Kyle Crist (’13 & ’17) attends a Philadelphia Phillies game with his niece and nephew.

Kyle Crist (’13 & ’17)

‘LBC Is Home’ | A Journey Beyond a Disability

“If I didn’t have the Ally Center (at LBC), I’d be nowhere,” shares Kyle Crist (’13 & ’17), who lives life with cerebral palsy and ADHD.

When Kyle searched for colleges to attend, all he received were denial letters. That is until Lancaster Bible College offered a provisional acceptance, which included summer courses prior to his official start. The younger Kyle may not have seen college in his future, especially since he didn’t learn to read and write until the beginning of his high school years.

“LBC is home” he explains, as being on campus was the first time Kyle felt that people didn’t see his disability first—but saw him for who God created him to be. “I experienced love and grew as a person (while at LBC),” he says.

While his grandmother was instrumental in raising him and helping him learn to read and write, his LBC years brought another set of supporters: Dr. Peter W. Teague, then-President, Dr. Shirley Tucker, then-faculty member, and Dr. Timothy Nicholls, current Professor of Bible & Theology.

Kyle recalls the efforts of these three to support him, from making sure the campus was accessible, such as by adding automatic doors to his residence hall, finding new technologies, such as a screen reader, reminding him of his potential, and even holding Kyle accountable through the college experience and his school work.

Kyle admits this also meant he had to humbly accept the tools available to help him succeed. While some may label him an inspiration, he is quick to brush that aside with, “I’m just living my life as Dr. Tucker taught me.”

With a bachelor’s in Pastoral Ministry and a master’s in Professional School Counseling, Kyle now works as a certified addictions counselor in Iowa, the home state of his wife, Jess, who is a high school science teacher. He previously served as an associate pastor focusing on care and counseling; however, COVID-19 changed the financial situation of that church and, consequently, his role.

Kyle hopes to return to incorporating his experiences and education within church settings. Ultimately, his goal is to tie together care and counseling with church ministry and professional roles, especially since, as he explains, smaller churches can’t financially support these types of ministries but could benefit from them greatly.

Kyle’s motto continues to be, “I haven’t mastered it yet,” with whatever the new “yet” may be. He’s currently continuing his education through professional certifications related to substance abuse and mental health.

He also knows he isn’t the only one who’s living with disabilities or diagnoses. “Take time to learn about yourself,” he encourages. “Discover who you are and do the best you can.”

He also emphasizes that relationships matter. “Don’t allow doubts of society, family and self about your disability,” he says, “but turn to people you trust to remind you that God created you, and He is in control.”

On a more practical level, he reminds students, with a chuckle in his voice, “be willing to have hard conversations when you are failing Old Testament and need to pass it. That was me. Those tests were brutal!”