January Series in July: Dr. Erik Carter
What does it mean for people with disabilities to truly belong in the church?
This question was at the heart of the January Series in July presentation on July 22 by Dr. Erik Carter, the Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities in the School of Education and Human Development at Baylor University, where he directs the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities. An internationally recognized researcher and advocate, Carter has spent more than two decades studying how schools, churches, workplaces, and communities can foster belonging for people with disabilities. His research has focused especially on the experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, helping organizations move beyond inclusion toward genuine relationships and community.
Drawing on years of research and experience, Carter challenged church leaders to move beyond simply welcoming people with disabilities into church buildings and instead to cultivate communities where every person is known, needed, and loved.
"We often talk about being welcoming," Carter said. "But belonging is much more than being present in the same space."
He described a progression from exclusion to segregation, inclusion, integration, and ultimately belonging. While many churches have made strides toward becoming more accessible, he noted that true belonging happens when people are woven into the life of a congregation—not only on Sunday mornings but also throughout the week.
"It's the difference between being present and being a presence," he explained.
Belonging Is Relational
Research consistently shows that people know when they do or do not belong.
Carter identified 10 dimensions of belonging: being present, invited, welcomed, known, accepted, supported, cared for, befriended, needed, and loved. Rather than measuring success by the number of disability programs a church offers, congregations, he said, need to ask how well they embody each of these dimensions through genuine relationships.
"Belonging isn't primarily about a place," he said. "It's about personal relationships."
The Need Is Significant
Disability is far more common than many congregations realize. Approximately 19 percent of people live with a disability, while about 3 percent have an intellectual disability. So in a metropolitan area the size of Grand Rapids, Mich., for example, there are roughly 200,000 people with disabilities. Yet many are missing from church life.
Research cited during the presentation found that fewer than one in five people with disabilities participates in a youth group or small group. More than half of parents reported keeping their child from church ministry because adequate support was unavailable, and 52 percent of adults with intellectual disabilities do not attend a faith community.
Perhaps most striking is that nearly one in three families said they changed churches because their child with a disability was not welcomed.
"Ministry without people with disabilities is more common than we realize," Carter said.
Removing Barriers
Some barriers are physical. Churches may lack accessible entrances, seating, classrooms, or restrooms. Other barriers are relational. Carter quoted disability advocate Ed Wood, who once observed, "If shut-ins can go to Walmart but not your church, they are shut out, not shut in."
He encouraged churches to consider whether their buildings and their congregational culture are less accessible than the communities around them.
Many churches genuinely want everyone to feel welcome, Carter acknowledged. But announcements alone are rarely enough. "We have to move beyond saying, 'Everyone is welcome,'" he said. "We need to invite individual people."
Simple actions can make a significant difference: greeting newcomers, introducing them to others, inviting them to lunch or into a small group, following up when they are absent, and learning how they and their families can best be supported.
Seeing Strengths, Not Deficits
True belonging means knowing people personally. Rather than focusing on limitations, Carter encouraged churches to recognize each person's strengths, gifts, interests, and calling. Every individual reflects the image of God and has something valuable to contribute to the body of Christ. Acceptance, he said, grows when people are welcomed not despite who they are but for all of who they are.
Sometimes that requires changing expectations. Congregations may need to become more comfortable with movement or noise during worship rather than expecting absolute silence. Leaders should also consider the messages communicated from the pulpit and throughout congregational life about disability and inclusion.
Supporting Families beyond Sunday
Belonging extends beyond worship services.
Churches can provide practical support through transportation, respite care, financial assistance, accessible Christian education, spiritual counseling, and advocacy. They can also help to address broader challenges that many people with disabilities face, including unemployment, housing, and social isolation.
Carter encouraged congregations to ask a simple but powerful question: "How can we support your family?" The answer often reveals opportunities for meaningful ministry.
Everyone Is Needed
One of Carter's strongest challenges, he said, has been to rethink who participates in ministry. Too often people with disabilities are viewed primarily as recipients of care. Scripture presents a different picture. Drawing on 1 Corinthians 12, Carter reminded participants that every member of Christ's body has gifts that are essential to the church's flourishing.
"The giver and receiver roles have become far too static," he said. "We have much to gain from including people with disabilities." Churches should actively seek out those who are missing, moving people with disabilities from being an afterthought to becoming a forethought in ministry planning.
A Community of Love
Ultimately, Carter said, belonging can be summarized in one word: love.
To belong is to receive three messages: You are valuable. You are as valuable as anyone else. You are loved by the people around you.
Creating that kind of community does not begin with another ministry program. It begins with relationships. "People with disabilities don't have 'special needs,'" Carter concluded. "They have universal needs."
For churches seeking to become places of genuine belonging, the invitation is simple but profound: know people by name, invest in their lives, recognize their gifts, and make sure every person can say with confidence, "I belong here."
