Churches have a significant focus on the spiritual aspects of life. At their core, they are peaceful places of prayer and worship. They serve as an oasis of tranquility in an otherwise noisy and turbulent world. Yet even though churches are places of worship, they are also a place of weddings, funerals, and a host of other activities. These large gatherings and activities put churches at risk for various liabilities. 

It is essential to understand that any organization or institution that renders service to the public or clients should have liability Insurance. Not having this insurance could lead your church to be held liable for any injuries or losses. Remember that liabilities can compound affect your church property and disrupt your operations.

Religious organizations are pillars of many communities and provide a wide variety of services that help individuals in many ways. If you are looking to ensure that you stick around for the long term by minimizing liabilities that relate to your church property, professional liability, and general liability, reach out to our team at the Church Insurance Man today. We would be pleased to discuss the best insurance coverage options and how elements like liability coverage can help sustain religious organizations to thrive.

Here are a few steps to increase safety for congregants and employees and reduce the church's exposure to liability. 

Ways to Prevent Your Church From Lawsuits

When thinking about risk mitigation, it is best to take a preventative approach. What does that mean when it comes to your religious organization? Essentially, it means to operate in a manner that minimizes your potential liabilities.

For instance, when providing counseling, one may take a holistic approach, helping the individual find out issues instead of giving direct advice that can lead to physical loss or mental anguish. Another situation to account for would be when it comes to mopping floors. Placing signs to urge caution helps show that your religious organization is not being negligent in any fashion. There are many instances that your church or religious organization must account for when it comes to general liability, bodily injury, and property damage.

Here are a few tips to think about when mitigating liability within your organization.

Adopt a Clear Job Description for All Employees

Giving your employees all their job descriptions will help avoid liability by not working beyond their job description. This helps ensure that you provide certain expectations and have that as clear as possible. It allows people who work within your organization to know what they are responsible for and what they must focus on to stay employed. This helps to account for employment practices liability. This is very important when you are preventing your church from lawsuits.

Adopt a Church Safety Policy

Having a church safety policy will help quite significantly. Make sure your church policy states that both volunteer and employee exercise caution at all times. Creating this type of policy will help to reinforce the regular safety education you provide.

Remove or Repair All Potential Physical Hazards.

To prevent lawsuits in liability insurance for your church, you have to warn your volunteers, members, and employees against any hazard. Give your congregations a notice to always inform you if any dangerous condition is discovered.

As soon as you are aware of a physical hazard, remember to take action and quickly fix the situation. Also, always walk through your church for potential threats. Doing this regularly will help in the regular maintenance of the church. As your organization grows, it would be a fantastic idea to have an individual or team responsible for accounting for this matter.

Avoid Sponsoring High-Risk Activities.

Make sure you avoid any high-risk sponsoring activities. These events can range from activities that have high risks like hang gliding or surfing. If your church is sponsoring a high-risk event like that, make sure all the congregation and the participants are educated about the risk in the activity.

This doesn't mean you should organize a program educating them. You can obtain an "Assumption of Risk waiver." This is a written statement that will cover all the risks involved in the activity and the procedures the participants will take.

Interview Both Volunteers and Employees Effectively.

Ensure all your volunteers and employees who will work with you go through an interview. You can give your volunteers and employees an application form that will include their:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Social security number
• Employment experience 
• References

Be clear with the information on the application and thoroughly investigate the information provided.

Types of Church Liability Insurance Coverage You Must Have

There is a wide variety of liability coverage options present within the market. This is why our team at the Church Insurance Man is here to help you walk through the church insurance options that are best for you.

We understand that thinking about the advertising injury liability caused within a specific incident, property damage, or general liability, can lead to a great deal of stress. There are various options to consider, and we will assist in offering options that make the most sense for your organization.

Here are a few of the liability-oriented insurance options that we see in the market.

Sexual Misconduct Liability Insurance

As a church, you must have sexual misconduct liability insurance. This will help to be able to defend any allegations that may arise from the church members. Defending sexual abuse cases is costly, and it may cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars or more. Having sexual misconduct liability insurance will help to mitigate the risks present here.

Errors and Omissions Insurance

Pastors that provide counseling can be held liable for members' emotional and physical injuries. To avoid this, you need to get pastoral counseling insurance. If your church also performs burial, you need cemetery professional liability insurance. 

Automobile Insurance

Suppose your church owns a bus or vehicle that drives members to the church. In that case, you will need automobile insurance to avoid any lawsuit. A transport system for members increases your liability risk, especially if inexperienced drivers or vehicles are not well maintained.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

If your church has employees, it is usually essential you have workers' compensation insurance. This will help and protect you from any employee lawsuits. Workers' compensation insurance covers medical and missed wages or salary for work-related injuries and illnesses. This type of insurance is essential in all organizations, including churches.

Work With Church Insurance Man Today for General Liability Coverage

Church liability claims are very costly, and they are complicated to settle. As a church, you must focus not only on the development of the church but also on the safety of others. You need to have a proper maintenance procedure and follow the preventive measures. That is how to reduce any liability insurance risk for your church and ensure that you can happily serve the community and expand your operations. If you are looking for help with church insurance packages, workers' compensation, general liability insurance, or business automobile insurance, reach out to our team at the Church Insurance Man. We are pleased to help you sustain your efforts and your organization.