‘We Invite Them as Equals’

By Fred Wikoff

The Garden Way Church, a nondenominational Christian church in Eugene, Oregon, believes in ministering to people with disabilities. While most congregations of any size have people with disabilities in them, Garden Way is unique in that it cultivates and encourages them to attend worship with them. Each Sunday a church bus transports these folks to both morning and evening worship services; it also picks them up for midweek Bible study and any other church-related activity . . . including weddings and funerals.

“We make it possible for them to attend all church-related functions,” explains David Mulkey, bus driver and driving force behind Garden Way”s ministry to the disabled. “They”re members of our congregation, and we invite them as equals to share their faith with us in Christian fellowship as we do all members.”

Something Missing

The seeds for this unique ministry were sown in Mulkey”s teen years when he accompanied his minister to a nursing home to play his violin as part of a monthly musical service. Even at that young age Mulkey sensed something was missing. “Those people needed the Lord, not entertainment,” he says passionately. “Here was a large group of humanity that society had left to die, and no one was telling them about Christ”s promise of salvation.”

Later in life, a Christian friend confined to a nursing home asked Mulkey to hold regular worship services for him and the other residents. This time Mulkey was determined to spend less time “entertaining” and more time addressing individual needs and speaking to them about Christ. As a result, in 1983 he transported his first disabled person to Garden Way, by car, to be baptized. Later, in 1996, a bus was purchased to take care of the growing number of people with disabilities wishing to attend.

Love in Action

Today, between 12 and 18 people with disabilities””more than half of them in wheelchairs””are transported each Sunday to Garden Way. They mingle easily with the rest of Garden Way”s members assembling for worship.

A nearby senior observes, “It”s simply Christian love in action.” Another man says, “It takes a lot of people working together to make this thing work, but we wouldn”t have it any other way.” Others echo this upbeat sentiment, including those people with disabilities.

“I think it”s great. If it wasn”t for the bus none of us would have a way to get here,” says Greg, a middle-aged man who was severely injured in a car accident that killed his brother. Greg, who walks with a slow shuffle, was abandoned by his wife, who kept his children from him. But Greg is not bitter. “How can I be bitter when I think of what the Lord has gone through for me?” he says. “He died for me and has given me a new family. How can I be bitter?”

Each person has a similar, tragic story. Still, most are as upbeat as Greg. It”s easy to see why Garden Way nurtures this special ministry.

Yet, as successful as this ministry is, some members of Garden Way were slow to see the true value of the program. Some were uncomfortable and did not know how to socialize. Others questioned the motives of the people with disabilities. Were they attending because they wanted to worship, or did they just want to relieve the boredom of being confined? One member even complained, “They simply aren”t paying their way.”

“There are always going to be some minor issues that we have to deal with,” says Ron Rasmussen, Garden Way”s preaching minister for the past 15 years. “For instance, take the seating in the sanctuary. In the earlier days we seated those in wheelchairs in front where they could see and interact better. But there were questions about fire safety and it also proved to be disruptive, especially when someone needed to be taken out to the restroom. Then we tried seating them along the aisles, but that didn”t work either. Now we have designated areas on both sides of the sanctuary behind the back pews. This places them closer to the exits in case of fire and also allows them to be taken out with minimum disruption if a need arises.”

Rasmussen said other issues need to be addressed when working with folks with disabilities. “There”s liability insurance to pay and nursing home administrators to deal with. And as hard as we try to make the disabled equal, the reality is, that these people do have ongoing health problems and sometimes a related issue needs immediate care, so how we deal with this matter also must be considered.”

Win-Win

Problems or no, inviting these folks to worship at Garden Way appears to be one of those situations where everyone wins. The benefits for the disabled persons are obvious: like feeling love and friendship for the first time since their confinement; a hope for a better life in Christ where none existed before; and just being accepted as ordinary human beings again.

But Rasmussen is quick to point out that those with disabilities are not the only ones who benefit. “Having these folks in our congregation definitely makes us better Christians. We are all more sympathetic and sensitive to the feelings and needs of others after being around these people. They also help us to better appreciate the things in life that we might otherwise take for granted . . . like good health for instance.”

Norm Fox, an elder, agrees. “I”ve especially noticed this empathy when working with the young people. They see the adults interacting with those less fortunate and thus grow into adulthood with a richer awareness and compassion for those with disabilities.”

If there is any question about the true value of this ministry, one needs look only at the spiritual fruit it is producing. Most of the people with disabilities attending Garden Way are born-again believers, the results of months of cultivating and painstaking witnessing by Mulkey. But he is quick to wave off words of recognition. “I”m just a farmer doing what the Lord intended,” he says, “The Holy Spirit does the real work.”

From that first convert more than 21 years ago, Garden Way has averaged five baptisms a year among this group. “Our highest was 13 in one year. And there was another when we had 12,” Mulkey says enthusiastically. “But this is just a drop in the bucket. Thousands with disabilities are swept under the carpet daily and left to die by themselves without any love or hope for a better life. Christ changes all of that. He gives hope and a reason to live to those with disabilities.”

Reach Out

Undoubtedly Garden Way”s ministry is unique in scope and content. But if Mulkey had his way every church would have a similar program. And while the obstacles to starting such an endeavor might seem overwhelming, they needn”t be.

“Most churches visit members in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers as the need arises,” says Mulkey. “These times can be used as opportunities to reach out to the forgotten and show them someone still cares. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.”

Fred Wikoff is a member of the Garden Way Church in Eugene, Oregon.