He wore a mask each time he damaged a church, but they caught him anyway — one of a handful of vandals across the nation taking aim at churches in a recent string of malicious incidents against places of worship. They frequently go for the biggest “wow” factor, and that includes graffiti, broken glass, and damaged art or sacred objects.
When congregations turn to their property insurance policy, they are often surprised to find they are left holding the bill for most of the cleanup, repair or replacement costs.
It might seem like theft of money from the poor box or expensive items such as silver candelabras would be the preferred crime of those targeting churches. Instead, it’s desecration and destruction of worship spaces and art.
Activists have upped their vandalism of churches, committing everything from arson to spoliation of art and religious objects. Whatever the reasons behind the actions, the stark reality is religious organizations are suffering costly losses.
While arrests are frequently made because of good video footage, perpetrators don’t always have the means to pay a church back for the damage they’ve caused, especially since the art destroyed and stained glass broken can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Weekly incidents of destruction targeting outdoor statues (paint and breakage are the most common actions), signs and ransacking of religious objects inside the facilities are reported. Vandals typically are trying to make a statement, so they go for the largest, most prominent items, and that can mean extreme — and often uninsured losses — for congregations.
Those suffering extensive damage, such as arson or large-scale glass breakage, may have more than just the direct losses to contend with. Debris cleanup may have tight limits on coverage payouts, and glass breakage and signage could be excluded from standard insurance without a special endorsement.
Some churches choose to self-insure, but in some cases, losses can empty coffers. In situations where a single church is repeatedly targeted, repairs and replacement can become unaffordable. For those that secure commercial property insurance, there’s more than just the building coverage to consider.
Church personal property, such as religious artifacts, stained glass, statues, paintings and valuable religious objects, like silver candlesticks or gold vessels, may be excluded from a business property policy. It’s important to ask your insurance professional about fine arts insurance. This is special coverage that applies to property with particular value because of artistic or historical significance. It may also cover vessels and other objects made of precious metals.
It’s also wise for church leadership to pay close attention to the requirements of their commercial insurance policy for basic crime, such as burglary or robbery. A commercial property insurance policy may stipulate an automatic alarm system must be installed and be engaged at all times for burglary and robbery coverage to apply. If your church is open to the public outside of worship hours and you have expensive or hard-to-replace objects, this is an important consideration.
Structures on the grounds of a church have additional needs. For example, grottoes, playgrounds, gardens and cemeteries could require coverage addendums, especially if the structures are historical. Remember, if they need rebuilding, there may be additional costs associated with new construction codes.
The best method of protecting against financial loss from vandalism and other crime is preventing incidents from happening. Good lighting, including motion-activated spotlights, can aid video image capture and can scare off would-be vandals. It might also alert passersby or residential staff of nefarious activity. Notice the mention of video; high-quality security cameras strategically placed can photograph license plates and even faces of criminals.
Before investing in any crime-prevention tools, however, run a security assessment. That will allow you to determine your vulnerabilities and best options for protection. Keep your valuable art and property safe and reduce costly losses with a regimen of assessment, installation, maintenance and monitoring. Then enjoy the peace of a secure worship facility and campus.
Protecting your place of worship from costly losses starts with the right insurance coverage. MinistrySure provides specialized policies for churches, ensuring coverage for vandalism, religious artifacts, property damage, and more. Contact MinistrySure today to discuss your church’s unique risks and secure the protection your congregation needs.
