One Body, One Spirit: Disability and Community in the Church

by Paul Pettit, B Epps

208 pages, Paperback

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Director of Career Services @ Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas.
President of Dynamic Dads (www.dynamicdads.com)
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Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an interview scheduled with coauthors Jason Epps and Paul Pettit, and as before any interview, I grabbed a copy of the book to look through so I could make sure I ask pertinent questions. I picked up One Body, One Spirit on a Sunday afternoon and, instead of glancing through it, I spent the rest of the day reading every word. This is one of the best, most profitably challenging books I've read in a long time. The focus is bringing people with disabilities into the church to more fully realize what the apostle Paul described as "the body of Christ." When the church excludes certain people from worship and service, the body remains incomplete. Epps knows this well, having lived with cerebral palsy that keeps him in a powered wheelchair. His stories of wanting to serve in a teaching ministry—his disability is physical, not mental; he has completed graduate seminary studies—are heartbreaking, and yet they all seem too familiar. As I read, I could imagine church leaders responding in the ways they have responded to Epps; and more, I could remember my own dismissiveness or lack of noticing. Whether unintentional or not, such responses are no longer possible after I read this book.

The book presents some helpful statistics and brief considerations of disability in the Old and New Testaments. Then it explains the heart of the project: a five-step process to help bring the able-bodied and those with disabilities together for meaningful friendship and service in the church. The steps of the process—Notice, Engage, Research, Incorporate, Advocate—focus not on creating new "ministries to the disabled" but on helping individuals in the church bring those with disabilities into community. Note that the "research" stage is not about researching the disability, but on doing "location scouting" in advance of an event, to make sure the person with a disability will be able to navigate and access the environment successfully. The five steps are not meant to turn every able-bodied person into a "savior" for everyone nearby who has a disability; rather, they're an invitation to invest in one or a few friendships, to the benefit of everyone involved.

Epps and Pettit use some interesting terms throughout the book that helped form my perspective in positive ways. Drawing on the spy genre, they refer to the person with a disability as the "asset" and the able-bodied friend as the "handler." That made me smile, and it confronted me with my responsibility to the communities I'm a part of. People with disabilities are not a "burden"—they're a benefit (which doesn't mean these friendships won't take significant time and effort from the "handler"; but the effort is not only worthwhile, but part of our calling as followers of Christ). The coauthors also suggest the term "temporarily able-bodied," in recognition of the fact that everyone is but one accident or old age away from finding themselves not as "able-bodied" as they'd thought. All of us will find ourselves in places where we need help; what better lifestyle to cultivate all along the way than eyes to notice everyone around us and a heart to do all we can to help?

These comments only just touch on the beauty of One Body, One Spirit. It is a book I believe every Christian should read, as soon as possible. It brings conversations about disabilities and the church from surface-level (though necessary) issues of facilities accessibility to the core of any relationship: each person finding the role that God has called them to for service. The book can be read in a couple sittings, but what it presents will totally change your viewpoint.

[Jennifer Groom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for someone curious about promoting friendship opportunities in the community and churches. The book centers around the Five Step Plan which is action steps to take. I am familiar with other five step plans related to disabilities and this is different as it is not an attitude, but actionable items.

[B Jason Epps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book to share my experience as a person with disabilities. However, it became a message and resource for believers. I want people with disabilities to be freed from the lie that they are a burden and to find a sense of belonging and usefulness. I want people without disabilities to know how to engage with those who are different. I want to foster meaningful relationships among all believers.

Initially, this project was a tool to help me process through loneliness and isolation due to my Cerebral Palsy. I was tired of not having practical suggestions when people asked how they could help. The goal of this book is to equip churches to foster genuine relationships between people with and without disabilities. By creating genuine friendships, we become a better model of the Church as intended.

The book has three main parts. The first part sets up the problem, namely the difficulties a person with disabilities faces. These include both physical and social barriers. Part two presents what the Bible says about disability. The book concludes with a five-step plan for developing genuine friendships.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing and practical introduction to connecting authentically with people with disabilities. Jason and Paul do an excellent job of both casting vision and giving practical steps to make the church welcoming and inclusive to those who are often excluded because of physical limitation.