How to Review Your Church Insurance Policy Before It Renews
Your church’s insurance renewal notice arrives. Someone on staff forwards it to the board. The board approves it. Done.
That’s how most Georgia churches handle renewal — and it’s how coverage gaps go unnoticed for years.
A real coverage review isn’t complicated, but it does require someone asking the right questions. Here’s what we look at when we review a church policy.
Start With Your Property Values
Building costs have climbed significantly in recent years. A sanctuary appraised at $2 million five years ago may cost $3 million or more to rebuild today. If your policy still reflects the old number, you’re underinsured — and in a total loss, that difference comes out of the church’s pocket.
We recommend reviewing replacement cost values every two to three years at minimum. If your church has done renovations, added square footage, or upgraded systems, that triggers a review immediately.
Check What Your Liability Coverage Actually Covers
General liability is standard on every church policy. But standard doesn’t mean complete.
Two coverages that often get overlooked:
Abuse and molestation coverage. Standard GL policies typically exclude this. For any church running youth programs, childcare, or counseling services, this is not optional coverage — it’s essential. Georgia churches face real exposure here, and the legal costs alone can be devastating without it.
Employment practices liability. If your church has paid staff, you have exposure around termination, discrimination, and harassment claims. Most church packages don’t include this automatically.
Look at Your Hired and Non-Owned Auto
If volunteers use their personal vehicles for church activities — driving youth to camp, delivering meals, picking up supplies — your church has auto liability exposure even if it doesn’t own a single vehicle. Hired and non-owned auto coverage closes that gap. Many churches don’t know they need it until there’s an accident.
Understand What Your Carrier Specializes In
Not every insurance company handles churches the same way. A carrier that primarily writes commercial business applies a commercial mindset to ministry risks — and often misses things a ministry specialist would catch.
Brotherhood Mutual, our primary carrier at MinistrySure, has been writing church insurance for over a century. Their policy language is built around how ministries actually operate. That matters when a claim happens and coverage gets interpreted.
When to Ask for a Fresh Set of Eyes
If your church hasn’t had a formal coverage review in the last two to three years, or if you’ve had significant changes — new buildings, added staff, new programs, a recent claim — it’s worth a conversation with a specialist before your next renewal.
At MinistrySure, a coverage review starts with a conversation, not a sales pitch. We’ll tell you honestly if your current coverage looks solid. And if we find gaps, we’ll show you exactly what they are and what it would cost to close them.
We serve 700+ Georgia ministries. This is the only work we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check first when reviewing my church insurance policy?
Start with your property values. Building costs have risen sharply, and many Georgia churches carry replacement cost limits that haven’t been updated in years. If your policy reflects outdated values, you could be significantly underinsured in the event of a total loss. Review replacement costs every two to three years, or immediately after any renovation or expansion.
Does my church need abuse and molestation coverage?
If your church runs youth programs, childcare, counseling, or any ministry involving minors or vulnerable adults, abuse and molestation coverage is essential. Standard general liability policies typically exclude these claims. Without separate coverage, legal defense costs alone can be financially devastating for a Georgia church.
What is hired and non-owned auto coverage, and does my church need it?
Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects your church when volunteers or staff use personal vehicles for church activities — transporting youth, delivering meals, running errands. Even if your church doesn’t own a vehicle, you still carry auto liability exposure through these activities. This coverage closes that gap.
How often should a church do a full coverage review?
At minimum, every two to three years. But certain changes should trigger an immediate review: adding staff, purchasing or renovating a building, launching new programs (especially those involving children or transportation), or filing a recent claim. Many coverage gaps develop simply because the policy hasn’t kept pace with the ministry.
Why does it matter which insurance carrier writes my church policy?
Carriers that primarily write commercial business apply a commercial framework to ministry risks and often miss exposures unique to churches. A ministry-specialist carrier like Brotherhood Mutual builds policy language around how churches actually operate — which matters when a claim is filed and coverage language gets interpreted.