Our Story

It all started when… Samantha Jones had the privilege of meeting several wonderful families and individuals with disabilities who expressed a desire to attend the church where she served. At that time, however, the church was not equipped to support their requirements, and these families—despite their desire to belong—were unable to participate.

Through this experience, God opened Samantha’s eyes and her heart. These families wanted the same thing everyone else wanted: to learn about God and to be part of a loving, giving community. Yet because of their God-given differences, they were unintentionally overlooked. They were not seen, and because they were not seen, they were not considered in the church’s planning.

Samantha realized that inclusion is often assumed, but rarely attained without intention. During her morning time with God, she heard God speaking clearly to her: “I am going to show you how to create a ministry.” And He did.

God allowed Samantha to play a part in transforming one church’s culture—from unintentional unawareness to the beginning of a journey toward disability inclusion. Through the development of an inclusion ministry, these families and individuals were able to learn about God’s love, grow in their faith, use their gifts to serve others, and become part of a church family that embraced them.

But Samantha felt the calling did not end there. As the church became accessible, families from over 2 hours away would come to worship. She knew this work was meant to reach beyond a single church.

And so, Benevolence United was born…