The Church of England has released its latest report on accessibility for clergy with disabilities and neurodivergence.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is the fifth instalment of a decade-long Living Ministry research programme. It has highlighted challenges for clergy members living with disabilities, as well as progress which the Church has made towards accessibility.
The programme focuses on five key areas: physical and mental health, relationships, spiritual and vocational fulfilment, financial stability, and participation in church life. Its final panel survey report was published in December, with a final qualitative study due at the end of 2026.
Currently, 13.2 per cent of ordination candidates have declared a disability. Discernment outcomes for these candidates are comparable to those without a disability, but that does not mean that their routes to ordination - or ministries - come without significant challenges.
Based on interviews with 27 clergy who are disabled, neurodivergent, or both, the study found that “the wellbeing of disabled and neurodivergent clergy can be summarised as under significant risk because of the inherited assumptions and processes in the CofE; i.e., because of structural factors.” The report notes that such challenges are “not unique to the CofE; they are found in wider society.”
Many clergy reported feeling pressure to "mask" their disability or neurodivergence, so as not to be perceived as less able.
Recommendations to change the subtle culture behind this include mandatory training for those involved in clergy selection and oversight, consistent access to reasonable adjustments, and improved accessibility in churches, housing, and other working environments. One example of this done successfully was a parish which had made its altar fully accessible for a priest who used a wheelchair.
The findings present not only a sociological and institutional challenge, but a theological one. The report references Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12:14 (“the body does not consist of one member but of many”) as central to the Church’s self-understanding. It also highlights that the image of the risen Christ, bearing crucifixion wounds (John 20:27), presents a theological challenge to existing ideas of what a 'perfect' body might look like.
The report concludes by championing the ministries of disabled clergy as “expressions of the gospel itself.” It calls for the Church of England to move beyond surface-level inclusion, and towards a "reimagining" of ministry, shaped by the diverse gifts and experiences of "all whom God has called".