United States: Plane Crash Claims Lives of Five Adventists, Including Four Administrators

Collegedale, Tennessee, United States …. [Olson Perry/ANN Staff]

A small plane crash claimed the lives of three administrators and a director of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, based in Calhoun, Georgia, as well as their pilot. The crash occurred just north of Collegedale, Tennessee, on Thursday, December 2, at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time. A sixth person, the copilot escaped with minor injuries.

Killed were Pastor Dave Cress, president; Pastor Jim Frost, executive secretary and vice president for administration; Jamie Arnall, director of communication; and Pastor Clay Farwell, assistant to the president were killed, as was hired pilot and Adventist church member John Laswell. Jim Huff, a volunteer copilot and member of the Standifer Gap Seventh-day Adventist Church, survived. Media reports indicate Huff was hospitalized in Chattanooga, 15 miles from Collegedale.

The Cessna 421 went down two miles north of Collegedale, crashing in a field at Pine Hill and McDonald roads shortly after take-off.

The group was headed from meetings at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale to Knoxville, approximately 95 miles away, where they were to hold meetings with local pastors and other church officials.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America joins its offices in Georgia in mourning the loss of five of its workers in a plane crash earlier this afternoon,” said Pastor Don Schneider, North American church president, in a statement. “We would encourage all people of faith to join us in praying that the families and co-workers of the victims will find comfort. At times of great tragedy, a church family can provide great strength. We pray that we can provide that strength to those most affected by this loss.”