Acts of God: is your church sufficiently insured?

ByDave Hall

Acts of God: is your church sufficiently insured?

Could you church cope with the results of an ‘act of God’ – or being sued by a member of the general public?

‘Churches must consider risks each day and face up to the worst thing that could happen,’ maintains Emma Christian of Bridges Insurance Brokers, who have insured churches for more than 30 years.

In one case, a woman slipped over a sunken paving slab in a church car park, injuring her face.

‘She received over £13,000 in compensation,’ recalls Emma. ‘Thankfully, the church was covered sufficiently. The insurance provider paid out what would have been a significant amount for the church.’

Storm damage is another area that shouldn’t be neglected.

‘On one stormy day in December, high winds and rain completely destroyed the flat roof of another church,’ recalls Emma. ‘The roof needed to be replaced and water had come into the building. The total cost of the claim was almost £70,000.’

The leader of yet another church turned up to find a leaking water tank upstairs had caused water to soak through the ceiling into the floor below.

‘It was the end of August and no-one had visited the church for a few days,’ recounts Emma. ‘The insurers estimated the damage would cost in the region of £30,000 to repair. We never know what is around the corner but we can take steps to make these events less likely to happen.’

• Bridges Insurance Brokers will be on stand S148 at CRE 2017