By 4.8 min read

So you’re looking for the best church insurance company? You’ve come to the right place. Church insurance coverage can help protect your congregation and staff from financial losses after a disaster, but if you are not careful in your selection process, it may leave your ministry underinsured. Compare it to a business insurance policy, just tailored for a church.

In this blog post, we will discuss seven reasons why using a church insurance company matters – so that you can make the best choice possible!

1 – Liability & Church Property Coverage

Churches and religious organizations have a broad range of ministry-specific insurance coverage needs.

Liability Coverage:

Your church serves the community in so many different ways. You’re serving youth, adults, volunteers, students, seniors; in various ways. This opportunity to serve sometimes leads to unforeseen risks that need to be protected against.

Outside of the standard liability coverage you’d expect, a church insurance policy should include protection for:

  1. Freedom of Religion
  2. Sexual Misconduct & Harassment
  3. Directors & Officers, including elders and board members

Church Property Coverage:

Church buildings, pews, stained glass, organs, and instruments are some of the property owned by a church that needs special protection. An insurance company that specializes in this type of property minimizes your risk overall.

2- Risk Management Training & Education

An insurance claim can be a costly interruption to your ministry. Many of those claims can be avoided with risk management training and education. The right insurance company for your church will have safety resources, checklists, forms, and training tailored specifically for ministry.

Awareness and preparedness are two keys to reducing the chance of an accident or claim.

For example, one of the services Brotherhood Mutual offers is an amazing safety library full of resources for your church:

  1. Online Article Library
  2. Sample Forms, Policies, & Checklists
  3. How-to Videos
  4. Manuals & Publications

3 – Working With Children

Churches must protect the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of young people and other vulnerable individuals. This is one of the most important responsibilities a church leader has.

Unfortunately, child sexual abuse and misconduct cases continue to rise; and it is devastating for all of those involved.

Sexual Abuse & Misconduct Coverage:

In the event of emotional, bodily, or personal injury, your policy should include paying financial damages on behalf of the church.

4 – Understanding Religious Organizations Rights

A church has unique freedoms that others may not have when it comes to belief-based decision-making. Your insurance policy must include protection for your biblically-based beliefs, and provide legal guidance so as to not break the law.

Religious Freedom Coverage:

If your church is sued, your policy will reimburse legal fees and should pay damages that result from belief-based decisions or practices.

5 – Managing Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of churches.

Employees are protected by your Workers Compensation policy. Volunteer workers need protection as well. A church has many volunteers serving in many different capacities, for example:

  1. Sunday school teacher
  2. Church van driver
  3. Church board member, elder, or deacon

A good church insurance policy will have coverage for the organization and the individual volunteer. For example, there is an accident involving a church van, one of the children being transported is injured, and their parent sues your church. Your policy would financially protect that volunteer driver and protect the church.

Another way to protect volunteers is with medical payment coverage. Sometimes slips and falls or other injuries happen on your property that requires medical attention. A good church policy will have this included.

6 – Missions Travel

Very few organizations like a church have sponsored international travel to foreign, often impoverished countries. Your church members and volunteers doing this missional work must have the right coverage.

On an international mission trip, if a member of your team becomes sick or is injured, you’ll need health and liability coverage. It can be difficult to navigate foreign health and legal systems.

You’ll also have coverage for things like unexpected expenses, lost baggage, or trip interruption. Most insurance carriers will also offer 24/7 access to emergency support services too.

7 – Church Insurance Claims

So far you’ve read six reasons why a church insurance partner matters. This last reason could be the most important to you and your organization.

What happens when you need to make a claim? Just like your liability and property coverage needs, our partners have experienced every type of claim you could imagine. You can have confidence every step of the way through the claims process.

Our Church Insurance Company Partners

As you’ve read, a place of worship is very unique from an insurance coverage perspective. For church insurance clients, we partner with these carriers:

Brotherhood Mutual Insurance

Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company has been insuring churches and related ministries for more than 100 years. Brotherhood insures more than 60,000 churches and offers its property and general liability coverages in 47 states.

GuideOne Insurance

GuideOne Insurance has more than 51,000 commercial policyholders throughout all 50 states, has been in business since 1947, and has more than 625 employees.

Philidelphia Insurance & USLI

Both Phly & USLI offer a property & liability insurance program for a church or house of worship.

All four of these commercial insurance partners offer coverages specifically tailored to meet the needs of organizations like yours. You will save time and gain valuable benefits working with companies like these.

Final Thoughts

Churches are best served by insurance companies that specialize in churches. Business insurance coverage tailored to religious organizations ensure you’re fully insured, protecting your mission.

At CTG Insurance, we know that a place of worship has unique insurance coverage needs. We can help you find church insurance in a way that works best for your congregation and budget.

Feel free to contact us anytime. Thanks for reading!

About the Author: Steven Elkins
Steven Elkins is the vice president of CTG Insurance.

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