Being Needed, Cared for, and Present: Belonging and Disability in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in North America

Abstract

Many Christian churches seek to be places of belonging, yet present barriers to inclusion. The present research focuses on disability and belonging in members of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in North America. Data from the SDA Global Church Survey (2017–2018) were used to measure attendance, perceived care, and sense of being needed. Results: Differences in attendance, leadership, and “feeling cared for” were observed. The findings of this study suggest that the SDA Church has had both successes and room for growth in terms of creating opportunities for belonging among people with disabilities. Implications for other denominations are also discussed.

Keywords:

• Belonging
• caring faith community
• church attendance
• disability ministry
• leadership
• Seventh-day Adventist

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and through a Graduate Research Grant from Andrews University.