Join Rev. Dr. Miriam Spies for a day of community and learning at Kintail!
How do we as disciples of Jesus study, learn, teach, and preach on healing narratives in conversation with a disability perspective? How does society’s perception of disability, now and during Christ’s ministry, shape our reading of scripture? What might disability studies offer the church in shaping a Christ community, one that is shaped and reshaped by our diverse bodies? How might we imagine ministry and discipleship? Our day together will start these conversations, learning in community, and approaching such questions with curiosity and care. We will examine how the sin of ableism seeps into our communities and process together it's impacts and our responses.
About the Facilitator
Rev. Dr. Miriam Spies is a practical theologian. She recently graduated from Emmanuel College, Victoria University, University of Toronto with her PhD that weaves incarnational theology with disability and crip studies to imagine how crip people serve in ministry. She is an ordained minister in The United Church of Canada. She served as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches for ten years and served on the committee that prepared worship for the Karlsruhe Assembly. Miria lives with Cerebral Palsy and uses the language of crip and queer to describe herself – we can dig further into this language during our time together! As a teenager she volunteered and worked at Five Oaks’ Retreat Centre (connected to The United Church of Canada) both in confirmation and youth events as well as their day and family camps.
About the Event
Date: May 5, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Camp Kintail
Cost: $30.00
Includes:
Coffee and tea available throughout the day
Lunch provided
Space for conversation, reflection, and learning
Who Should Attend
Clergy and ministry leaders
Lay leaders and congregational members
Theological students
Anyone interested in disability theology, healing narratives, and inclusive church practice