History

Embracing the indispensABLE, becoming complete.

Thirty years ago, Sam Stone was the editor of the Christian Standard at Standard Publishing, next door to Mount Healthy Christian Home. One morning, on his way to visit with his parents, he spoke to another resident in the hall Marjorie Broxon. She had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair. Marjorie spoke slowly and with difficulty; she was often hard to understand. They chatted for a few minutes like they usually did, and he started to go on to see his parents. Then she said, “You know I like it here. There are good folks operating the home. But all of the other residents here are a lot older than me and I don’t have a chance to do many things I’m able to do and want to do. I wish our churches provided a home to help handicapped people.” “Well, yes, that would be nice,” Sam agreed, “but you know it would take a lot of money to build a facility like that.” Without hesitation she responded, “It took a lot of money to build Mount Healthy Home, too.”
So, in 1981, at the North American Christian Convention, several men met with Sam Stone to discuss what the Restoration Movement should do to help people with disabilities and their families. Needing someone to oversee and lead this work, the group hired Dr. Jim Pierson from the East Tennessee Rehabilitation Center for Children as the first director. Here is a picture (upper right) from an article written in the Christian Standard by Sam Stone. The picture is of Dr. Pierson teaching at the NACC in 1983. The Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped (now Ability Ministry) was chartered in 1983 in the state of Kentucky. Property was purchased in Louisville, Tennessee, with one existing house on the property. was built on our present property and the first resident moved into the house in August, 1986 and the house became a home. The original structure (Riverwood II) was remodeled and ready for residents in 1993.