023). Yet still, in many spaces (even church spaces!), both mental health and disability are nearly taboo topics.

Given the reality that mental healthcare is not readily available everywhere, churches have a unique and vital opportunity to become a safe space for those in need. But we cannot simply say we are a safe space; we must put it into action. Too much of the time, churches preach living a “God-ly” life and that can get members stuck in thinking that we need to be “perfect” when it is really our imperfection that draws us closer to God. We may look around our church and think, “I am the only one struggling. Everyone else’s lives seem good. I must be doing something wrong.” The reality is, the only thing wrong that we’re doing is thinking that we are alone or that God loves us less because we’re struggling.

Jesus’ disciples weren’t oligarchs, politicians or celebrities. He ate with sinners and the unclean, and he brought tax collectors and fishermen to be some of his closest advisors. 

“(The leper said,) ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing’ ” (Mark 1:40-41, New International Version).

Though some may interpret it differently, I believe that Jesus was not indignant of this man of physical and societal ‘uncleanness’ coming near to him – but to the fact that the man questioned Jesus’ willingness to heal him. If we are to “(i)mitate God (…) in everything (we) do,” then why do we so easily shy away from those we too easily categorize as different (i.e. unclean) in comparison to ourselves? (Ephesians 5:1)

If we do not have love for our neighbor who we can see, how can we then say that we have love for our God, who we cannot see? The challenge, then, is this – to see God in our neighbor. “Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me,” says the Lord, “you failed to do it to me.” (Matthew 25:45, The Message).

May we work harder every day to not just see but seek out God in everyone we meet, trusting that it will enrich not only our own life but those in our communities and our world.

In our churchwide organization’s recently released God’s Love Made Real strategic recommendations report, research from the Barna Group and Fuller Seminary suggests a path forward for the church to connect with new, young and diverse people in our communities. As the report was being compiled, it became clear that there were emerging gaps in how we understand, welcome, and include people with disabilities into a full life of participation in the church.

That awareness drove the process of creating the ELCA Disability Ministries Report, completed in partnership with Datawise Consulting and our ELCA Research and Evaluation colleagues, and shared earlier this spring. Drawing on qualitative research from ELCA congregations that are intentional about their own disability ministries, the report highlights resources and opportunities for congregations and ELCA Disability Ministries to more effectively connect with and support people with disabilities.

Hi friends!

Today’s post links with our upcoming newsletter. Be sure to check out Rev. Peter Heide’s interview below, and go to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America newsletter sign up page and subscribe to receive our next and future newsletters! 🙂 Thanks!

–Rev. Lisa Heffernan,coordinator

The following resources enable Braille readers to lead worship more easily and to participate fully in impromptu hymn sings. Users of other formats will also have increased access to worship resources.

• The National Library Service (NLS): Without charge, individuals can receive both a digital talking-book player and a 20-cell, refreshable Braille eReader. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism and several translations of the Bible are available. NLS at the Library of Congress
• The  electronic Braille edition of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), ISBN 9781506445793, is now available from Bookshare, an independent provider of materials in EPUB scalable font, DAISY synthetic voice and BRF (Braille Ready Format). ELW was uploaded thanks to proofreading work completed by Terry Gorman, a friend of the Disability Ministries advisory team. All material from the large-print edition — liturgy, psalms and hymns — is included.
  • Listen to an audio interview with Gorman, conducted by the Rev. Peter Heide, a member of the advisory team:

• Bookshare also has several editions of the NRSV and NRSVue available. My Bookshare | Bookshare

A little over a year ago I was approached by two of our ELCA seminaries with an invitation to teach a May term class on disability theology and ministry. After a few (okay, several) moments of thinking “Who…me?” and many calls with some of my trusted friends/colleagues and family, I answered with a cautious “Sure! When?”. May term 2025? Perfect! Now, if you know me, you know the procrastination/imposter syndrome bug can catch me. And goodness, did it! Very quickly the months passed, and it was go-time for planning the course.

Teaching this kind of course wasn’t super new to the seminaries; they had held a similar one back in 2021. But what way did I want to go with it? Well, here’s where I can thank the folks at Wartburg Seminary and Western Theological Seminary (where I’m attempting to finish my doctor of ministry degree). I felt led to take a practical theology route. Because, what good would a class on a theology of disability be if it couldn’t have some kind of practical impact on the students and the church? After staring at a good 20 books-high pile, and a panicked call (or a million) later to bounce ideas around, things got started. Seven sessions, two weeks. Yikes! Come, Holy Spirit!

