Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans closes a five-part church safety series by explaining Texas Senate Bill 694 and why churches can still face major costs without proper insurance. He describes a Fort Worth church incident where volunteer security members with licenses to carry stopped an armed threat, but a stray bullet injured a first-time visitor who later sued for negligence. Although the court dismissed the civil case under SB 694’s civil immunity protections, the church still incurred $80,000 in attorney’s fees, which their insurer denied due to a firearms exclusion in the general liability policy. Wadley emphasizes that immunity from liability is not immunity from being sued, and urges church leaders to have experts review risks and eliminate coverage gaps.

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00:00 Show Introduction

00:26 Series Finale Focus

00:51 Sunday Morning Scenario

01:33 Threat Stopped Fast

02:18 Civil Lawsuit Fallout

04:12 Immunity Not Lawsuit Proof

05:19 Get Proper Coverage

05:52 Closing Reminder

Host Ron Wadley continues part four of a five-part church safety series, addressing how Texas churches can train an armed volunteer safety team without excessive costs or insurance problems. Using a story about Phil who heads his church’s security team, the episode contrasts an expensive private tactical academy with an alternative partnership between Insurance for Texans and the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). Wadley argues a Texas License to Carry course is inadequate for church security needs because it lacks coordinated team skills and de-escalation training. While the USCCA provides a consistent, documented, recurring curriculum that insurers can trust for risk management. The episode also highlights USCCA membership legal defense resources for individual volunteers, helping protect them and reduce secondary liability for the church.

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00:00 Show Intro

00:26 Series Setup

00:46 Phil’s Budget Dilemma

01:52 Affordable Training Option

02:47 Why LTC Isn’t Enough

03:31 USCCA Training Standards

04:14 Legal Defense Backstop

05:31 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Host Ron Wadley continues a church safety series by warning Texas churches about firearms exclusions hidden in standard commercial general liability policies. He recounts a scenario at a mid-sized Abilene church where a licensed volunteer security team member’s handgun accidentally discharged in the parking lot, damaging a visiting family’s minivan. The church’s claim was denied because the policy excluded firearms used by non-law-enforcement personnel. Wadley explains that CGL coverage is built for common accidents like slips and falls, not injuries from weapon discharges. He contrasts armed volunteers with off-duty police or licensed security and urges churches to discuss armed security openly with knowledgeable agents and add specific endorsements.

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00:00 Show Introduction

00:26 Firearms Exclusion Explained

00:38 Abilene Parking Lot Incident

02:00 Claim Denied Reality Check

03:10 Why Standard Liability Fails

04:04 Volunteers vs Professionals

04:51 How To Get Covered

05:29 Call To Action And Wrap Up

Host Ron Wadley focuses this episode of his church safety series on the critical minutes after an active threat is neutralized. He uses the story of a church in Northwest San Antonio as an example. Wadley argues many volunteer teams prepare for confrontation but not post-event medical response. He also emphasizes drilled protocols for law enforcement arrival to prevent mistaken-identity shootings, congregation relocation and reunification, preserving the sanctuary as a crime scene, and maintaining documented plans and training to reduce negligent-security lawsuit risk.

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00:00 Show Intro

00:26 Series Setup

00:41 San Antonio Incident

01:42 Triage After Threat

02:16 First Aid Nonnegotiable

03:02 Police Arrival Protocol

04:16 Crime Scene And Liability

05:09 Coverage And Resources

05:56 Final Charge

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans launches a five-part church safety series. In this episode, he explains why informal security teams put Texas churches at risk. Using the story of Mary’s Waco church, he describes how a church with trusted armed volunteers but no written procedures, training logs, or use-of-force policies was non-renewed by its insurer for unmanaged risk. He notes underwriters increasingly view unwritten volunteer security as a liability that can lead to lawsuits if situations are mishandled. Wadley argues churches must adopt a formal, written security plan with a standard operating procedure (SOP) detailing use-of-force continuum, communication protocols, and incident reporting.. He discusses Insurance for Texans’ partnership with USCCA to provide training.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

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00:00 Show Introduction

00:26 Series Kickoff Church Safety

00:38 Marys Informal Safety Team

01:10 Insurance Renewal Wakeup Call

02:21 Why Underwriters Reject Informal Teams

03:13 What A Defensible SOP Includes

04:16 Training Help With USCCA

05:08 Call To Action And Resources

05:42 Closing Mission Reminder

Host Ron Wadley explains how Texas church leaders can be misled by cheap online insurance quotes in 2026. He says that stable or lower premiums often hide reduced property and liability protection. He warns that algorithms don’t account for ministry activities or key safeguards like safety manuals, child protection protocols, and facility use agreements. Some platforms route churches to non-admitted carriers that are not backed by the Texas State Guarantee Fund. Wadley urges leaders to evaluate the total cost of risk by reviewing declarations pages, sub-limits, deductibles, and payout definitions such as replacement cost versus actual cash value. He highlights commonly missed coverages including stained glass and pipe organ limits, directors and officers, pastoral professional liability, abuse and molestation, and hired/non-owned auto coverage.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

