For full reports and exact statements of the CRCNA position on a particular issue, see references provided below.
우리의 입장
교회는 육체적, 감정적, 감각적, 지적 장애들을 가진 사람들의 필요와 은사를 인정하면서, 돌봄의 공동체가 되기로 서약합니다. 우정 사역(Friendship.org)과 미국개혁교회의 장애인 사역(rca.org/disability-awareness)과 연계된, 장애인 사역부(crcna.org/disability)를 통해서, 북미주 개혁교회는 모든 교회와 성도들이 장애를 가진 분들을 불편하게 만드는 물리적이며 건축적인 장애물, 사고방식의 장벽, 빛, 소리, 이해와 관련된 의사소통의 장애를 제거하도록 강력히 촉구합니다. “모두가 속하고, 모두가 섬기는” 이라는 주제를 따라, 모든 교회, 노회, 그리고 교육기관은 매년 10월 한 주간 장애인들을 섬기는 행사를 주최하도록 합니다. 각 노회는 적어도 한 명을 지역의 장애 돌봄 사역자로 지정하고, 각 교회는 장애에 대한 교회 정책을 채택하고 적어도 교인 한 명을 교회의 장애 돌봄 사역자로 임명하도록 합니다.
History
In 1977 Pine Rest Christian Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, decided to phase out its inpatient care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, following a national trend from institutional to residential care. This action created a hardship for a number of Christian Reformed families, and in 1978 Classis Rocky Mountain overtured synod to appoint a committee to study the issue; the resulting committee completed a study and then served until 1986 as a service committee of synod, at which time it became a standing committee. Since 1987 that committee has been known as Disability Concerns.
In 1985 synod adopted A Resolution on Disabilities, which continues to represent the CRC's position. Synod 1993 recommended full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all portions of the CRC in the United States and Canada. Synod 2000 encouraged all classes “to establish a network of disability-concerns consultants and congregational contacts to work in cooperation with the office of Disability Concerns." Recent summaries of questionnaire results and progress reports are included in the Agenda for Synod 2006 (pp. 77-80) and the Agenda for Synod 2008 (pp. 54-57). Synod 2009 adopted a request by Disability Concerns to encourage churchwide celebrations of an annual Disability Week each October. Synod 2011 declared that future meetings of synod will provide reasonable accommodations as recommended by the Office of Disability Concerns for “all participants, including but not limited to people with known hearing impairments, sight impairments, and mobility impairments” (Acts of Synod 2011, p. 817).
In 2013 synod adopted a recommendation to “encourage all Christian Reformed churches to adopt a church policy on disability and to appoint at least one person in the congregation to serve as a church disability advocate” (Acts of Synod 2013, pp. 612-13). In 2014 the Office of Disability Concerns updated its mandate in collaboration with the Disability Concerns office of the Reformed Church in America, and Synod 2014 approved a recommendation to encourage inclusion of and engagement with children and youth who have disabilities “as an important part of congregational ministries and denominational youth ministry programs” (Acts of Synod 2014, p. 557). Synod 2016 approved a recommendation to “[1] encourage Christian Reformed classes to identify at least one person to serve as a regional disability advocate, and [2] encourage each classis to invite their regional advocate to report to classis at least once per year” (Acts of Synod 2016, pp. 832-33).
References to Agendas and Acts of Synod
Acts of Synod 1978, pp. 61-62, 129, 648-50
Acts of Synod 1979, pp. 78-80, 662-78
Acts of Synod 1980, pp. 37, 214-15
Acts of Synod 1981, pp. 51-52, 114, 532-46
Acts of Synod 1982, pp. 57, 593-95
Acts of Synod 1985, pp. 348-52, 490, 702-703, 825
Agenda for Synod 1986, pp. 276-81
Acts of Synod 1986, pp. 627-28, 713
Agenda for Synod 1987, pp. 140-46
Acts of Synod 1987, pp. 553-56
Agenda for Synod 1992, pp. 133-42
Acts of Synod 1992, pp. 621-23
Agenda for Synod 1993, pp. 168-74
Acts of Synod 1993, pp. 381-405, 539, 542-43
Agenda for Synod 1995, pp. 187-90
Acts of Synod 1995, pp. 677-78
Agenda for Synod 2000, pp. 66-68, 70-72
Acts of Synod 2000, p. 620
Agenda for Synod 2006, pp. 77-80
Agenda for Synod 2008, pp. 54-57
Agenda for Synod 2009, pp. 44, 91-92
Acts of Synod 2009, pp. 587-88
Acts of Synod 2011, pp. 703, 714-15, 817-18
Agenda for Synod 2013, pp. 44-45, 193
Acts of Synod 2013, pp. 612-13
Agenda for Synod 2014, pp. 36-37, 85-87
Acts of Synod 2014, pp. 557-59
Acts of Synod 2015, p. 671
Agenda for Synod 2016, pp. 39-40, 47-48
Acts of Synod 2016, pp. 832-33