When the weeks of class began, I was honored to get to know and teach two students from LSTC, one from Wartburg, and another from our friends at the Catholic Theological Union. We were up for a challenge together, and I am so thankful for this small, but phenomenal, mix of students. Their interest, passion, and dedication to the Gospel were really what made our time cohesive and fruitful.

In the first week we tackled definitions and models of disability, a brief history of the disability justice movement, and looked ahead to case studies; real world scenarios they may encounter related to access and disability in their futures as leaders. The highlight of the week for myself was the day I simply got to sit back and listen over Zoom as my dear friends and colleagues Anita Smallin and Rev. Sarah Mayer-Flatt taught sessions on faith formation (Anita) and a study of Amy Kenny’s My Body is Not a Prayer Request (Sarah). I am so grateful for their insights and work brought to the class. And I know the students LOVED the discussions and conversations that day. By the end of the week their minds, and mine, were full!

The second and final week we studied and discussed Bethany McKinney Fox’s Disability and the Way of Jesus, a tough but wonderful book on what it means to heal in the way of Jesus. This week, and in those first days too–oops!– we also talked about language in worship, did my favorite bible study called “I Met That Person Once”, introduced to me by Pastor Jonathan and Kara Vehar in 2006. The practical pieces also included language around prayer, preaching from a disability/anti-ableist perspective, and inclusive worship practices. I know I’m forgetting more–it was a full couple of weeks!

On our second to last day we gathered in our Zoom space with my colleagues Rev. Brian Krause, Deacon Amanda Sabelko, and Rev. Edward Pease for a panel on their experiences in ministry and the church as leaders living with disabilities, and quite a bit more. Our conclusion? The church still has a long way to go for disabled leaders and their families, but the call to lead and participate and break down barriers is strong. The resources and the trust in the church, in ourselves as leaders, and the trust of our people whom we serve? That’s coming along too, and all find common ground in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On our last day, we reflected on lessons learned, and leaned into the students’ hard work on their case studies. One focusing on what to do if a leader feels pressured to ask a disabled youth and their family to leave a congregation, and the other on how we might think about hospitality and the construction of our worship and gathering spaces. I promise you, these are some wise students. And I’m proud that the church will get to be served by people like Kit, Brandon, Megan, and Didier.

And that was it! Class was complete, and I hope to be able to get the opportunity again. I’m thankful for the opportunity and experience, and am reminded by my own sense of call, embodiment, and experiences with ableism and prejudice that happen all the time, even the next day at synod assembly, that a theology of disability and different disability ministries and services are needed if we are indeed to live into our baptismal vocation as servants of Jesus Christ. (Note: Don’t congratulate a wheelchair user for using the bathroom on her own! Just don’t do it.)

Thank you to all of you who support our seminaries, colleges, rostered and lay leaders, and the holy diversity found in them. We need you, and we need one another, as we journey together with Christ.

A blessed Pentecost to you all! As noted in a previous post, our grant applications have been open now since May 15th. Here is an overview of the description of the grants for 2025 and guidelines/expectations for applications. This year we will be giving a total of $35,000 in grants (Applicants can apply for a grant up to $10,000.)

For instructions on how to register and apply, please go to: https://www.elca.org/our-work/grants/impact-church-ministry after reading the description here. We’re excited to see God at work in your projects and plans!

Peace,

Rev. Lisa Heffernan,

ELCA Disability Ministries,coordinator

Grant applicants are required to follow the guidelines below to be eligible to receive grant funding through Disability Ministries. Please read through the description thoroughly before submitting your application.

All applicants seeking funds from Disability Ministries must demonstrate how the request or initiative addresses at least one of the following goals:
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– Raising up people with disabilities for leadership positions, encouraging the participation of those with disabilities in the wider church, and preparing leaders for serving people with disabilities.
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– Equipping our synods, congregations, and members with relevant and practical information that enables them to welcome and support individuals with disabilities so that they might participate fully in the life of the congregation, and that, together, all might experience being the body of Christ.
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– Gathering and connecting those with disabilities and various groups within the church so that they might help us become an inclusive, supportive, and whole community of faith.

Additionally, all applicants must:
*Provide a detailed budget for their project.

*If applicable, provide plans for the sustainability of their project.
*Must clearly show that there is a current relationship, or that they are actively building a relationship with people who live with disabilities in their settings.

Please note that applications for all kinds of projects and programs will be considered for funding. It is vital that applicants include how their project directly benefits disabled people in their settings and ministries.

We will be funding a total of $35,000 in projects this year. Applicants can apply for a grant up to $10,000. Ministries that have received funding from Disability Ministries in the last three years are ineligible for this cycle of grant funding.

The application will open on May 15th, and close on July 31st. Projects receiving grants will be announced by the end of October 2025.