An RMS team member heard about a major loss event at an Adventist site via their mother-in-law who heard it from a friend’s friend on Facebook.

Had the Adventist site notified RMS?

No.

We found the Facebook post, and what it revealed was surprising. Photos. Videos. Timelines. Opinions. Eye-witness accounts. Even a link to a published article.

What we first learned on social media painted a picture of the loss event before RMS had officially heard anything from the “horse’s mouth”.

The dilemma, then, is discerning what is fact and what is false.

Our goal is always to do the right thing by your ministry. We are here to help, not hinder. We hope your goal is to do the right thing too.

So, we encourage you to report any loss to RMS as soon as possible. This prevents misunderstanding, delays and further loss.  Some loss events can be time consuming and complex, we’re here to help step you through that process and share the load.

Tim Tew, RMS Loss Resolution Officer encourages early reporting of losses so that your Adventist entity isn’t hamstrung by delay.

“Reaching out to RMS sooner rather than later means we can be more effective and of greater service,” states Tim. “We’re here to help you get back to business.”

While it may not be practical to report a loss event on the very day it happens, we’ve noted that sometimes there’s very little delay in reporting these events to social media sites like Facebook. While it is valuable to share relevant newsworthy information to your audiences on social media, it is still worth exercising some discretion so as not to reveal, or overstate anything as it could jeopardise a potential claim.

Whenever we see something on social media that looks like a potential loss, we will always endeavour to reach out to the site. Coincidentally, if we don’t hear back it makes for interesting blanks that beg to be filled – and we’d rather those be filled by facts not what is debated on social media.

If you ever need any assistance with a loss event you can always drop us a quick message or, call us, we’re ready to help.