A local team that understands your mission- and stays with you as it grows, that’s Covenant Insurance Group.
Insurance built around the way your ministry actually operates.
A church isn’t just a building or isn’t just a program. It’s employees and volunteers, board members, youth programs, counseling, community events, vehicles, technology, donated funds, and people trusting you to serve them well. Each of those creates risks that a standard business insurance approach can easily overlook.
That’s where Covenant Insurance Group is different. We take the time to understand how your organization operates, identify exposures that may not be obvious, and help you think through risk before we ever talk about insurance. From property and liability to employment practices, cyber risks, directors and officers, abuse and molestation concerns, vehicles, volunteers, and specialized programs, we know the questions that need to be asked.
And we don’t believe your coverage should be “set it and forget it.” As your ministry grows, adds programs, hires people, changes leadership, or serves your community in new ways, we continue reviewing your risks with you. Because protecting your mission takes more than a policy. It takes an insurance partner who understands what’s at stake.
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Stained Glass Insurance
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Abuse and Molestation Insurance
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Non-Owned Auto Insurance
Risk Factor
Church volunteers and employees often use personal vehicles to do work for the church.
Solution
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.
Religious Freedom Insurance
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D&O)
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Church Roof
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Church Security
Risk Factor
Security in churches is becoming a larger issue as attacks have increased in recent years.
Solution
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.
Professional Liability Insurance
Risk Factor
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.
Solution
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.
Most common coverage options for churches.
Churches are unique in the type of insurance they require. Ensuring that your church or house of worship is properly covered is important, and here are a few of the coverage options that may be added to a church insurance policy:
- General Liability (Including Sexual Abuse and Molestation)
- Directors and Officers Liability
- Workers Compensation
- Counseling Liability
- Auto (Including Hired & Non-Owned Autos)
- Other Events (Weddings, Funerals, Camps, Trips, And More)
A church doesn’t fit neatly into a standard insurance policy.
Your ministry may include much more than worship services and a building. Pastoral counseling, board decisions, stained glass and specialized equipment, schools or childcare programs, volunteers, community events, and other ministries can create coverage needs that are easy to miss if your insurance is approached like an ordinary business.
The details matter. Understanding how your church serves people — and where that creates unique exposures — is what helps uncover the gaps before they become a problem.
Protecting your ministry from the risks you see — and the ones you may not.
Churches and nonprofits are navigating risks that look very different than they did even a few years ago. Cyber fraud, employment concerns, protecting children and vulnerable individuals, volunteer drivers, board decisions, aging buildings, special events, and new ministry programs can all create exposures that aren’t always obvious until something happens.
That’s why Covenant looks beyond the insurance policy. We take time to understand how your ministry operates, where your greatest exposures may be, and what can be done to reduce those risks before insurance ever has to respond. And as your ministry changes, we stay involved — helping you review your protection so it continues to reflect the people, programs, property, and mission you’re responsible for.
Your focus should be your ministry. Ours is helping you protect what makes that ministry possible.
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