CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran congregations across the United States and Caribbean are being recognized for their commitment to provide places of worship that are welcoming to people with all types of disabilities. The National Organization on Disability (NOD) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are honoring these congregations through parallel campaigns.
The Rev. Lisa Thogmartin-Cleaver, director for disability ministries and deaf ministry, ELCA Division for Church in Society, said the NOD sponsored the "Accessible Congregation Campaign: 2,000 by the year 2000." The ELCA offers an "Annual Accessibility Award," she said.
Since 1998 the NOD has asked U.S. congregations of all Christian denominations to fill out and return forms, hoping to receive 2,000 commitments "to break down the physical and attitudinal barriers that have long kept people with disabilities from a full life of faith" by the end of 2000.
The campaign fell slightly below its goal by the end of the year, said Thogmartin-Cleaver, but surpassed its goal quickly after the self-imposed deadline. The NOD awarded 2,028 commitment certificates to congregations as of May 1.
Lutheran congregations accounted for 402 of those congregations, leading all other U.S. denominations. The congregations included members of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Catholic congregations were second with 302 certificates, followed by Methodist with 227, Presbyterian with 151, Episcopal with 137 and Baptist with 111.
"The basic idea of the campaign is that a congregation is committing to work toward accessibility," said Thogmartin-Cleaver. "It didn't have to be fully accessible when it entered the campaign."
"This campaign was endorsed by ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson, who felt that it was important to request and then support congregations in their move toward accessibility," said Thogmartin-Cleaver. "I am certainly proud that we have been participating in this campaign and leading it," she said.
The ELCA has its own campaign "to encourage congregations to continue to work in disability ministries," said Thogmartin-Cleaver. Criteria for the ELCA's Annual Accessibility Award include projects to make the church building accessible and the extent that people with disabilities are involved in worship, leadership and other activities of the congregation.
"We ask congregations to fill out a form, telling us the work they've been doing in disability ministries in the last year," she said. Each year a committee looks at applications and picks one congregation to be honored.
The winning congregation receives a certificate and a check for $1,000. The NOD and Aetna U.S. Healthcare provide the cash prize.
Thogmartin-Cleaver said applications for the award will be accepted through May 31, and the winner will be selected in mid-June.
Ascension Lutheran Church, Albert Lea, Minn., won the ELCA Accessibility Award in 2000. -- -- --
Congregations receiving National Organization on Disability commitment certificates are listed at http://www.nod.org/acctallies.html on the NOD Web site.
Applications for the ELCA's Annual Accessibility Award are available at http://www.elca.org/dcs/annual.html on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
