Autism, Disability & The Church: A Vision for Diversity & Inclusion - Dr. Lamar Hardwick

What can we do to make our churches more inclusive for our disabled and neurodiverse communities?

In this podcast, we learn from Dr. Lamar Hardwick about what it feels like to grow up with undiagnosed autism and what led him to pursue autism testing in his mid-thirties. He talks about what it meant to receive the autism diagnosis and ways he processed the information.

He also discusses the autism grief cycle, how to love and care for people with autism, and how to combat the stigma of autism at church.

Dr. Hardwick also shares key insights for ministry leaders on ways to remove barriers at church for those with invisible disabilities and how disability theology gives us an important lens for viewing God and our Bibles.

I pray this conversation helps us all grow in more awareness, acceptance and advocacy for our disabled communities.

Lamar Hardwick (DMin, Liberty University), also known as “the autism pastor,” is the lead pastor at Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia. He writes and speaks frequently on the topic of disability, especially autism, and he is the author of the best-selling book "I Am Strong: The Life and Journey of an Autistic Pastor." His latest book "Disability and the Church: A Vision for Diversity & Inclusion" is published by InterVarsity Press.

Learn more about him and his books:
http://autismpastor.com/

You can see the video from this conversation and other insights from his book on the blog:

http://www.mikedelgado.org/podcast/lamar-hardwick/