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By Jim Coggins
“WHAT SATAN intended for evil God has turned into
something positive,” says Central Heights executive pastor Steve
Boakes.
Boakes is referring to the aftermath of the collapse of
the Abbotsford church’s floor during a Starfield concert April 25,
which left dozens of people injured.
Debbie Helsloot, who attended the concert with her
teenage daughter, was the most seriously injured. Because she suffered a
spinal cord injury, doctors at first feared she would be paralyzed.
However, she is now receiving physiotherapy, and it is expected that she
will walk again, even if her recovery is not complete.
“It’s been a miracle,” says her
pastor, Shawn Vandop of Promontory Community Church in Chilliwack.
Another of the seriously injured, Adam Hoock, is a 15
year old whose left hand was crushed. The cuts and most of the broken bones
have now healed, but his thumb is still in a splint, and he is receiving
therapy to restore movement.
His mother Val says that when she learned of the
accident and rushed to the hospital, there was “an atmosphere of
peace” rather than “a typical hospital emergency room
feeling.” She notes that Christians immediately got to work and began
praying for the injured.
“If my son was going to get hurt, church is the
best place for that to happen. What better help could you ask
for?”
Some of the Central Heights pastors quickly dispersed
to the four local hospitals where the injured were taken, and others
remained at the church compiling lists of the injured.
This allowed them to give information quickly to
anxious parents, and to follow up on those injured through phone calls and
personal visits. Val says the pastors were “amazing.”
Promontory Community Church has also rallied around the
Helsloot family, and a trust fund has been set up. Vandop says there has
also been support from “the church at large.”
Canadian worship leader Brian Doerksen showed up in
Debbie’s hospital room to sing “a few worship songs,” and
Joni Eareckson Tada has also contacted Debbie.
In the week and a half after the incident, Central
Heights Church hosted three counselling sessions where people could talk
about what had happened and receive personal counselling. Counsellors were
provided by Campus Crusade’s Global Aid Network and the Billy Graham
Emergency Response Team.
Members of Starfield have also been in touch with many
of the victims. Val says these contacts have “meant a ton” to
Adam, who is an aspiring drummer.
On the night of the accident, Starfield was just
beginning a tour with two other groups. Two other concerts were cancelled
after the accident, but on June 6 and 7 the band offered makeup concerts in
Burnaby and Abbotsford.
The Abbotsford event, held at Sevenoaks Alliance
Church, enabled some people to have closure. Several of the injured were
called forward to talk about their experiences and what they had learned
about God. A group of pastors then prayed for those onstage and others who
were injured.
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For three weeks after the accident, Central Heights
held its Sunday services at Columbia Bible College. It is now back in its
own building, but services are being held in a smaller auditorium, with two
Sunday morning services and a third service Saturday night
Boakes said, while it has been harder to keep an
accurate count, attendance seems to be “up a little” since the
accident and there is “unity in the congregation.”
One thing that impressed Val Hoock at the makeup event
in Abbotsford was a statement by Central Heights associate pastor Cam Broad:
“The church is not a building, but people. Just because the building
is damaged doesn’t mean the church can’t flourish.”
About two weeks after the original concert, Michael
Williams of Abbotsford launched a class action lawsuit against the
Mennonite Brethren (MB) Conference (the denomination to which Central
Heights belongs) and Unite Productions, the promoter of the tour, on behalf
of his teenage daughters.
The suit alleges that the daughters received a number
of specific injuries, although they were not on the list the church
compiled of those who were injured.
The lawsuit will proceed only if it is certified by the
courts as being an efficient way to handle insurance claims for the
injured.
MB conference minister Steve Berg says, “We are
concerned for the well-being of anyone who was injured. We want them to be
compensated for their expenses related to their injuries. That’s why
we carry insurance.”
Only a few claims have been made, mostly for things
such as lost cameras and lost wages. Boakes says some victims have asked
the church to look for lost possessions but specifically said they
don’t want compensation for their injuries. One said: “Christ
suffered for me. I’m willing to suffer for Christ.”
Those most seriously injured have so far shown little
interest in any recourse to the courts. Val Hoock says Central Heights has
been very forthcoming in providing information on how to make an insurance
claim.
She admits her family has had some additional expenses
because of Adam’s injury but they are “waiting to see” if
it is worth making a claim. She prefers to talk about the spiritual growth
resulting from the accident, and about how supportive everybody has been.
“We don’t have any hard feelings towards
anybody because of this. Our faith is not dependent on circumstances. They
are too fleeting. Our faith is in Jesus Christ, no matter what.”
July 2008
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