Your Church Insurance Wasn't Renewed. Here's What to Do Next.
A non-renewal is not a cancellation. They are two very different things, and understanding the difference matters for what happens next.
Cancellation means a carrier terminates your policy mid-term — usually for non-payment, material misrepresentation, or severe claims. It takes effect immediately or with very short notice, and it creates a mark on your insurance record that future carriers will ask about.
Non-renewal means your carrier has chosen not to offer a new policy when your current term expires. Your coverage stays in effect until the renewal date — giving you 30 to 60 days to find a replacement. Non-renewals happen for many reasons that have nothing to do with your church, and they do not carry the same stigma with future carriers.
If you've received a non-renewal notice, the most important thing you can do is act immediately. The more time your agent has to approach replacement carriers, the more options you'll have and the more likely you'll secure strong terms before any gap in coverage.
Why carriers non-renew good churches
A non-renewal due to market changes is very different from a cancellation for claims — and it doesn't make you a bad risk. Good churches get caught in carrier market exits every day.
Carrier market exit
Insurance companies periodically decide to stop writing church business in certain states or regions. This is a business decision by the carrier — it has nothing to do with your church's risk profile or claims history.
Underwriting appetite change
Carriers tighten their guidelines over time. A church they were happy to insure five years ago may no longer fit their updated criteria — not because your church changed, but because the carrier's appetite shifted.
Reinsurance pressure
When reinsurance costs rise — often after major hurricanes, wildfires, or market-wide losses — primary carriers pass that pressure along by non-renewing accounts in higher-risk geographies. Georgia churches in hail-prone or coastal areas see this frequently.
Building age or condition
Some carriers set hard cutoffs for roof age, electrical systems, or plumbing. If your building crosses one of these thresholds, the carrier may non-renew even if you've never filed a claim.
Program or portfolio restructuring
Carriers sometimes restructure entire books of business — moving away from certain property sizes, building types, or coverage combinations. Your church may simply fall outside the new parameters.
What to do in the first 30 days
You have a window before your current coverage expires. Here's how to use it.
Call MinistrySure immediately
Contact us the day you receive the non-renewal notice. The sooner we start, the more carrier options we can explore before your renewal date.
Gather your documents
Pull together your current declaration page, loss runs (claims history), the non-renewal letter, and building details — square footage, roof age, electrical and plumbing updates.
We approach ministry-focused carriers
We present your church to carriers like Brotherhood Mutual and Insurance Board who specialize in ministry coverage — including churches transitioning from a non-renewed policy.
Review your options with your board
We present a clear, side-by-side comparison your leadership team can understand — with our recommendations — well before your current coverage expires.
Why MinistrySure and Brotherhood Mutual are a stable long-term home
The last thing you need after a non-renewal is another carrier that might walk away in two years. That's why we place most non-renewed churches with Brotherhood Mutual — a carrier that has insured churches since 1917 and has never exited the ministry market. They don't write restaurants, contractors, or retail stores. Churches are their entire business, and they plan to keep it that way.
MinistrySure is built the same way. We only insure churches, Christian schools, and faith-based ministries — it's all we've ever done. When your previous carrier decided church insurance wasn't worth their time, we were still here. We've helped hundreds of Georgia churches find stable coverage after non-renewals, and many of those churches have been with us for years since.
Both owners — Michael and Matthew Campbell — are Brotherhood Mutual Agents of the Year. Our team knows the underwriting process, the documentation carriers need, and how to present your ministry's risk profile so that you start a new relationship on strong footing.
What we need from you to get started
The faster we receive these documents, the faster we can approach carriers and secure your replacement coverage.
Current declaration page (dec page)
This is the summary page of your current policy showing your coverages, limits, deductibles, and premium. It tells us exactly what you have now so we can match or improve it.
Loss runs (claims history)
A 5-year loss run report from your current carrier. Every replacement carrier will ask for this. If you don't have it, we can help you request it.
Building details
Square footage, year built, roof age and type, and dates of any major updates to electrical, plumbing, or HVAC. Carriers use this to set property valuations and assess risk.
Non-renewal notice
The letter from your carrier stating the non-renewal and the effective date. This confirms the timeline we're working with and may include the carrier's stated reason.
Churches we've helped after non-renewal
“After Southern Mutual canceled our coverage, Matthew and his MinistrySure team moved mountains and helped our church obtain replacement insurance in remarkable time. The team found excellent coverage with Brotherhood Mutual.”
“Michael immediately stepped in to guide us through securing new coverage and rebuilding our account. Thanks to Michael's leadership, we transitioned to an admitted carrier within one calendar year.”
Non-renewal questions answered
Is a non-renewal the same as a cancellation? +
No. A cancellation terminates your policy immediately or before the policy period ends, usually for non-payment or material misrepresentation. A non-renewal means the carrier simply won't offer to renew your policy when it expires. You remain covered until the renewal date, giving you time to find replacement coverage.
Why would an insurance company non-renew a church with no claims? +
Carriers non-renew churches with clean records for reasons that have nothing to do with the church itself — market exits, reinsurance cost increases, underwriting appetite changes, or portfolio restructuring. Georgia churches in hail-prone or coastal areas are especially affected when carriers tighten geographic restrictions after major weather events.
How quickly can MinistrySure find replacement coverage after a non-renewal? +
In most cases, we secure replacement coverage well before your renewal date — often within a few weeks. Contact us as soon as you receive a non-renewal notice. The more time we have, the more carrier options we can explore.
Will a non-renewal make it harder to get insurance from another carrier? +
A market-driven non-renewal does not carry the same weight as a cancellation for claims. Most ministry-focused carriers like Brotherhood Mutual understand that non-renewals happen when carriers exit markets or change their appetite. As long as your claims history is clean and your building is in reasonable condition, a non-renewal alone should not prevent you from finding strong replacement coverage.
What happens if we don't find replacement coverage before the renewal date? +
If your current policy expires without replacement coverage in place, your church will have a gap in insurance. During that gap, your buildings, staff, and ministry activities are unprotected from liability claims, property damage, and other losses. Lenders may also require proof of continuous coverage. Contact MinistrySure as soon as you receive a non-renewal notice — the earlier we start, the more options we have to secure coverage before the deadline.
Your renewal date is the deadline. Let's get ahead of it.
If your church has received a non-renewal notice, contact us today. We'll review your situation and start approaching replacement carriers immediately — no obligation.