Practical protection for the people and purpose behind your mission.

If you lead a church, ministry, or outreach nonprofit, you already know the role comes with more than spiritual responsibility. You’re also managing people, programs, buildings, and events. All of these carry real-world risks that faith alone can’t cover.

Insurance may not be the most inspiring part of ministry, but it is one of the most essential. And too often, churches and religious nonprofits find out the hard way that their policies don’t cover everything they thought they did.

Let’s review the core insurance protections your organization should have in place, and why they matter more than you might think.

We often hear things like, “We’re just a small congregation,” or “We don’t really have much to insure.” But risk isn’t about size. It’s about exposure.

Even a modest church in a rented space may be responsible for:

• A visitor slipping on a wet floor in the entryway after a rainstorm
• A child getting injured during Sunday school or youth group
• Counseling conversations that are misinterpreted or mishandled
• Leadership disputes that escalate into legal issues
• Damage to borrowed space during an outreach event

Faith-based nonprofits are deeply connected to their communities. That’s a good thing – but it also increases the number of people, spaces, and situations where something could go wrong.

A lot of the pastors and directors we talk to say things like, “We’re just a small organization, we don’t have much to insure.” It’s a common thought, but it doesn’t hold up once you start looking at where most claims come from.

Think about it: You’re running weekly services. You’ve got kids in classrooms. Volunteers all over the building. You probably have a food pantry or host recovery groups, or lend out your space to other nonprofits. People are coming and going all the time, and you’re trying to make everyone feel safe, welcome, and cared for.

It’s beautiful. But it’s also… a legal risk buffet.

So no, insurance isn’t just about “stuff.” It’s about the people who rely on you, and the people who might hold you responsible if something goes sideways.

Coverage should be tailored to your specific organization, but most churches and religious nonprofits need to consider:

• General liability insurance, to cover accidents and injuries
• Property insurance, to protect buildings, furnishings, and equipment
• Pastoral or professional liability, especially if leaders provide counseling
• Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance, to protect your board and leadership from legal claims tied to decision-making
• Workers’ compensation and volunteer coverage, even if your team is small
• Commercial auto, if you use vehicles for trips, outreach, or transport

If your nonprofit operates a school, food pantry, or recovery ministry, additional specialized coverage may be required. 

At the Wallace Insurance Agency, we’ve worked with churches, ministries, and outreach groups from tiny congregations to growing multi-site nonprofits. We get how unique this space is. We also know how hard you work, and how tight finances can be. We understand that every congregation is different, and we’re here to help you find the right protection without overextending your budget.

You won’t get a sales pitch or a stack of complicated paperwork. Just straight answers, and coverage that fits the way your ministry actually works.

Call today or schedule a quick coverage review online. We’ll help you understand what you need, what you don’t, and how to move forward with confidence.