Theology Of Ministry To People With Disabilities

People with developmental disabilities are typically devalued by society. The Christian church, however, needs not only to reflect on what it means to be created in the image of God in relation to ministries and the developmentally disabled. In addition, it also needs to reflect on the meaning and implications of what it professes in its liturgy. For example, how does becoming part of Christ's body through baptism relate to ministries and the developmentally disabled? The following article will explain the theology of and the implications of liturgy to the church's ministries and the developmentally disabled. To be developmentally disabled in the United States is to be marginalized and devalued. The more serious and numerous the disabilities are, the more extreme the marginalization and devaluation. Current legal and social policies notwithstanding, there is much pressure to merely warehouse persons with developmental disabilities. We as the authors make these claims categorically, b…