Church and Persons with Disability- Pastoral Care through the Lens of Person-Centred Approach
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The church, as the body of Christ, is called to be a symbol of inclusion and a beacon of hope for healing. However, the lived experience of persons with disabilities within the church is often marked by exclusion, discrimination, and structural barriers. This paper, located within practical theology, explores pastoral care through the lens of Carl Rogers’ Person-Centred Approach by analysing a case of a woman with partial paralysis who faced marginalisation in her congregation. Drawing on the core conditions of unconditional positive regard, congruence, and empathy, the study examines how the lack of acceptance, genuineness, and empathetic understanding affected her sense of belonging and dignity. Integrating theology of disability with pastoral praxis, the paper argues that the church must move from treating persons with disability as objects of ministry to recognising them as subjects and active participants in worship, ministry, and communal life.
Author: David Jesudasan
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7125454352
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: