History of Disabilities Ministries in the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Although the Seventh-day Adventist church has always ministered to people with disabilities, albeit in limited ways, its most visible contribution has been the establishment of Christian Record Services (CRS). Since 1899, CRS has provided services to people with visual disabilities. From 1980 – 1997, it provided services to persons with hearing disabilities. In the late 1980s, the church through the Office of Human Relations recognized the need to develop a more comprehensive approach that would meet the varied needs of people with disabilities.

People with disabilities comprise from 21 percent of the North American Division (NAD) membership. As an underrepresented group, NAD has created a Commission for People with Disabilities to oversees union, conference, and local church leaders. Each level of the church body is to develop and implement strategies that ensure quality of opportunity to worship and utilize spiritual gifts.

In 1995 at the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference World Session held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, the church voted to develop programs for witnessing to people with disabilities through all levels of the organization. Further, it voted that an administrator or coordinator should be selected to provide leadership at the union, local conference, and local church levels, and that this person also serves as a liaison with organizations providing services for people with disabilities.

Below is described the action taken by the General Conference:

VOTED to add a new section, Ministry to People with Disabilities, to the Church Manual, in the section The Department of Lay Activities, page 96, following Community Services Center, to read as follows:

Ministry to People with Disabilities—Through the Ministry to People with Disabilities, a local church should give special attention to members and others with disabilities.

It should

  • develop programs for witnessing to people who have disabilities;
  • make recommendations to the church board regarding possible actions which could make the church facilities more accessible to people with disabilities;
  • assist the church in transportation solutions for people with disabilities; and
  • advise departmental and church leadership regarding possible involvement of members who have disabilities.

“The coordinator of Ministry to People with Disabilities serves as a liaison with organizations providing services for people with disabilities such as Christian Record Services and promotes Christian Record Services programs in the local church.”