Faith, Church & Disability

This podcast explores the experience of disability and Christian faith. In these episodes we’ll hear from people living with disability, and reflect on our response as a believing community. For those without personal or family experience of disability, lack of awareness can make us unsure about what to say or how to act. But Jesus calls us to a creative response: a community which God describes as a body. It is a broken body and it needs us all. We are all more blessed as we include another, serve one another and receive back from one another. This podcast partners with international development charity CBM (Christian Blind Mission) New Zealand. CBM works alongside and is accountable to people with disabilities in the world’s poorest places. They work with the most marginalised in society to break the cycle of poverty and disability, fight exclusion and seek to help build inclusive communities where everyone can enjoy their human rights and achieve their full potential. Spring 2023 sees the first 5 episodes drop: In the first 3 episodes we hear from people living with disabilities, episode 4 we hear from a parent of children with disabilities, and episode 5 has a theologian-pastor-researcher open up their work on faith and disability. Episodes dropping fortnightly starting 25 September. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Maja Whitaker: Living out of our design

41m | November 21, 2023

Maja Whitaker with Murray Sheard

Maja Whitaker is a pastor and disability theologian, having done doctoral research into what the resurrection body might be like for a person with a disability. She shares how she came to understand the beautiful ministry of shared humanity and genuine friendship with those who are different from her and unpacks from the Bible what it means to be made perfect. Open PDF document for the episode transcript.

Charles Hewlett: Holding discomfort

50m | November 6, 2023

Charles Hewlett with Murray Sheard

Charles Hewlett is the Baptist National Leader and is married to Joanne. He shares their experience of parenting two wonderful and profoundly disabled children, highlighting the value of suffering and the depth of disabled people’s ministry to us. How might we genuinely embrace this in our faith communities? Open PDF document for the episode transcript.

Evan Clulee: Doing life together

51m | October 25, 2023

Evan Clulee with Murray Sheard

Evan Clulee lives in Rangiora with his wife, May, and his dog. He’s been involved in global development work with disabled people, including in the Philippines, having his own lived experience of spina bifida. How can we imitate Jesus by creating genuine community and giving people the freedom to participate fully in society? Open PDF document for the episode transcript.

Karen Plimmer: Taking the relationship step

35m | October 9, 2023

Karen Plimmer with Murray Sheard

Karen Plimmer works full-time in the disability sector and is mum to a beautiful four-year-old girl. She shares her experience of motherhood, church, and the workplace as someone born blind. We hear about the unhelpful responses to her disability and the more relational steps we can take to create belonging. Open PDF document for the episode transcript.

Olivia Shivas: Do disabled people belong in your church?

45m | September 25, 2023

Olivia Shivas with Murray Sheard

Olivia Shivas is a journalist passionate about telling stories of disabled people. Olivia was born with a disability called muscular dystrophy, hence being a pro wheelchair user. She shares the challenges and insights of her disability and people’s responses, helping us recognise attitudinal and physical barriers within the church and wider society. Open PDF document for the episode transcript.