One Body, One Spirit: Disability and Community in the Church. By B. Jason Epps and Paul Petitt. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Ministries, 2024. 204 pp. Paper, $18.99.
This book was written to encourage believers and churches to reach out to disabled people. They are often overlooked not just in society but in churches. The authors maintain that this is a large but neglected group, as 25 percent of people have some kind of disability (p. 29).
The authors relate many personal stories of those who have struggled with disabilities. They tell of one couple who adopted a special needs child and experienced a multitude of problems. The church they attended was not sensitive to their needs. The couple could not attend church together because of the lack of help they received (pp. 36-37). They eventually changed churches and attended one that reached out to them.
Chapter two deals with the physical barriers at church that impact people with disabilities. These include parking, entrances and doorways, stairwells, bathrooms, and even coffee bars. The authors point out what many may not even consider. People with disabilities may need help in taking communion (p. 54).
Chapter three discusses social barriers. I found a comment by the authors jarring because it shows how our culture can affect how we see disabled people. We want to replace the old with those who are young and healthy. Many would not want a disabled person to sing in the choir because of “practical” concerns. Subconsciously, we might view a handicapped person as “less than” those who are not (p. 61).
In a summary statement, the authors ask if we see the disabled as a burden or a blessing. Such people can add to the ministry of a church (p. 74), and that is the way we must see them. The book includes a story of a man with a bad stuttering problem. He asks the Lord to take it away because he cannot serve the Lord with such a disability (p. 85). He did not realize that God’s grace is perfected in weakness.
The authors discuss people with disabilities in both the OT and the NT in chapters 4–5. They suggest that Naomi was disabled because of her age. Ruth ministered to her.
An interesting discussion revolves around 1 Cor 6:15-20. The authors say that our culture emphasizes healthy bodies that look good. We want our bodies to function properly and have a tendency to look down on bodies that do not (p. 91).
Another example is a woman with type 1 diabetes. She describes how she felt worthless and had nothing to add to the church. She even felt God did not love her. Through a friend, she learned she was a gift to the church and that other believers could learn from her. She also gave other Christians the opportunity to be a servant as they served her (p. 93).
Bartimaeus, in Mark 10, provides an example of how even believers can see those who are disabled. The crowds tell him to be quiet when he calls out for the Lord. They do not think he merits the attention of Christ (p. 102). Not surprisingly, the authors point to the disability of Paul with his thorn in the flesh (p. 105).
The meat of the book is the five-step plan for reaching out to disabled people in the community and the church. We are encouraged to notice them, engage with them, do our research, incorporate them in all the church does, and advocate for them (pp. 123-78).
The strength of this book is that it can wake up believers to a reality of which they might not be aware. We are called to be servants of others, and there is a large proportion of our population that we can serve. We might not even notice them. If we do, we might feel there is nothing we can do. But there is.
I had a sister with cerebral palsy. One of the authors of this book does as well. He speaks from experience. Individuals need the love and friendship of believers, sometimes even to be able to attend church. Can you think of a better way to serve another believer than to make it possible for them to worship with other believers? This book will give us ideas on how we might be able to serve in these ways.
A sobering part of this book is the stories that are told. Often, people with disabilities attend a church that reaches out to them. Doctrinal purity is not discussed. A person who needs a wheelchair will probably attend a church with easy access and has people who reach out to them. They so much appreciate the concern of others that they will attend a church with bad theology.
If there is any group of believers who should minister to people with special needs, it should be Free Grace people. We want them to hear the message of grace. After they believe, only we can teach them about rewards. If they endure through the difficulties of their disabilities, God will reward them greatly in His kingdom. Christ wants us to serve everyone around us, including those with disabilities. If we do, He will be pleased with us at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
I recommend this book. It does not discuss sound theology. But it does give us plenty of food for thought. The bottom line is this: When we reach out to believers (and unbelievers) around us who have unique needs, we are like Christ, the greatest Servant of all.
Kathryn Wright
Missionary
Columbia, SC
