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

[larry d keeler]

You sure have that right Cindy! Sometimes I don't believe its our dogs but
us that gives the churches the willies! I've noticed it was harder to get a
ride without my dog than with her! 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
nagdu
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 7:25 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Cindy Ray
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: guide dog banned from church bus

Craig, that is all very nice. However, in some churches people won't give
rides for fear of the liability. I know ours doesn't, or Bob's doesn't, and
so they have a bus and rely on it to take people places. I think you are
right that the pastor needed to make sure the parents know that the dog is
going to be on that bus. You can come up with all kinds of reasons why he
would have said that--alergies, kids might get bitten, there might be people
afraid of the dog, but the bottom line is that if churches want to spread
the good new of Christ to people, this is unwelcoming. The pastor said she
could ride with others, yes? Do we know if it actually was offered by real
people? I can understand all of the things that you have stated, but it
still seems to me that the situation make it very unwelcoming. 

Cindy


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Craig Heaps via
nagdu
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2015 10:44 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Craig Heaps
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: guide dog banned from church bus

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

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