‘Where everyone belongs’: Nagaland churches prepare to mark Persons with Disabilities Sunday

DIMAPUR — When Inaholi Zhimo attends church, she finds a place for her wheelchair near the side corridor, as she always does. From there, she joins the service quietly, away from the rows of pews.

“I feel uncomfortable and a bit left out,” she said. “If the church could make a small space for us to sit with others, it would really help and make us feel included.”

But when the service begins, she shared, “I forget everything else and thank God for giving me the strength to be there.”

On November 16, church bells across the state will ring with a renewed call for inclusion as the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), which represents one of the state’s most influential faith bodies, will observe Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) Sunday.

Although the NBCC has engaged in disability ministries since 2014, this year’s observance carries a new sense of intention. For the first time, the council’s Social Concern Department (SCD) is taking the lead alongside the Christian Education Department, in collaboration with organisations such as Tabitha Enabling Academy, Deaf Biblical Fellowship Kohima, and the Students Christian Fellowship under NBCC.

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“The NBCC has marked every third Sunday of November for the observance,” said Dr. Villo Naleo, Secretary of SCD. “This year, we are sending out a promo and concept video showing how persons with disabilities, caregivers, parents and siblings can be included in the church as a community.”

While many congregations have traditionally offered prayers for PwDs on the day, this year, the council is encouraging churches to involve PwDs directly in worship, give them space to lead or participate.

“For those who cannot attend in person, we are also encouraging the churches to set up a team to go to them personally. Or even replace their caregivers for some Sundays and let them come attend the church,” Naleo added.

A shift in understanding

For Prodigals’ Home, a Dimapur-based organisation that works with PwDs, the move by the NBCC is a “very encouraging” step in reshaping how communities perceive disability.

“The Church is one of the best platforms to educate, sensitise, and change perceptions. An inclusive church is the biggest step toward an inclusive community,” a spokesperson from the organisation said.

While noting that NBCC churches have observed the day for several years, Prodigals’ Home said the scale and visibility of this year’s effort feels more intentional. “Genuine inclusion can happen when churches engage with PwDs in all areas of life, not just one Sunday in a year,” the spokesperson said.

The organisation also called for “greater awakening to the needs of persons with disabilities, their families, caregivers, and communities—and for this engagement to be sustained in the long term.”

“Exclusion is often unintentional, born out of ignorance,” it added. “But when churches begin to engage, people start to see disability differently. There’s a lot the church can do, even with limited resources.”

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But like any effort to include and understand better, the process within churches comes with both hope and hurdles.

Dr. Naleo acknowledged that many churches still struggle to make worship and activities truly accessible, as many church buildings remain physically inaccessible, with steps, narrow entrances, or no ramps and wheelchairs.

Beyond infrastructure, he said, the greater challenge lies in participation and mindset. “Sometimes, persons with disabilities themselves hesitate to take part in worship because of how visible their disability is,” he explained.

Another challenge could be the pattern and nature of church services, which are very “uptight and precise” and sometimes, even “performance-oriented.”

While the church service must be candid and precise, “it must be gift-oriented—differently abled people must be given the opportunity to share the platform and exercise their god-given talents,” Naleo said.

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The participation of persons with disabilities may look or sound different, and helping congregations understand this, too, is part of the work. “We envision the church making a difference in this aspect,” he said.

Citing the story of Mephibosheth—the grandson of King Saul, described in scripture as “lame in both feet,” whom David invited to dine “as one of the king’s sons”—Naleo said inclusion is not merely about acceptance but recognition too.

“The Church is an inclusive community, and at any cost we must do whatever is possible to recognise persons with disabilities as active members,” he said, adding that such recognition “should not be limited to the church circle, but everywhere.”

Beyond symbolism

NBCC’s approach to inclusion, Naleo said, is missional, advocacy-based, and social.  In its missional role, he explained, the Church recognises that every person, regardless of ability, is created in the image of God.

“We are not doing something which people and government are not doing; in fact, we are late,” he said.

As an advocacy effort, the NBCC sees its role in dismantling stigma and changing the language of faith around disability. “The Church’s support towards persons with disabilities is unwavering and unconditional,” Naleo said, adding that the Church’s mission remains incomplete without this ministry.

And as social action, the observance is a step toward confronting long-held beliefs that see disability as a curse or a form of divine punishment. “We are committed to fighting for the PwDs in availing resources, reservations and opportunities meant for them; it could be in the government or private sector,” he said.

To him, inclusion is not a charitable act but a spiritual imperative—one that, if taken seriously, could reshape hearts and communities.

Naleo’s message to congregations ahead of November 16 is one of patience and persistence. Working with PwDs, he said, often means going the extra mile. “We cannot apply a one-size-fits-all mentality. It takes extra patience and effort—both to understand them and to help them understand us.”

Observing Persons with Disabilities Sunday could easily become routine, “like any other occasion.” But true change, he said, comes only when people are willing to go beyond what is required. “If we want to make things different,” he said, “we need to go the extra mile.”

For Inaholi, the idea of inclusion is simple and personal. “I just want to sit with everyone else,” she said.

(This report is facilitated by LIC HFL Sarthak)