Friday, May 10 – Saturday, May 11, 2024
Hamilton | Calgary | Vancouver
This year’s A Deeper Communion conference will explore the width and depth of ecclesial engagement with disability across the nation. Friday night will feature scholarly exploration of theology, disability, and the church. Saturday will offer a blend of practical workshops, presentations, and insights from prominent Canadian authors who embody authentic leadership in the exploration of a more inclusive and responsive church. In addition, we will have workshops of practical importance and TEDD talks featuring diverse perspectives from the disability community. It will be held in three cities: Calgary (Ambrose Seminary), Hamilton (McMaster Divinity College), and Vancouver (Northwest Seminary). We hope you’ll join us!
As we welcome a new site and are connected with locations from British Columbia to Ontario, we celebrate the ways Jesus meets us across geographic expanses and in the midst of the particularity of our ordinary lives.
A Deeper Communion connects people across Canada and celebrates the specific stories and experiences of people with disabilities as located in their own communities and neighbourhoods. We ask questions such as, “Where are Christians engaging with disability?” and, “What needs to grow and/or change in the Canadian church context?”
Plenary Speakers
Rev. Heather Morgan
Rev. Heather Morgan is a physical disabled and neurodiverse writer, author and speaker who wears many hats! She is part of the pastoral team at Vox Community Church in Barrie, ON; she runs Powered by Love, a disability advocacy, coaching training, and consulting organization; and she is an emerging crip theologian, working on her PhD at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto. Heather is also wife, mom, and nana to a crew of fabulous disabled and neurodiverse humans who make sure that her academic work is always deeply grounded in lived experience.
Dr. L.S. Carlos A. Thompson
Dr. L. S. Carlos, born in Cartagena, Colombia, and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, holds degrees in Church Ministry, Religious Studies, and Divinity from various institutions. He serves as Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry and Disability Theology at Western Theological Seminary (WTS), where he is also involved in community initiatives and student accessibility.
With over 15 years of pastoral experience across diverse denominations, Dr. Carlos identifies as a Charismatic-reformed Pentecostal shaped by Benedictine Spirituality, Henri Nouwen’s work, and St. Juan De La Cruz. Living with congenital Cerebral Palsy, his research focuses on Christian Communal Theology and the intersection of Jesus’ healing ministry with contemporary notions of health. Key questions in his research include defining Christian community, understanding healing, and grappling with enduring disability and chronic illness.
TEDD Talk Speakers
Vancouver | Calgary | Hamilton
The Way(s) We Learn About God
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The Way(s) We Learn About God
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Embracing God’s Path with Disability
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Theology, Disability, and Politics
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Register Now
In-Person: $75.00
Online: $40.00
In-person registration includes two-day conference attendance, lunch, and access to recorded sessions following the conference. Online attendance includes two-day conference attendance and access to recorded sessions. Space is limited, so register early to secure your spot!
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Hamilton Schedule EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) - McMaster Divinity College
Friday, May 10, 2024 – Pre-Conference Presentations
Time Session 7:00 PM Introduction 7:15 PM Paper Sessions 8:15 PM Break 8:30 PM Paper Sessions Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Conference
Time Session 9:00 AM Registration 9:30 AM Welcome & Worship 10:00 AM Practical Workshops “Care Giving” by Jasmine Duckworth
“Disability 101” by Cindy Kwan
“Building a Christian Lifestyle, The Journey” by Lynne & Elizabeth Leyland11:00 AM Lunch 12:00 PM Keynote Speakers “Valuing All Bodies in the Body” by Rev. Heather Morgan
“Encountering Christ Between Us: Community as an Embodied Invitation to Move From Me to We” by Dr. Carlos Thompson1:15 PM Break 1: 30 PM TEDD Talks Danny Nguyen & Kathy Dubbeldam (Vancouver), Jenna Hoff (Calgary), & Chantal Huinink (Hamilton)
2:15 PM Break 2:30 PM Book Talk Keith Dow, Cynthia Tam & Amy Panton
3:00 PM Table Discussion 4:00 PM Worship & Closing -
Calgary Schedule MDT (Mountain Daylight Time) - Ambrose Seminary
Friday, May 10, 2024 – Pre-Conference Presentations
Time Session 5:00 PM Introduction 5:15 PM Paper Sessions 6:15 PM Break 7:30 PM Paper Sessions Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Conference
Time Session 9:30 AM Registration 9:45 AM Welcome 10:00 AM Keynote Speakers “Valuing All Bodies in the Body” by Rev. Heather Morgan
“Encountering Christ Between Us: Community as an Embodied Invitation to Move From Me to We” by Dr. Carlos Thompson11:15 AM Break 11:30 AM TEDD Talks Danny Nguyen & Kathy Dubbeldam (Vancouver), Jenna Hoff (Calgary), & Chantal Huinink (Hamilton)
12:15 PM Break 12:30 PM Book Talk Keith Dow, Cynthia Tam & Amy Panton
1:00 PM Lunch 1:30 PM Practical Workshop 2:30 PM Worship 3:00 PM Closing -
Vancouver Schedule PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) - Northwest Seminary
Friday, May 10, 2024 – Pre-Conference Presentations
Time Session 4:00 PM Introduction 4:15 PM Paper Sessions 5:15 PM Break 6:30 PM Paper Sessions Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Conference
Time Session 8:30 AM Registration 8:45 AM Welcome 9:00 AM Keynote Speakers “Valuing All Bodies in the Body” by Rev. Heather Morgan
“Encountering Christ Between Us: Community as an Embodied Invitation to Move From Me to We” by Dr. Carlos Thompson10:15 AM Break 10:30 AM TEDD Talks Danny Nguyen & Kathy Dubbeldam (Vancouver), Jenna Hoff (Calgary), & Chantal Huinink (Hamilton)
11:15 PM Break 11:30 PM Book Talk Keith Dow, Cynthia Tam & Amy Panton
12:00 PM Lunch 12:30 PM Practical Workshop “Reason Why You Shouldn’t Start a Disability Ministry (Yet)” by Alicine Grochowski
1:30 PM Worship 2:00 PM Closing -
Call For Papers
Our call for papers is now closed and responses have been sent. We would like to thank each person who submitted a proposal for their interest. We hope to see you at the conference.
A Deeper Communion is a network of organizations that connects Canadian ministry leaders, practitioners, and academics at the intersection of disability and theology. In 2018, A Deeper Communion began as an event in Toronto to connect and bring together students, pastors, theologians, and other Christians with and without disabilities. Since then, we have included and enhanced both the practical and more theoretical/theological aspects of the disability and faith conversation.