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00:00 Show Introduction

00:29 The Cheap Quote Trap

02:01 Why Algorithms Miss Ministry

02:21 Non Admitted Carrier Risks

02:57 Coverage Gaps That Hurt

04:03 Shrinkflation In Policies

04:43 Read The Declarations Page

04:54 Stewardship And Next Steps

05:33 Closing Reminder

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how church leaders should choose an insurance advisor. He uses a story about executive pastor David Miller in Tyler who receives a renewal with a flat premium and realizes it may hide dangerous coverage gaps. Wadley argues the best broker is a dedicated Texas church insurance specialist, not a generic local agent or fast online quote. Churches face distinct risks and need coverage such as pastoral professional liability, directors and officers, and employment practices liability. He emphasizes Texas-specific expertise for property valuation to avoid coinsurance penalties after storms and proper hired and non-owned auto protections.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

Download your free copy of our book, The Promise of Certainty, at thepromiseofcertainty.com

00:00 Show Introduction

00:40 A Flat Renewal Surprise

01:33 Hidden Coverage Gaps

02:20 Why Churches Need Specialists

03:09 Texas Specific Risks

03:31 Advice Beats Fast Quotes

03:52 Stewardship and Next Steps

04:39 Closing Reminder

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how Texas church leaders can build a comprehensive insurance plan to avoid dangerous coverage assumptions. He shares a rural East Texas church case where a board let a trusted leader run a preschool in a church building. They assumed that her business policy protected the church, and did not buy their own liability coverage or ensure they were named as an additional insured. When the preschool policy lapsed for 18 days, a child was injured and the resulting lawsuit named the school, leader, pastor, and board. It forced the church to pay a $5,000 legal retainer, which was almost half of their yearly church budget.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

Download your free copy of our book, The Promise of Certainty, at thepromiseofcertainty.com

00:00 Show Introduction

00:34 Why Coverage Matters

01:30 East Texas Cautionary Tale

02:17 The Fatal Assumption

02:52 When Coverage Lapsed

04:11 Building Full Protection

04:49 Promise of Certainty

05:13 Next Steps and Resources

05:48 Final Encouragement

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains the tension Texas church finance committees face between rising premiums and deductible exposure. He uses the story of a church in Temple, TX to illustrate this issue. He clarifies that premiums represent what insurers charge to assume part of a church’s financial risk, and that skyrocketing Texas catastrophe and liability losses have driven prices up. Wadley warns that chasing low premiums often shifts risk back to churches through higher percentage wind/hail deductibles and reduced coverage, such as moving from replacement cost to actual cash value, which can severely reduce claim payouts. He urges churches to evaluate the total cost of risk against reserves and ministry budgets.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

Download your free copy of our book, The Promise of Certainty, at thepromiseofcertainty.com

00:00 Show Introduction

00:26 Premiums Versus Deductibles

00:42 Temple Committee Story

01:39 Premiums Are Risk Transfer

02:08 Deductible Shrinkflation

02:56 Percentage Deductible Math

03:27 Hidden Coverage Pitfalls

03:58 Total Cost Of Risk

04:44 Get Expert Help

05:24 Wrap Up And Reminder

Host Ron Wadley warns Texas pastors and church leaders that fast, question-free insurance quotes are a dangerous sign that no one is doing the work needed to protect a church’s mission. He explains that churches have people-driven exposures that make them unlike typical commercial buildings. He also discusses how mostly identical churches can still have vastly different liability risks. Wadley says agents who focus only on basics don’t truly understand church risk. They may compete on price alone by quietly reducing coverage, lowering liability limits, adding restrictive exclusions, or switching roofs to actual cash value settlements.

Connect with our church insurance team at insurancefortexans.com

Download your free copy of our book, The Promise of Certainty, at thepromiseofcertainty.com

00:00 Show Introduction

00:45 Fast Quotes Trap

01:40 Agents Must Ask

02:13 Churches Aren't Buildings

02:50 Customize Real Coverage

03:30 Price Cuts Risks

04:18 Renewal Blind Spots

04:43 Next Steps and Closing