Pictured above: Volunteer and participant celebrate a fun evening during a recent Night to Shine event. FBC Palatka partners with Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in recent years to expand the reach of this special ministry event in the community. (Source: firstpalatka.com/ministries)
PALATKA, Fla. — An estimated 2.9 million people are affected by disability, and 15% of the state’s children live with a disability. Yet only a small fraction are reached with the Gospel.
“Only 5 to 10 percent of the world’s disabled are effectively reached with the gospel, making the disability community one of the largest unreached — some say under-reached — hidden people groups in the world,” said Joni Eareckson Tada, founder of Joni and Friends.
At First Baptist Church of Palatka, Pastor Ron Smith and his wife, Christa, are working to change that. Their journey into disability ministry began with their son Ryan, who was born with CHARGE syndrome and is profoundly deaf. Christa learned American Sign Language to communicate with him, leading to a lifelong commitment to helping churches welcome and disciple families affected by disabilities.
Over the years, she has launched after-school programs, served as an ASL interpreter at Lifeway Women’s events, managed disability initiatives with the Tim Tebow Foundation, and now serves Florida families through Joni and Friends. She combines personal experience with professional expertise to help churches develop meaningful inclusion strategies. Christa also serves on the Southern Baptist Disability Ministry Task Force, appointed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee.
“It’s worth the risk and investment, and God will bless churches that choose to prepare for and invite these families in,” they said.
In 2023, First Baptist partnered with Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation, to participate in disability-inclusion training through Joni and Friends. The cross-cultural collaboration allowed the churches to serve what they describe as a “third culture” — the disability community — by bringing together two congregations with a shared mission. The training focused on practical tools, cultural awareness and creating a sustainable culture of welcome.
The partnership helped launch Palatka’s first Night to Shine event in 2024, a Tim Tebow Foundation program that celebrates people with disabilities while also providing support for parents and caregivers.
Over the past two years, First Baptist has expanded accessibility through ASL-interpreted services, adaptive facilities and intentional inclusion across children’s, youth and adult ministries. Young adults are fully integrated into the college ministry and church choir, reflecting the long-term impact of the effort.
When asked what they would share with other Florida Baptist churches, the Smiths said families affected by disability “are profoundly used by God,” and that the role of the church is “to walk alongside them, disciple them and welcome them into fellowship.”
“It’s worth the risk and investment, and God will bless churches that choose to prepare for and invite these families in,” they said.
Through Joni and Friends training, Night to Shine and cross-cultural partnership, First Baptist Church of Palatka is demonstrating that disability ministry is both a mission field and a practical way to live out the Gospel while serving one of Florida’s most underserved communities.
Editors Note: The stats in the opening sentence are based on the 2025 Able Trust Annual Survey and Florida Department of Education data.
