It’s common for churches to have events that happen off-site, such as campouts, outreach events or other church outings. When these take place, it’s important churches make sure they’re considering the following to avoid potential issues which could arise.
It’s common for churches to have events that happen off-site, such as campouts, outreach events or other church outings. When these take place, it’s important churches make sure they’re considering the following to avoid potential issues which could arise.
Official activities, especially those taking place away from the church building, should be presented to the church board for approval. This provides additional oversight and, if voted and approved by the board, the church’s insurance policy could cover the event.
There are some instances when a vote from the board isn’t enough to cover the activity under the church’s liability insurance. In instances like these, Adventist Risk Management Inc. offers insurance policies that cover specific types of risk, such as higher risk sports, like rock-climbing to short-term travel. This insurance covers medical emergencies, loss of personal property, and security threats. Churches should work with their conferences to determine what policies are needed for particular situations.
Whenever you have church members driving others for church activities, especially if they are transporting minors, you should make sure that you are only using responsible adults over the age of 25 with adequate automobile insurance coverage. If the driver is using a church-owned vehicle, they should be approved by the church board. Of course, none of our churches should be using 15-passenger vans as these are not covered by insurance and are prohibited under church policy.
This is true especially when minors are involved or if the activity is high risk. You want to make sure that participants understand the risk and assume liability for those risks by having all parents sign permission forms for minors. It is also a good idea to have signed forms giving consent to treat in case first aid or other medical attention is needed during the outing.
By making sure your church has considered the above issues you can have added peace of mind for your next church event.
Jennifer Gray-Woods is the lawyer for the Lake Union Conference, as well as the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director.
