Church's Insurance and How it Relates to Church Security
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As a steward of the Safety and Security Ministry, I believe we have a duty to protect our teammates from personal liability (e.g. protect their homes & hard-earned savings) if a lawsuit results from any ministry related duties (e.g. touching an unruly person and allegedly injuring them). Let's protect the people who protect the Church! #churchsecurityideas #churchsafetyandsecurity #churchsecurityteam
Church Liability Insurance and Supplemental Policy
One of the biggest hurdles as Director of Safety & Security at my Church has been to determine whether the Church’s liability insurance protects my Church Security teammates from personal liability (e.g., protects their homes and hard-earned savings) if a lawsuit results from any Church Security related duties (e.g., touching an unruly person and allegedly injuring them).
After becoming Director, I felt a shift in responsibility. My role went from protecting the congregation to protecting the people that protect the congregation, the Church Security Team.
In order to do so, I had to read and understand the Church’s liability insurance and any related supplemental policy.
Below I am listing what I was told to look for by the experts from two insurance companies (Emery & Webb, Inc. and NCG Insurance):
Make sure there is not any language about intentional acts being excluded from your Church’s liability policy (e.g., policy excludes bodily injury or property damage from expected or intended injury).
If there is language like that, hopefully, the next sentence says something like “this exclusion does not apply to bodily injury resulting from the use of reasonable force to protect persons or property.”
This means a member of the Church Security Team (including volunteers) would be covered by the Church’s liability insurance, if they were using reasonable force to protect persons or property, so long as their actions were authorized by the Church (e.g., in accordance with Church Security Plans).
Confirm that your Church’s liability insurance policy protects your Church Security Team volunteers and any paid guards (including armed guards).
Look for what kinds of attacks are covered (e.g., it is one supplemental policy’s intent to cover any type of attack that includes instruments meant as weapons, including knives, vehicles, in addition to firearms, etc. but not fights or assaults where no weapon is present [fists, feet, etc.]).
What are the benefits of the policy? (e.g., medical expense benefits, counseling, loss of income, etc.).
What locations are included? All insured locations would have to be listed, as they would not cover events outside of these locations.
Indemnification Clause in Church’s Bylaws
In addition to liability insurance, it may help to have an indemnification clause in your Church’s Bylaws.
For example, “The Church’s Board of Directors are granted the discretion to assess whether the individual was truly acting on behalf of the ministry and furthering the ministries purposes.”
The indemnification clause is for times when the insurance coverage mentioned above does not apply or is not enough, then any out-of-pocket legal costs may be covered as per the indemnification clause.
Developing a Church Security Plan
The topics of liability insurance, indemnification clauses, and bylaws can be a little overwhelming, so I would suggest taking one step at a time!
First, I would suggest you speak with your Lead Pastor or whoever knows the most about your Church’s liability insurance policy and ask for a copy of your policy, supplemental policy, and bylaws and read them.
Once I expressed my concerns to our Lead Pastor about protecting the Church Security Team from personal liability, he became concerned for all of our ministries’ volunteers and called our insurance agent for more information. He even connected me to our agent to speak with him directly about the Church Security Team and its needs.
We are presently working with Emery & Webb, Inc. to thoroughly explore all of our options (e.g., supplemental policy or new policy) so our Lead Pastor and/or Board of Directors can make an informed decision.
Also, once you know and understand the protection offered to your Church Security Team by the liability coverage and any indemnification clause (or lack thereof), you will be better equipped to instruct your teammates (and draft a Church Security Plan) about what they should and should not do (e.g., physical force, carry firearm, etc.).
Your Insurance Company may be willing to review your Church Security Plan (a/k/a Policy and Procedure) and make suggestions.
CCW Safe
If your teammates are not adequately protected by your Church’s liability insurance (and indemnification clause, if applicable), you may encourage your teammates to enroll in CCW Safe, a Legal Service Membership.
Furthermore, if your Church’s insurance coverage has gaps, like it only intends is to cover an attack that involves instruments meant as weapons (including vehicles). But, it is not the intent to cover fights or assaults where no weapon is present (fists, feet, etc.). Then you may encourage your teammates to enroll in CCW Safe, which “covers all legal firearm and weapons, all physical force, and weapons of opportunity.”
Unfortunately, CCW Safe is not available to my teammates and other New Yorkers, as these programs are no longer offered in New York (possible exception Law Enforcement).
However, I am hoping my labor and research were not in vain and that this information will help someone else’s Church, maybe yours!
The only other options I know of besides Liability Insurance, an indemnification clause in the Church’s Bylaws, or CCW Safe, is to check your homeowners insurance/renters insurance or umbrella policy. However, I’ve read that these policies usually have an “intentional injury exclusion” and usually classify an act of self-defense as an intentional act.
Since my teammates cannot enroll in CCW Safe, and it is unlikely their homeowner’s insurance/renter’s insurance or umbrella policy will cover them when performing their Church Security duties, it is especially important for our Church’s liability insurance and any supplemental policy and/or indemnification clause to protect our Church Security Team!
What does your Church or House of Worship do to protect your Security Team from personal liability? Comment below!
You may be interested in reading these blog posts:
Developing a Church Security Plan to Protect the Children's Ministry
Why You Need Church Security Policy For Your Church Security Team
If you know a Pastor, Director of Safety and Security, or Church Leader that would benefit from this information, then please share this blog post with them!
About the Author: Lori Corini is an attorney admitted to practice law in the state of New York, an NRA Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer, a NYS licensed armed guard, and Director of Safety and Security and a Board Member at her Church.