Access
The Access Leadership Network seeks to discover, develop, and deploy leaders working to build communities of belonging for those with and without disabilities in parishes across the ACNA.
Upcoming events
June 16 – “Let Us Spell it out for You” – Hear some non-speaking and unreliable speaking people with apraxia share their experience and how they use Spelling to Communicate to express their thoughts and ideas accurately. They will be sharing their presentation: The Truth About Nonspeakers.
July – Interested in starting an Access & Accommodations Ministry team at your church? A new cohort will be starting in July. Email Kathy Ayres to learn more.
OUR WORK
About Us
About Us
AcLN comes alongside individuals and churches within the ACNA to help overcome obstacles with thoughtful creativity and engage those with disabilities as valued and indispensable members of their congregations.
Advocacy
The Advocacy Team
• supports parishes in their efforts to bring about genuine belonging in the life of the church for all affected by disability.
• seeks to walk alongside people with disabilities to empower them to become their own best advocates.
Resources
The Resource Team
connects people and shares resources to support the church’s ministry with and by people with disabilities to facilitate Christian community among the body of believers, growing and serving together.
Training
The Training Team
• provides training resources for churches to build communities of belonging and make accommodations for individuals with and without disabilities.
• believes that belonging involves reciprocal relationships of growing together and mutually serving to build up the local body of believers.
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
Ephesians 2:17-19
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Deacon Kathy Ayres, Director
Kathy Ayres is the Director for Access Leadership Network and heads up the Training Team. After a 35-year career in Occupational Therapy and volunteer in ministry with hearing and deaf youth, Kathy sensed a call to ordained ministry as a vocational deacon and attends seminary part-time. Kathy has a passion to help churches create communities of belonging for growth and service together, developing leaders with and without disabilities to build God’s kingdom.
Ruth Brewbaker
Ruth Brewbaker and her husband, Dick are the parents of five adult sons,
three of whom are now married to wonderful daughters-in-law, and they
have 3 grandchildren as well, with another one on the way. Their fourth son,
Ben, now 24, was born w/ Spina Bifida. Having Ben in their family opened
up a whole new beautiful, yet challenging world of getting to know and love
families and individuals who experience life differently. For most of Ben’s life
and even before, God has put on Ruth’s heart a desire to live in community
alongside ones touched by disability or who are differently abled.
Beth Kirby
Beth Kirby heads up the AcLN Advocacy team. She is a founding member of Servants of Christ Anglican Church in Gainesville, Florida, and is active in ministry there and in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese with the summer camp program. She is a teacher and mother of three: a son and a daughter in college and a teenaged son with autism. When her youngest son Aidan was diagnosed, and as he grew older, church involvement became a challenge. The way the SOC church community has supported Aidan and the Kirby family inspires Beth to bring awareness to other churches of the value of acceptance and inclusion for people with disabilities and their families.
Heidi Reichert
As the Communications Coordinator for the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, Heidi gets to share the stories of how churches spread the love of Christ throughout their communities. Outside of work, she volunteers in youth ministries and community programs, striving to create inclusive spaces for young people with disabilities, working alongside peers and leaders to ensure everyone feels welcomed and appreciated.
Don Pollard
Don Pollard has been a resident of Conyers, GA, since 1984 and an active member of Holy Cross Anglican Cathedral in Loganville, GA—the Cathedral Church for the Anglican Diocese of the South—for the past few years. He teaches Sunday school classes and is a current member of the Chapter. Don works as a private tutor, helping individuals of all ages reach their educational potential. As someone who has lived with a disability (ventilator-dependent quadriplegia) for most of his life, Don offers unique perspectives, viewing situations from angles that others might not normally consider. In his work with the AcLN, he prays for the ability to fulfill whatever tasks he is called upon to do in order to ultimately advance the Kingdom for all.
JOIN OUR NETWORK
AcLN hosts monthly virtual gatherings for leadership development, soul care, and sharing ministry resources on the 3rd Monday of the month at 7:00 pm (ET). Join the mailing list below to receive the link and more info. Hope to meet you soon at a VG!
Text based networking with others interested in disability ministry within the ACNA, via Access ACNA in the app Slack. Email Kathy Ayres for an invite link.
