Doctor Cleveland Huntley is the sole proprietor of INCLUSION, a for-profit ministry dedicated to the inclusion of people with disabilities into the life of the Christian church. He is a native of Monroe, NC. He is the son of the late Reverend Clarence and Kathleen Huntley.
He attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where he studied social studies.He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Montreat College: a Master of Ministry degree, summa cum laude, from Queen City Bible College; and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford Graduate School. He has conducted further research on church hospitality at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.In February 2004, Cleveland participated in a five-day missions trip to Kenya, East Africa.
Cleveland currently serves as a licensed minister, co-chairman of the board of directors, chairman of the deacons’ ministry, chairman of the risk management ministry, and certified lay counselor at The Park Church, Charlotte, NC.He also is a board member of Omega Graduate School and Joni and Friends-Charlotte.Cleveland is the author of two publications: Pastor Abuse (Master’s Thesis) and The Effectiveness of a Five-Week Disability Awareness Training Course for Ministry Representatives of The Park Church, Charlotte, NC (Doctoral Dissertation).Professionally, he served 28 years as senior fire plans examiner and inspector for the Charlotte Fire Department before retiring in 2004. In 2022, he retired as a fire protection/life safety specialist for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation.Cleveland is married to Barbara Jean Huntley. They have one daughter, Sherille, and three granddaughters, Jazmine, Tiffany, and Taylor.
by Doctor Cleveland Huntley, is a faith-based book that identifies the realities that Christians must confront when interacting with people with disabilities. Although the Bible commands Christians to extend the love, kindness, and hospitality of Jesus to others, Christians tend to ignore the presence of people with disabilities as if they are modern-day lepers. Consequently, people with disabilities dread attending church on Sundays.
On the other hand, when Christians practice inclusion as Cleveland outlines in this book, people with disabilities will no longer view attending church on Sundays as a drudgery, but as a delight.
In the Christian church’s life and witness, one of the largest categories of unreached, underserved, and underutilized people groups is the category of those affected by disability. Consequently, the church is robbed of a tremendous opportunity to bless and to experience blessing. In his book Cleveland Huntley equips the church in effectively understanding, appreciating, and engaging people affected by disability.
Through both theological reflection and careful research, Huntley dispels myths and corrects misconceptions about persons and families affected by disability. He further offers practical suggestions for including and empowering them in the life and mission of the church. I encourage all who care about ministering to those affected by disability to read this book.
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