The Rev. Ms. Virginia Kreyer was honored at the Twenty-third General Synod in July 2001 by being the first recipient of an award that bears her name. Virginia may be reached through the UCC DM.

“Handicap” has been an English language word since 1653 and was originally a sporting term. It did not acquire the meaning of “physical disability” until 1915. In recent years, the word “handicapped” has been seen by some as negative and offensive. It stresses shortcomings and what is lacking and implies that persons with disabilities are less worthy

Virginia Kreyer, Consultant 1978-1995 Shares Memories

How far we have come since 1977! Few members of the United Church of Christ know how ministries to and with persons with disabilities began. In 1952, I was ordained by another denomination with the understanding that I would work at the local Cerebral Palsy Center (CPC). My responsibilities included sharing with that denomination what the church should and could do for persons with disabilities — then called the handicapped — and their families. A dispute with my local church led to my joining Garden City Community Church (UCC) of the Metropolitan Association in the New York Conference (1971).

Educating Metropolitan Association pastors and congregations of the needs of persons with disabilities became my ministry. I wrote a paper emphasizing the need for pastoral support and counseling for persons with disabilities and their families resulting in the formation of a committee (1971) that I chaired. We gave talks, offered workshops, published a directory of resources, and encouraged pastors … but made little headway.

In 1976, the committee wrote a resolution for the New York Conference that missed the Executive Committee deadline. At the Annual Meeting, I was told there was no room on the agenda, but that I should be present for every session should there be an opening. The following morning the first presentation was given by a missionary from Japan who said, among other things “I have traveled 2,300 miles in New York State and have not seen one person with a disability. Where are they?” When he finished, the moderator announced, “We have a resolution on persons with disabilities. I ran to the nearest microphone and without prior preparation explained its importance. I pointed out that the church was carrying out the ministries of preaching and teaching but ignoring the ministry of healing commanded by our Lord Christ.

The resolution passed unanimously and next went to the Eleventh General Synod held in Washington, D.C. (1977). Prior to presenting the resolution, persons with disabilities led a parade of banners at the Sunday worship service in Washington National Cathedral and the Rev. Dr. Harold Wilke and I addressed its importance at a plenary. This resulted in working with persons with disabilities becoming an Eleventh General Synod top priority.

At the fall 1977 Executive Committee meeting, the resolution was assigned to the Division of Health and Welfare, United Church Board for Homeland Ministries (UCBHM), under the leadership of Helen Webber. I was asked to be a one-day-a-week consultant, a commitment that began March1978. The Division of Higher Education added a second day a week to my portfolio in 1984, specifically for visiting UCC colleges and seminaries to educate students, faculty, and staff of the needs and abilities of persons with disabilities. I retired in 1995.

Among the newsworthy events of the last twenty-four years for the UCCDM are:

Began National Committee on Persons with Disabilities in 1987 (name changed from Committee on Persons with Handicaps).

Became General Synod presence with Exhibit Hall booth, 1977-present, caucus 1983 (or 1985)-present; awards presentations, 1987-present.

Passed resolutions affirming and reaffirming full participation of persons with disabilities in life of the church at the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth General Synods, and passed a resolution requesting churches, Conferences, and the national offices conform to Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) at the Twentieth General Synod.

How far we have come since 1977. Thanks are to God!

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive