Dr Kelly Fleming

The Church has over time and not necessarily on purpose, become exclusive. When a visitor enters the Church building, although they may be warmly welcomed, there is an invisible curtain that divides the member and the visitor – the “us” and “them.” Through Church history, exclusion has reigned dominate. It has only been in the past fifty years that we have seen ecumenical agreements within the Church. Much more work in this field must be done and an exemplary way of doing so is to work toward inclusion of disabled people in the Church. It is the Church’s responsibility to live the Gospel and to become the inclusive Body of Christ. Other terms for inclusion are embody, embrace, encompass, incorporate, and involve. These words help provide us with more ways to look at how the Body of Christ can be made whole again, by applying these words to every aspect of Church life.

❤️🙏🤟🏼