Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list No. 3-134

PASTORAL LETTER RE THE DISABLED (Leadership Issues)

from Keith Ayton

To introduce myself to those lucky enough not to know me, I am a ordained, unregistered, almost human who is as deaf as a post, nearly as blind as a bat with a few other fun malidys thrown in, that on an odd ocasion will do a bit of ministry work to other "disabled" people.( well i am alergic to work)

This is a pastoral letter about wether we are using ALL of our resources to there fullest, i know many pastors complain of how few workers there are in thier paticular church, but concider, how many of your parishinors that are able to do some valuble work for Christ Jesus are just ignored and assumed by you (yes you) to have nothing to contribute?.

The largest number of complaints i get is from people in the church who are sick of bieng pityd and treated like they are morons only fit to be lectured to that could not understand the meaning of what we hold so dear and in no way could actualy witness to others these concepts.

I even know of one women who does tirless work for the church and has expressed the wish to be ordained but is too afraid to ask her pastor about what is involved, usualy complaining about how therir latest one they payed to be registered emediatly nicked off for a beter job in the northern subburbs. She does not seem to want to believe that you dont have to be registered t do most of the ministry work and is expecting her minister to have an sudden insight from the boss that she desires it ,(although she is bipolar, which may explain some of it}..

The second coplaint i hear saddly all to frequently, is a minister with a television show that i am sure does a lot of good work who has the ocational brain fade and says " if you don't go to church you are not a christian ". Does that mean that that someone who has bad arthritis or MS or Heart problems that can't walk to there nearest church but instead listens to his show is not a christian ??? or if someone who is too deaf or blind to atend a church service (this subject has been well covered here on pasternet) not a christian ??.I am sure he does not mean it to sound that heartless, but many disabled people sadly take it that way. If the person involved recognises himself i hope he takes it in the kindest way possible (Sledje hammeres are gentle aren't they??) and is not ment to be unkind or hurtfull in any way.

Maybe that spastic guy/girl in the wheel chair over there if given a bit of encoregment may convert the next Billy Graham or Charles Colson... Just consider all the other disabled people that he/she comes in contact with that would not otherwise have a chance to hear the good news and be saved like we are that the rest of us do not have access to, maybee thousands of extra people saved because of one person. (ok i may be exagerating)

Apology's for the lousy spelling, i am after all just a moron.

Yours in him

Keith Ayton <>