Glade UCC is in Frederick County MD.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7, NRSV)
Recently, after a funeral in a community near Walkersville, NM, the daughter-in-law of the deceased was talking with David Denham. She shared that she grew up in the Glade Reformed Church. He responded by commenting on how wonderful it is that Glade has redesigned its facilities to be accessible, to which this woman responded, “Now my mother, who uses a wheelchair, can go to church again.”
This mother was present on March 15, 1998 when Glade UCC rededicated and celebrated its modified church facilities. Glade UCC, founded in 1750, a congregation with deep German Reformed roots, is located in Frederick County, MD. The current facilities were built in 1896, a time when church structures characteristically were multi-level.
In 1995 the Rev. Dr. Gerald Hanberry, the newly called pastor, arrived. He was seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit for a faith-based project, with a message of being open to all, that would guide his congregation into the Twenty-First Century. Gerry found that people wanted to reshape their facility so that all would be welcome regardless of one’s physical capacities. This required the redesigning of an older multi-level structure so that the hallways and pathways, bathrooms and meeting rooms, the sanctuary, with the exception of the chancel area, and educational facilities would be accessible.
They did it! Glade found support from the conference and association. The Central Atlantic IDA Task Force (Task Force on Issues of Disability and Accessibility) was a resource for information such as how to engage an architect. The Catoctin Association Church Development Commission provided a $500 start-up grant which was used to hire an architect. The modifications cost $515,000 with the UCC Cornerstone Fund (of the Board for Homeland Ministries, Division of Evangelism and Local Church Development), a resource designed to help local churches proceed with such undertakings, providing a $185,000 loan.
After a church makes its facility accessible, it may not realize that accessibility is more than a physical reality. The atmosphere at the church needs to reflect that accessibility and be a warm and inviting place. The pastor, Gerry Hanberry, talked about what has happened at Glade to make that occur. “We have talked a lot about what it looks like, what it feels like, and what it means to move from a welcoming to an inviting to a sending church. We have placed greeters at the entrance doors of the building not just inside the sanctuary. Greeters and ushers wear name tags. We have added large print bulletins as well as hearing devices. With people in wheelchairs almost all the time now, this has raised peoples’ awareness.
“Before we were accessible the perception was that no one needed the accessibility; (that) there were no people with disabilities. Now that we are accessible, and there, in fact, are people with physical disabilities (participating), the attitude has changed.
“Our theme is ‘everyone can come in the front door.’ We have talked about what that means. We have also had a series of workshops during Lent, 1998 on ‘Living Together in Community with our Differences … in: Age, Race, Sexual Orientation, and Religion.’ This was well attended and people were very thoughtful in their responses.”
(The editor has had occasion to attend Glade for Sunday worship and can affirm that it is a joy to worship and participate in the life of such a welcoming congregation.)
