[nagdu] Fw: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: guide dog banned from church bus

[Craig Heaps]

I have read with interest the responses on this topic since someone 
posted the original news story from the web.

Perhaps my perspective is different from that of most people since I am 
a guide dog partner and also have served as a lay leader in a good sized 
church.  I was on the governing council of a 500-member church for five 
years.  Two of those years I was the council chair. Working alongside 
the Senior Pastor, we had to make a number of policy decisions.  We 
tried to be always prayerful and never arbitrary or capricious.

That said, I don't necessarily agree with the Pastor's decision but I 
think I understand it.

Look closely at his concern.  I don't think he was worried about the 
safety or health of the children because of the guide dog.  He was 
worried about how parents of those children might react to having the 
dog on the bus.  If you've ever been in church leadership, you can 
understand that.  People get their pews in a bunch over the most amazing 
things. So I think he was trying to be sensitive to the sensitivities of 
parents with children on the bus.

And I can tell you from experience that people will sue churches as 
quickly as they will sue businesses.  So the people who exercise 
stewardship over a church's funds and other assets have to be sensitive 
to a church's vulnerability to litigation.

It seems the pastor tried to offer a workable alternative, offering 
rides to the woman with the guide dog.  Perhaps a better solution would 
have been to allow the guide dog on the bus and let parents know it 
would be there.  They could then decide if that was acceptable.  If not, 
he could arrange rides for the children.

It is important to remember that while we want the leaders of churches 
to be tolerant, merciful and acoomodating, that's also a calling for the 
congregants as well.

Craig and Chase, who is always welcome at our church