NAD YE Meetings # 2a

[Gregory Matthews]

Following the Annual Council of the GC, the NAD has what are called Year End Meetings. Day one of those NAD meetings were reported on elsewhere and mostly involved the dedication of the new NAD  HQ.  Day #2 of these NAD meetings is reported on below:

https://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/10/28/message-and-ministry-young-people-day-2-nad-meetings

One point of interest was the   question related to the end  of Insight magazine.  At the end of the magazine, the printing run was only 6,000 issues.   There are actually more than 6,000 SDA congregations in the NAD.  So, clearly it was not seen as a valued resource.   The intent is to replace  it with a ministry that is based upon Facebook.

The following quote is somber.  In the U.S. it has been a violation of Federal law for a licensed automobile dealor to sell 15 passenger vans for the transport of people.  They are dangerous and people die when they are transported in those vans.   Years after this defect was known, the NAD prohibited the use of those vans for the transport of people by SDA churches and schools, but they continued to be so used.

NOTE:  In the below quote the distinction between the issue with the 15 passenger vans and the medical coverage should be made.

Quote

The mood turned somber when Tim Northrop, president of Adventist Risk Management, took the stage to discuss insurance and healthcare. NAD President Jackson shared that the NAD has experienced huge losses over the years due to settlements in death and injury suits. He reminded the delegates that a previous action voted by the body forbids the use of 15-passenger vans by conferences and churches in the NAD. There have been too many injuries and deaths as a result of using these vehicles during church outings. “They are not safe. We have killed a lot of people in 15-passenger vans,” Jackson said.

He reported that over the past four or five year period, the NAD has paid out claims in excess of $80 million related to various injuries and deaths, including those from van accidents.

Northrop continued with a discussion on the health care plan for church employees, and the church’s commitment to encouraging a healthy lifestyle, as well as specific initiatives the church is undertaking to address the types of claims the church is seeing.

Northrop said that for every $1 the NAD paid its insurance company last year, the insurance company had to pay out $6.50 in claims. Because of this, the provider needs to see that specific steps are being taken to reduce risk. Many of the claims were due to lack of proper supervision and improperly maintained equipment, and therefore could have been avoided, Northrop told the delegates.

 

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

More on 15 passenger vans:

*  It is not against U.S. Federal law for 15 passenger vans to be built.  It is only against Federal law for them to be sold for the transport of people.

*  When this defect in their design became known, a $2,000 modification was developed that substantially reduced the rate of injury and death.  But, few owners of those vans wanted to spend that amount of money.  And, that design change was not placed into the production of those vans as it could not be proven that   it totally, 100%, eliminated the potential for injury and death.

 

[debbym]

At some point those who are responsible for choosing to continue to use these vans, need to be held seriously responsible.

[Gregory Matthews]

On the  level of the local congregation, probably many do not know, and if they do, they do not understand.

At this point, it becomes the responsibility of denominational leadership to take charge, supervise, and take pro-active steps to see to it that no SDA organizations are using such vans to transport people.  This may include inspections and other steps.

It is not enough to simply say:  Do not do it.  Steps must be taken to insure that they are not being used.

NOTE:  Something like 10 to 15 years ago I first raised this issue with denominational officials on multiple levels.  Since then policy has been put in place.  But, the injuries and deaths continue to take place.

Leadership, at times, includes enforced compliance.  This is one of those times.