Houses of Worship Insurance

Stained glass is often very valuable and sometimes priceless. Several hundreds of thousands of dollars might be needed to refurbish the stained glass. If it’s damaged by vandalism, hail, fire, or other means, it can be very costly to fix. Finding a qualified contractor may also be challenging.

Depending upon your insurance coverage, an appraisal of your stained glass damage could be free of charge. In addition, consider including the value of the stained glass in the building limit of the church, and also include coverage under the church’s blanket limit. Some insurance companies may treat stained glass as part of a fine arts floater. Either way, this helps ensure the proper coverage in the event that something bad happens.

There are hundreds of reports each year of people being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers, and congregation members. Countless more are abused without any report being made.

Obtain the proper abuse or molestation coverage to protect the church in the event of an allegation arises. In addition, consider having a written document to address how to prevent sexual abuse from happening and what to do in the event of an allegation.

Church volunteers and employees often use personal vehicles to do work for the church.

Make sure to add hired and non-owned auto coverage to the church’s insurance policy to cover this exposure. Also, check the motor vehicle records for anyone who drives other members…especially kids.

Churches sometimes have very closely held beliefs that may open them up to potential lawsuits in the event the church’s beliefs cause someone else to feel wronged. An example might be a church refusing to perform a same-sex marriage, which results in a lawsuit.

Consider adding religious freedom coverage. This insurance can protect the church in the event it is sued because of closely-held beliefs core to the church.

Almost all churches have some form of board of directors that makes financial and operational decisions on behalf of the congregation. An organization once sued a church for improperly using their trademarked property while promoting a fundraising event. The total loss and defense costs totaled $400,000.

Directors and officers liability insurance protects the decision-makers of the church from lawsuits and claims. Instead of suing the individuals directly, the lawsuit would be defended by the church’s D&O policy. Most people who serve on a board in a volunteer capacity should demand this coverage before serving.

Roof claims are the most common claims that churches face. Each year, billions of dollars of damage are typically paid as a result of storm damage.

Ensure you have the proper coverage and confirm that you are insured to full replacement value. In addition, make sure your insurance policy includes replacement cost coverage for roof claims for wind and hail.

Security in churches is becoming a larger issue as attacks have increased in recent years.

Every church should have a security plan. This plan should detail where parishioners go in the event of an emergency, which entrances are open during worship times, who should contact the authorities, how to spot someone who may pose a security risk, and how to react to someone who is trying to cause harm to parishioners.

Religious Leaders often find themselves giving counseling to couples or other church members. In addition, religious leaders could be at risk of a lawsuit for what they say in the pulpit.

When it comes to counseling, religious leaders should have clear guidelines on what is acceptable in a counseling situation. In addition, religious leaders should be trained to know what needs to be reported to the authorities in the event of an extreme situation. Adding professional liability coverage to your church’s insurance policy can help protect the religious leader and church from claims or lawsuits arising from what the religious leader says at the pulpit or when teaching or preaching.