How Protecting the Vulnerable Can Create a Culture of Possibility

June 03, 2024

Sophia Nicholl’s relationship to disability awareness started in a London hospital in 1996. Shortly after her son’s birth, he was diagnosed with Peters anomaly, a scarring of the cornea of an eye, in addition to autism and intellectual disabilities. At the time, she never imagined that their despair would one day serve as a catalyst for community and connection.¹

Disabilities present barriers—cognitive, physical, and attitudinal—for those affected. In fact, there is evidence that these challenges leave them exposed to alarmingly increased risks related to fire safety, abuse, and slips, trips, and falls.

“For a while, we felt as though we were the only Adventist family in the UK that had a child with a disability!” Sophia says. After placing an article in Messenger, Sophia founded the Adventist Special Needs Association (ASNA), which became a charity in 2003.

At Adventist Risk Management, Inc. (ARM), protecting the vulnerable, including persons with physical and mental disabilities, is a huge part of what we do. The landscape of disability ministries is constantly expanding. Much more than a simple safety protocol, disability inclusion has become a movement for more expansive ministry.

Inclusivity as Possibility

Our ministries are called to protect the least of these. In fact, the North American Division Disabilities Ministries Handbook notes that an estimated 77% of Jesus' time was spent ministering to people with disabilities. As for people like Sophia Nichols, disability barriers do not stop our fundamental purpose: ministry. This is exactly why Larry R. Evans emphasizes how Jesus saw possibilities where others only saw the shame of disability. Through awareness, emergency preparedness, and disability inclusion, we can strengthen our ministries.

The Adventist Special Needs Association is two-pronged in its mission. It provides (1.) direct support and (2.) indirect support. Direct support includes peer groups and adequate signage, as well as residential support and respite for families. Indirect support focuses on disability training and awareness. For example, for Evans, it was the encounter with the hard-of-hearing community that led him to focus on ministry to those with disabilities through Adventist Possibility Ministries.

Through this work, he discovered the resilience these communities have in advancing the mission of the church. Thanks to the efforts of ministry leaders and lay leaders on the frontlines, our ministries are stronger.

How Inclusion Furthers Mission

Sophia relays the story of how a lady who was not a member of the Adventist Church came to an ASNA retreat. Her son had autism, but she expressed she had no interest in Christianity. Thanks to the oasis of support the community gave her, she left inspired and began to practice Adventist lifestyle principles. In the end, she joined the Adventist Church and now serves on the ASNA board of trustees.

The Bible reminds us that “the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26 NKJV). We are interdependent with one another and by creating more accessible, safe ministries, we create more effective ministries. In fact, according to the 2017–2018 Global Church Member Survey, 91% of those with a disability said that, to some degree, they are able to use their spiritual gifts in their congregation. By better including and protecting the vulnerable, we better our ministries.

The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to reach all people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and accommodate the needs of all people. At ARM, our ministry is to protect your ministry, equipping you with what you need to further the gospel. A culture of disability awareness, preparedness, and inclusion is expanding across the globe. To take the next steps, check out our inclusivity awareness and inclusive emergency plan guide in June’s newsletter.

How Protecting the Vulnerable Can Create a Culture of Possibility

By: Konstantin Kulakov - Editorial Content Specialist