Hardwick, the retired pastor of Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia, was diagnosed with autism at age 36 in 2014. His blog about his experience quickly became popular and resulted in a 2021 book, “Disability and the Church: A Vision for Diversity and Inclusion,” aimed at helping houses of worship reevaluate how to welcome those on the autism spectrum. Soon, he was dubbed “the Autism Pastor.”
His second book, “How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church,” released earlier this year, examines the normalization of suffering of both Black and disabled bodies and includes lessons he has learned from a cancer diagnosis. His treatments have forced Hardwick into retirement at age 45 but have not slowed his pen.
— Read on religionnews.com/2024/12/31/emerging-religious-leaders-to-watch-in-2025/
