Church Insurance

Insurance Solutions offers broad-ranging coverages designed for religious ministries. Your facility is a special place for your members, guests, students, and residents. However, without proper insurance protection, this secure, comfortable environment could be jeopardized. We understand how important it is to have the right protection. We offer a wide range of customized insurance coverages to meet your needs and budget.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INSURING YOUR WORSHIP CENTER

If you are entrusted with the responsibility of securing property and liability insurance for your worship center, you hold an extremely important position. In today's legal system, religious not-for-profits are treated like businesses that are exposed to more opportunity for accidents and damage than most. It is important to remember the following factors:

Your potential for encountering lawsuits is high. You have dozens, hundreds or thousands of members and guests visit your facility each week. Each is capable of slipping on a loose step or wet floor.
The activities you sponsor - sports teams, socials, dinners, picnics, field trips, campouts, retreats, schools and so on - hold a tremendous potential for injury. You probably use automobiles occasionally, and might own one or a fleet. You have volunteers doing a wide variety of tasks, sometimes with less than professional skill and equipment. You might also have full and part-time employees.
For your property exposures, consider the probable high value of the building and contents your congregation owns. Also, keep in mind that your building is likely to be unoccupied for hours or days at a time, making it prone to vandalism, theft and arson.
Your steeple presents an attractive target for lightning. And the use of kitchen equipment, candles and electrical apparatus' increases your chance for fire.

COVERAGES AVAILABLE:

Multi-Peril Policy: The multi-peril policy provides coverage for most of your property and general liability exposures. The amount of insurance you carry on your building and contents affects how much you receive for a total loss. It also can affect how much you receive for a partial loss. In order to determine the proper amount of insurance, you must calculate the cost to replace your building and contents. Some policies stipulate that your insurance may not be less than 80% of the value of the property at the time you suffer a partial loss. If you fail to have enough insurance to meet the requirement, you might incur a coinsurance penalty.
- Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value: Some policies provide for settlement of claims on a replacement basis, while others do so on an actual cash value basis. Replacement cost is the amount it would cost to replace an item with material of comparable kind and quality. Actual cash value is the replacement cost less an allowance for deterioration, depreciation and obsolescence.
- Blanket Insurance: Blanket insurance means combining your building and its contents under one limit of insurance. And, if you have more than one building, it can mean combining all buildings (and their contents) under one limit.
- Antiques, Rare and Highly Valuable Items: Some items, because of their rarity, antiquity, or unique design, are worth far more than ordinary items of comparable utility. Examples include certain paintings, statues, Bibles, communion ware and intricate stained glass.
- Directors and Officers (D&O): This professional liability coverage lets directors, officers and trustees make decisions freely and in the best interest of the organization, without fear of reprisal from those who might take legal issue with their decisions.
- Sexual Abuse & Molestation:
Workers' Compensation: Workers' compensation benefits are prescribed by state law and vary from state to state. They typically include compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs for severe disabilities and survivor benefits for family members.
Business Auto Liability: Protects your organization and drivers against bodily injury and property damage lawsuits arising out of at-fault accidents involving your vehicles.

CHOOSING YOUR COVERAGES:

Once you've determined how much insurance you need, you may select the cause of loss for which you need and can afford protection. Your building and contents can be insured on a "special" basis or on a "specified cause of loss" basis.

A "specified cause of loss" policy (sometimes referred to as a "named peril" policy) lists the causes of loss for which you are covered, such as fire, lightning, windstorm or hail. Generally, the insurance company groups causes, providing you either a few basic causes or several causes (broad form).
A "special" policy (sometimes referred to as "all risk" or "comprehensive") covers all direct causes of loss except those which are listed as exclusions, such as wear and tear, war, flood and earthquake.

With its more comprehensive coverage and shift of burden of proof to the insurance company, a "special" policy is preferable for most religious organizations. It does cost more than a "specified cause of loss" policy, but the greater security is well worth it. Even with a "special" policy, there are some coverage concerns. The most common are the treatment of signs, glass, building ordinances, earthquakes and floods, and custom and equipment breakdown.

Contact us for more information about business insurance coverage for your church or religious organization.