Personal Testimony: Tylia L. Flores on Disability, Faith, and Belonging

My name is Tylia L. Flores. I am an adult with disabilities, and I am also a Licensed Chaplain with Christian Leaders Alliance. I share this testimony because I know what it feels like to love God, want to belong in the Church, and still encounter barriers that make you wonder whether there is truly a place for you. 

For me, disability and faith have never been abstract topics. They have been personal. They have shaped how I have experienced church, how I have understood belonging, and how I have learned to hold onto Christ even when people around me did not always know how to include me well. 

When I was young, my faith was real and alive. I loved God sincerely. I remember learning Bible stories, taking in truths about His love, and believing deeply that He was with me. Even as a child, my relationship with God mattered to me. It was not just something adults talked about around me. It was something I carried in my heart. 

But as I got older, I began to feel the pain of exclusion in church settings. One of the moments that affected me most happened when I was a child attending CCD classes. I was told I could no longer participate because I needed help with bathroom assistance. Instead of finding a way to support me, the decision was made that I could not continue. That moment cut deeply. It did not feel like a small inconvenience. It felt personal. It made me feel like I was too much, like helping me was a burden, and like there might not be room for me after all. 

That experience stayed with me for years. It affected how I saw myself. It affected how I understood belonging. It even affected my faith journey. Questions began to rise inside me that many people with disabilities quietly carry: Does God really love me? Do I belong here? Am I too much for the Church? Those questions were not loud on the outside, but they were very real on the inside. 

As I moved into adulthood, the gap became even more noticeable. Many of the supports that exist for children and youth seem to fade away when a person becomes an adult. The question becomes harder: where do adults with disabilities belong in the church? I saw how little discussion there was about disability awareness, especially for adults. I saw how many churches did not know what to do, not always because they were cruel, but because they were unprepared, unsure, or silent. And silence can wound too. 

There were seasons in my life when I struggled deeply, including times of depression and spiritual confusion. The lack of support did not affect me only physically. It affected me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It shaped my confidence. It shaped my sense of worth. It shaped how hard it could feel to trust that I truly had a place in Christian community.

And yet, my story is not only about pain.

It is also about how Christ remained faithful to me.

Over time, I came to understand something important: God’s love for me was not erased by the failures of people. People in churches may fall short. They may not know how to respond. They may wound without realizing how deeply they wound. But their failure is not the same thing as God’s heart. I had to learn to separate the imperfection of people from the truth of Christ. That did not erase the pain, but it helped me keep moving toward Him. 

As I continued growing in faith, I also began to see that my disability did not cancel my purpose. It did not make me less valuable in the body of Christ. It did not mean I was only meant to receive ministry. I began to realize that I also had something to give. I could encourage others. I could speak into the conversation. I could help the Church become more aware, more compassionate, and more faithful. That realization changed me.

That is part of why I care so deeply about disability ministry today.

I know what exclusion feels like.

I know what silence feels like.

I know what it is like to wonder whether the Church sees you as essential or as a burden.

And I also know what it means to keep walking with Jesus through those questions.

Today, I believe more strongly than ever that disability ministry is not optional. It is essential. The Church is called to reflect Heaven, and that means making room not only for attendance, but for belonging, discipleship, support, and service. People with disabilities are not just welcome in the body of Christ. They are indispensable. They are needed. They are image-bearers with gifts, voices, and callings. 

I share this testimony because I want future chaplains, pastors, and ministry leaders to understand something clearly: exclusion can shape a person for years, but so can love. One moment of rejection can wound deeply, but one act of intentional inclusion can begin to restore what was damaged. One church that listens, learns, and makes room can become a place of healing. 

My prayer is that this course will help raise up leaders who do better. Leaders who listen. Leaders who learn. Leaders who do not reduce people to their needs. Leaders who understand that accessibility matters, but belonging matters too. Leaders who help adults with disabilities know not only that they are loved by God, but that they have a real place in His Church.

That is why I share my story.

Because I believe there are still people sitting in churches today, quietly wondering, Do I belong here? Does God really love me? Is there a place for me in the body of Christ?

And I want the answer to be clear:

Yes.

Reflection Questions

1. What part of Tylia’s testimony stands out most to you?
2. How can exclusion in church affect a person’s faith and identity?
3. Why is belonging deeper than physical accessibility?
4. What does this testimony teach about adult disability ministry?
5. How can a chaplain help create healing where past exclusion has caused wounds?

References

Adapted from Tylia L. Flores’s Comprehensive Disability & Ministry Resource Guide, including her reflections on disability awareness, church exclusion, belonging, faith, and adult disability ministry.