Three-fourths of the churches participating in our survey have liability insurance. Coverage depends on church size, but the average was just under one million dollars, almost equal to the average property value. Additional coverage is recommended for bodily injury, personal injury, sexual misconduct, or molestation. Six in ten churches report their policies cover anyone acting on behalf of the church. The remainder cover only pastor and staff.
Most states now require workers' compensation insurance, even for churches with a part-time pastor.
But only seven in ten churches in our survey have the coverage. Remember, insured or not, the church is required to pay if workers are injured on the job. They're less likely to say they are stressed out, dealing with an addiction, skeptical, or misunderstood. And they like making decisions. Sixty pastors gathered in a park in Omaha, Nebraska, recently.