Like it or not, church leaders need to think about insurance coverage. While ministry always should be driven first by the unique call God places upon a congregation, good stewardship still requires anticipating the possible risks a congregation will encounter and mitigating them. 

In this episode, Peter Persuitti—the global managing director of Gallagher Insurance Company’s nonprofit and religious practices—joins Erika to talk about insurance trends affecting churches. 

Property insurance has been significantly affected by extreme weather events, causing some insurance carriers to end certain coverages—or even pull out of certain geographic markets. Abuse allegations remain a consistent source of litigation, again reminding us of the vigilance for prevention. And vehicle accidents and building security remain key challenges demanding the attention of church leaders. 

On top of all that, insurance costs continue to rise. 

Peter and Erika discuss these issues and more, emphasizing the ways leaders can think and plan proactively to help demonstrate their call to care well for the people and assets they’re blessed with—and all while working to minimize the potentially costly threats their ministries face. 

SHOW NOTES

Episode 32: “Readying Your Church for the AI Wave”

Episode 26: “Building a Culture of Safety and Security in Churches”

“15 Things Richard Hammar Wants Pastors to Know: Church Insurance,” by Richard R. Hammar

“Minimizing the Risks of Child Molestation in Churches,” by Richard R. Hammar

Download your FREE copy of The Church Attorney Legal Audit® System document checklist here, and check out Episode 29 (“Using a Legal Audit to Position Your Church for the Long Haul”) to learn about the importance of a legal audit for your church.

Questions? Comments? We welcome them! Please contact Erika Cole at erikacole.com. Erika reads each comment and may answer your question in an upcoming episode.

See all episodes of Church Law.

The Church Law podcast is part of Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com, a not-for-profit publishing ministry.

Erika E. Cole, Esq., known as The Church Attorney®, is the creator of The Church Attorney Legal Audit® System, a proprietary legal audit process that helps church leaders be confident they are operating with integrity, and avoiding costly risks. She serves as a senior editorial advisor for Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices