About Cal

Cal is married with three children. He is the Ministry Assistant at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Monroeville, PA. New Covenant is a growing church committed to worship, community and international missions. Cal is one of the three Founding Board Members of Uniquely the Same, Inc., a non-profit organization in western Pennsylvania. Cal is back where he was born in Western Pennsylvania after 20 years in Northern Virginia (west of Washington, DC). In Northern Virginia, Cal worked for Oracle and EMC Corporations in various Product Management and Technical Sales roles.
Recently, Cal was a Master of Divinity student at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Orlando, Florida. He is an inactive ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. Cal works closely with Young Life, Joni and Friends and various non-faith-based organizations in western PA. Cal and his wife are the Pittsburgh Chair Corps representatives for Joni and Friends, International.

Disability Perspective

Cal is recognized as one of Western Pennsylvania’s influencers concerning inclusion and the celebration of those affected by disability in faith communities. Cal has a heart for teaching the amazingly progressive approach to disability that is written in the Hebrew scriptures and Christian Bible (particularly in the life of Jesus).
Cal’s fundamental teaching is that inclusion and welcoming are NOT the highest principles of disability. While these are progressive ideas, they fall short of the higher principles demonstrated in the life of Jesus. Jesus celebrated, respected and cared about those affected by disability. Celebrating others would be a great cultural advance concerning disability. All people are made it God’s image and are therefore created for purpose, with value and love. The greatest need of people affected by disability is “belonging” not “mercy/pity”.

Join the Effort

If you are a church looking for information about how to improve your disability ministry check out UniquelytheSame.org. Uniquely the Same is a non-profit organization interested in working with churches, community groups and faith-based organizations in order to offer opportunities for housing, employment, transportation, medical services and genuine participation in real community life for those affected by disability.

Different Ways of Being

Your way of being reflects the unique image of God in you. While the Christian life places Jesus at the center of our lives, to be our best, we also desperately need each other. This means we must value and include those who are typically disenfranchised. If we do not embrace the unique value of every human, we cease to be human. When it comes to disability, there is no “we” and “they”, it is only “us ourselves.” The church needs to lead our culture in this idea. Too many people are left out because of disability and economic disadvantage. Without each other, we are less-abled.