Disability churches
A church in Toronto, Canada, has been established to cater specifically for Christians with disabilities.
The Abilities Church, in Scarborough, Toronto, held its first service in September, led by founding pastor Jaime Castro. It is possibly the first such church in North America.
Rev. Castro said: ‘Traditional churches are not set up to accommodate large numbers of people with disabilities’. He explains that sometimes, people with disabilities feel out of place when they are in a minority, while some members of the Abilities church have intellectual disabilities, meaning that they often vocalise loudly, which can disrupt regular services.
The Toronto Star, which broke the story, said that Rev. Castro’s concern for people with disabilities stemmed from a part-time job he did when he was 18 years old.
This was at Community Living, an organisation helping people with disabilities live independently. This experience ‘turned his life around’, Rev. Castro said.
