What does EPLI cover for a church?
EPLI covers a church against employment-related claims brought by employees, former employees, and job applicants: wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual and other harassment, retaliation, failure to promote, and hostile-work-environment allegations. It pays both the defense costs and any settlement or judgment. These claims are excluded from general liability and property policies, so without EPLI the church pays its own lawyers.
The exposure is more common than most church leaders expect. A staff member let go after a difficult season, an applicant who believes they were passed over for the wrong reason, a volunteer coordinator who alleges a hostile environment — each can become a claim. And because defense costs accrue regardless of whether the church did anything wrong, the financial hit lands even on suits that go nowhere.
Does my Georgia church need EPLI?
If your church has paid staff, the honest answer is yes. Federal anti-discrimination laws — Title VII and the ADA — apply once a church has 15 or more employees, and the age-discrimination law (ADEA) at 20. But that threshold is not the whole story: wrongful-termination, retaliation, and many state-law claims can be brought against a church with far fewer employees. Georgia is an at-will employment state, which helps, but at-will status does not stop a terminated employee from filing — and from forcing the church to defend itself.
Most mid-size Georgia churches already cross the lines that create this exposure: a senior pastor, an administrator, a bookkeeper, custodial staff, nursery and children's workers, and often a preschool or school payroll on top. The more people on payroll, the more likely an employment dispute eventually becomes a claim.
Churches assume their general liability policy or the "ministerial exception" has them covered for a staff lawsuit. Neither one does — and that's the gap that turns a routine termination into an uninsured legal bill.
Doesn't the ministerial exception already protect us?
Only partly — and the part it misses is the part that sues. The ministerial exception, affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, bars ministers and employees with genuine religious teaching or leadership roles from bringing most employment-discrimination claims against a church. It is a real and important protection for clergy decisions.
But it does not extend to your custodian, bookkeeper, administrative assistant, nursery worker, facilities staff, or preschool and daycare employees. Courts apply the exception narrowly, to roles that are genuinely ministerial. Everyone else on your payroll can bring an employment claim, and the church still has to defend it. EPLI exists precisely for that group — the staff the ministerial exception leaves out.
What EPLI does not cover
EPLI is broad on employment claims but has real edges worth knowing. It generally excludes bodily injury and intentional or criminal acts. Most importantly, many policies sub-limit or exclude wage-and-hour claims — unpaid overtime, employee misclassification, missed-break allegations — which often require a separate endorsement or sub-limit. In the current market, some carriers are also narrowing EPLI limits at renewal, so confirm your limit and exclusions rather than assuming last year's terms carried over.
EPLI vs. directors and officers (D&O) coverage
These two get confused constantly. D&O protects your board members and officers for decisions made governing the church — budgets, bylaws, hiring policy at the governance level. EPLI protects the church itself for employment-related claims by staff. They overlap at the margins, and ministry-focused policies sometimes package them together, but they are distinct coverages with distinct triggers. A church with employees should not assume a D&O policy will answer an employment lawsuit; the cleaner protection is purpose-built EPLI.
Ministry-focused carriers like Brotherhood Mutual build employment practices liability into their church programs rather than treating it as an afterthought, which is one reason a specialist agency tends to catch this gap that a generalist policy leaves open.
Not sure your church's EPLI limit fits your staff?
A coverage review checks your employment practices limit, exclusions, and wage-and-hour terms against how your ministry actually staffs.
Request a Coverage ReviewFrequently asked questions
What is EPLI for a church?
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) covers a church against claims brought by employees, former employees, or job applicants — wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to promote, and hostile-work-environment allegations. It pays defense costs and any settlement or judgment. General liability and property policies exclude these claims entirely, so without EPLI the church funds its own defense.
Does my church really need EPLI?
If your church has paid staff, yes. Employment claims are among the most common lawsuits churches face, and defense costs run into tens of thousands of dollars even when the church did nothing wrong. Federal anti-discrimination laws apply once a church has 15 or more employees, but state-law and wrongful-termination claims can be brought against churches of almost any size.
Doesn't the "ministerial exception" protect our church?
Only partly. The ministerial exception — affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court — bars ministers and employees with genuine religious teaching or leadership roles from bringing most employment-discrimination claims. It does not cover your custodian, bookkeeper, administrative assistant, nursery worker, or preschool staff. Those employees can and do sue, which is exactly the gap EPLI is built to fill.
What does EPLI not cover?
EPLI typically excludes bodily injury, intentional or criminal acts, and — on many policies — wage-and-hour claims (unpaid overtime, misclassification), which are often sub-limited or excluded and may need a separate endorsement. In the current market, some carriers are also narrowing EPLI limits at renewal, so it's worth checking your limit and exclusions rather than assuming last year's coverage carried over.
How is EPLI different from directors and officers (D&O) coverage?
D&O protects board members and officers for decisions made governing the organization; EPLI protects the church for employment-related claims by staff. They overlap at the edges, and ministry policies sometimes bundle them, but they are distinct coverages. A church with paid employees needs EPLI specifically — relying on a D&O policy to answer an employment claim often leaves a gap.
How much does EPLI cost for a Georgia church?
EPLI is usually written as one line within a broader ministry insurance package rather than a standalone policy, and its cost scales mostly with staff size and payroll. For most established Georgia churches it is a modest part of the total premium relative to the exposure it covers. A coverage review shows whether your current limit fits your staff.
MinistrySure is an independent insurance agency in Loganville, Georgia specializing exclusively in churches, Christian schools, and faith-based ministries. Led by brothers Matthew and Michael Campbell, MinistrySure has served 700+ Georgia ministries.
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