PART 4What Church Leaders Should Expect From Their Insurance BrokerQuestions Every Church Should Be Asking
By Trinity Safety Training Group
June 2026
Many churches have insurance.
Far fewer churches understand their insurance.
That distinction matters.
One of the most common assumptions made by church leadership is that the existence of an insurance policy automatically means all safety ministry activities are covered.
Unfortunately, insurance policies are contracts.
And contracts contain conditions, limitations, endorsements, exclusions, and definitions that may significantly affect coverage.
Your Insurance Broker Should Be a Risk Management Partner
A quality insurance broker should be more than someone who sends renewal paperwork once a year.
A quality broker should help leadership understand:
Organizational exposure
Volunteer protection
Coverage limitations
Risk-reduction opportunities
Emerging liability concerns
The relationship should be proactive rather than reactive.
Questions Every Church Should Ask
At a minimum, leadership should seek written clarification regarding:
Volunteer Coverage
Are volunteers covered while performing assigned duties?
Are safety team volunteers treated differently than other volunteers?
Use-of-Force Considerations
Are assault and battery claims excluded?
Are physical intervention incidents covered?
What circumstances might trigger exclusions?
Firearms Considerations
Does the policy address armed volunteers?
Are there special requirements?
Are additional endorsements available?
Legal Defense
Does the policy provide legal defense coverage?
Are volunteers included?
What are the limits?
Training Requirements
Does the carrier expect training?
Are there minimum standards?
Would lack of training impact coverage decisions?
Insurance Is Not Preparedness
One of the most important concepts church leaders must understand is that insurance and preparedness are not the same thing.
Insurance helps manage financial consequences.
Preparedness helps prevent incidents and improve outcomes.
The strongest churches focus on both.
A Stewardship Perspective
Church leaders are entrusted with:
People
Facilities
Resources
Ministry operations
Understanding insurance coverage is simply part of exercising responsible stewardship.
The objective is not to prepare for lawsuits.
The objective is to ensure leadership has exercised diligence, asked appropriate questions, and taken reasonable steps to support both the congregation and the volunteers who serve it.
The best time to identify a coverage gap is before an incident.
Not after one.
Preparedness • Stewardship • Wise Leadership
Dan Perez
VP of Training and Risk Management
Trinity Safety Training Group
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