Church insurance basics: coverage to ask about
Insurance is one of the least exciting and most important items in a church budget. This is an overview of what to discuss with a licensed agent who works with churches.
Core coverage
- General liability. Covers injuries and property damage claims from people on your premises or at your events.
- Property. Covers buildings and contents. Ask whether it pays replacement cost or actual cash value, and whether the limit matches what it would cost to rebuild today.
- Workers' compensation. Required in most states once you have employees. Rules about ministers vary by state.
- Directors and officers (D&O). Covers claims against board members and leaders over their decisions, such as employment disputes.
Coverage that is easy to miss
- Abuse and molestation. Often excluded or capped in a standard policy. Confirm the limit and that it covers volunteers.
- Crime or fidelity. Covers theft of church funds by employees or volunteers.
- Cyber liability. Covers data breaches and online payment fraud.
- Hired and non-owned auto. Covers accidents when staff or volunteers drive their own cars on church business, such as youth trips.
- Umbrella. Adds liability limits above the base policies.
Questions for your agent
- Are all of our activities, including off-site events and camps, covered?
- Does the policy cover volunteers as well as employees?
- What are the exclusions and sublimits?
- What do we do when a group rents our building? Ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) from the renter naming the church as additional insured.
- When did we last update the building value?
Review coverage yearly and whenever you add a program, vehicle or building. This page is general information, not insurance advice.
Related guides
- Church year-end payroll and tax reporting checklist
- Church volunteer screening policy: what to include
Published Oct 3, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or HR advice. Rules vary by state and by church.