[Faith-Talk] Final Thoughts on the "Serving in Church" Thread: On Frustration, Encouragement, Decision and Perseverance

[Wesley Burden]

Well said Chris.  Thanks for sharing this thoughtful and encouraging observation with us this morning.


-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-Talk <faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum via Faith-Talk
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2025 4:58 PM
To: faith-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Chris Nusbaum <cnusbaumnfb at gmail.com>
Subject: [Faith-Talk] Final Thoughts on the "Serving in Church" Thread: On Frustration, Encouragement, Decision and Perseverance

Hello Friends:

I was frankly surprised to see a resurgence in this thread; I thought we had addressed and readdressed the topics at issue here from many angles. But it has come up again, which tells me that the issue still strikes a nerve with many people on this list. Even as I recognize this, I observe that the discussion has become (in my view) more repetitive than productive, more an airing of grievances than an exchange of ideas. Therefore, I'm writing a separate message to bring my thoughts on this subject to a reasoned and love-led conclusion.

First, Ericka, thank you for your kind words on my earlier email. I was afraid that that one might have gotten buried in all the rest, and I really hoped it hadn't; I tried very hard to present practical ideas while empathizing with the overall problems that brought the thread about, as I know many others have done. What I have observed here thus far is many people contributing thoughts, all of whom have faced or are facing the same problem: some send solidarity and prayer, some send possible solutions, some send encourage, most send a combination of these. Meanwhile, the same themes that started the thread in the first place repeat themselves again and again, with no acknowledgement of the responses that have come since, let alone any indication that any of the suggestions are being tried. So, if anyone is reading any frustration between the lines of our messages, I suspect that that is where the frustration stems from. It is the same frustration I feel as a teacher when a student repeatedly doesn't do something I suggest, then says or implies that it's my fault that they didn't understand the concept. In that case it's a mixture of frustration and self-doubt—frustration in thinking that both the student and I must be missing something, and self-doubt in wondering whether I'm doing my job well. I don't know if the self-doubt applies here, but perhaps it does; if I repeatedly try to help someone who is struggling and am joined in that outreach by many others in a community, but our best efforts are to no avail, it would be easy for me to wonder what I'm doing wrong.

Andrew, if you are still here, you said in your last email: "Honestly nobody cares to help me at all and give me the understanding I need. It is all about condemning me in this group." I am truly, deeply sorry you feel this way. I say this not only as one who has been blessed to serve in leadership positions in the NFB, including in positions where I've helped Linda coordinate activities of the Blind Christians Group; I say it, more importantly, as a Christian and as a blind person who wants the best for all blind people. But it is from that same standpoint that I say this: Read through this thread, and listen carefully to what people have said to you. If you really think about it, I think you'll find that the statement I quoted above is simply not borne out by the facts. On the contrary, I believe we have done all we can not to condemn, but to encourage, and when necessary, to speak truth with love. Please don't condemn all of us with the same attitude with which you feel you have been condemned. Doing so will hurt both your search for inclusion and the community you seek to build around you.

Finally, I would like to address the sub-topic of feeling unwelcome or unappreciated in the NFB. As in the church situation, I understand this and empathize with it—I've been there. I also believe that a problem becomes a complaint when it is repeatedly presented without an idea for a solution. Let me illustrate. When I was very new to our state student division's board, there were some things our president was doing that I didn't like. After a board meeting, I called our affiliate president and vented for what must have been 10 minutes or more. Our state president in Maryland then was Sharon Maneki, who many of you who have been involved in the Federation for a while will recognize. She listened to me, got very quiet, then asked, "And what are you doing about it?" The answer, to my embarrassment, was nothing.

So, whenever a problem comes up in the NFB, at church or otherwise that I want to complain about (and there are many), I think of Sharon's question first. There may be people who don't allow you to do something or don't like what you propose to do; any organization of any kind, including the NFB and a church, takes all kinds of people with all personalities. I promise, as a current member of a big affiliate and a former member of 2 small ones, that if you stick around, you will find your people and your place. For the record, the Blind Christians Group is always open to ijeas; please contact Linda off-list if you have them.

I think this will be my last word on this subject. Thank you all for your thoughtful and prayerful contributions in this thread; it is clear that this is a topic that deserves our community's continued prayers.

Blessings,
Chris Nusbaum
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