Autism Is the Calling

Written by and originally published at Aspie Minister

In my twenty-five years as an ordained clergy woman, I have often felt that there was something terribly wrong with me; something that kept getting in the way of my fully responding to God’s calling me to ministry. Recently, I went for a diagnosis with a neuro-psychologist and learned that I have Asperger’s Syndrome [Autism Spectrum Disorder in the DSM V]. Now I understand what I’ve believed was getting in the way of fulfilling God’s call to me: it is my autism. Yet, in my prayers, I feel that God is saying to me that autism is not a barrier to my calling; autism IS my calling!

Being an autistic minister means ministering with and through my autism; not in spite of it.

I’m not totally certain what that means, but I hope to explore it in this blog. What does it mean to be an autistic minister? What added gifts does it bring to serving God? How do I fully be my autistic self, and minister through my full being?

I hope to find some answers through blogging – and hopefully getting some input from readers along the way.