Faith, Stewardship, & Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches

In this episode of Faith, Stewardship, & Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, I delve into a pressing question for church leaders: What are the actual liability insurance requirements in Texas? Surprisingly, Texas law does not mandate liability insurance for churches, which can lead to misconceptions about the necessity of coverage. I explore the critical distinction between legal requirements an...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance For Texans explains what Texas churches should expect for insurance costs in 2026. After several brutal renewal cycles, some price relief is emerging as new carriers return and competition increases. He cautions that the insurance floor has permanently risen due to higher construction costs and ongoing weather losses. Unusually cheap quotes often reflect trade-offs suc...

In this episode of Faith, Stewardship, & Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, I delve into the concerning realities of Texas church insurance as we approach 2026. While the market may appear to offer lower premiums, I caution you to tread carefully. We'll explore the hidden pitfalls of seemingly great deals, such as capped roof coverage and depreciated claims for older roofs. Discover how these t...

In this episode of Faith, Stewardship, & Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley delves into the critical topic of why cheap church insurance can end up being a costly mistake. Through a compelling examination of a recent winter storm that devastated Kingdom Culture Worship Center in Cedar Hill, Ron highlights the perils of opting for basic or named peril policies that may seem econo...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance For Texans explains general liability insurance as the foundational liability coverage for Texas churches. Using the story of Paul, a Waco church elder, Ron discusses what general liability insurance covers and what it doesn’t cover. Paul learns general liability covers the church’s liability for bodily injury and damage to others’ property, such as a visitor falling o...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans discusses how June 2024 abuse allegations involving the head pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake highlight the need for Texas churches to have the right insurance coverage. He explains that legal defense costs can begin before facts are established and outlines three essential liability coverages for a well-constructed church insurance package. These inclu...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance For Texans explains how church insurance responds to abuse allegations. He emphasizes that even false claims can trigger costly investigations and legal defense costs that may exceed $50,000. He warns that many Texas churches mistakenly expect general liability to cover these situations, but such policies often exclude or severely limit sexual abuse and molestation cla...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance For Texans explains the pros and cons of roof sub-limits for wind and hail damage in church property insurance. He recounts a San Antonio church that renewed their insurance. Their new policy had a lower premium. Then, they suffered damage to their church’s roof only to discover a $50,000 roof sub-limit that overrode their larger building coverage. Wadley notes insurer...

Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how some church insurance policies settle claims through managed repair programs. These programs require using the carrier’s contractor, shifting control away from the church. He illustrates this with Steve, a deacon in Amarillo whose church roof was damaged by hail. After filing a claim, Steve learned he could not use a trusted local church member’s con...

In this episode, host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans discusses how small Texas churches can find affordable insurance without sacrificing protection. Using the story of Pastor David in Lubbock, he shows how a much cheaper quote hid a $100,000 roof coverage cap that left the church with a six-figure bill after hail damage. Wadley explains that as the 2026 church insurance market softens, some c...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains what managed repair programs mean for Texas churches. Using Teddy, a Waco finance committee member, who discovers “managed repair program” language in a low-premium property proposal as an example. Wadley says these programs, driven by rising Texas weather losses, can reduce premiums but shift control and risk to the church during claims. Unlike sta...

Host Ron Wadley explains how Texas churches facing sudden premium spikes can evaluate risk purchasing groups. He uses a large Amarillo church’s renewal shock as an example. He describes Texas’s “concentration problem,” where hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms create clustered losses that drive unpredictable rate increases. Texas-only risk pools that keep all exposure in-state can be mor...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how small Texas churches are being hit hard by insurance market shifts. He uses the story of Nelda, an Austin church secretary to show how small churches are facing steep premium increases and reduced coverage. He notes insurers often define “small” by building size (often under about 15,000 square feet), which affects pricing and available coverage...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how Texas churches are facing not only rising property insurance premiums but also higher, often non-negotiable wind and hail deductibles. He uses the story of a Fort Worth church that discovered a 5% deductible on their church’s roof. He notes insurers use higher deductibles to manage frequent storm losses. Risk purchasing groups typically trade lo...

Host Ron Wadley explains how insurance exclusions can leave Texas churches unexpectedly exposed. He uses a story about Pastor Steve in Midland who is sued after providing pastoral counseling. Steve learns the church’s general liability policy excludes counseling and the church is not covered for this claim because it lacks professional liability coverage. Wadley notes many exclusions aren’t obviou...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains why cyber liability insurance is important for Texas churches. He uses the story of Landry, a Fort Worth pastor whose church website is taken hostage by ransomware, to show how cyber threats affect real churches. The episode outlines why churches are targeted and describes what cyber liability coverage can provide, including system restoration, fore...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how workers’ compensation fits into a Texas church insurance plan through the story of Fred, an elder in Amarillo. Although Texas law allows churches to go without it, the episode emphasizes that the risk remains and responsibility shifts to the church for medical bills, lost wages, and potentially legal costs if an employee is injured on the job. W...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how stained glass windows in Texas churches can be underinsured due to policy sublimits. He shares a Tyler church’s experience after a spring hailstorm damaged the roof and shattered multiple stained glass windows. The insurer offered only a small payout because the policy capped stained glass coverage at a low amount. The episode outlines how stain...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans explains how Texas churches can confirm proper insurance coverage for a church-owned parsonage. Using a small Abilene church that discovered the pastor’s brick house across the street wasn’t listed on their policy as an example, Ron discusses how to properly insure a parsonage. The episode outlines common parsonage coverage gaps: confirming church ownership...

Host Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans discusses how Texas hailstorms can lead to roof damage and water intrusion that destroys a church’s sound system. He explains that church property insurance separates building coverage from business personal property (sound systems, lighting, projectors, instruments, and technical equipment) and that these contents often have limits. Limits such as electroni...

In the milestone 100th episode of Faith Stewardship and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley reveals hopeful news for church leaders regarding the Texas church insurance market. For the first time in years, insurance companies are competing again, leading to better pricing and coverage options for churches. The episode narrates Phil's experience when he finds out that new opportun...

In this episode of Faith Stewardship and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley shares insights on understanding church insurance policies. Ron narrates the story of Paul, a diligent church leader from Austin, who struggled to decipher the complex language in his church's insurance renewal. The episode underscores the importance of clear communication between insurance providers and...

In this episode of Faith Stewardship and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley discusses the evolving landscape of church insurance in Texas. He shares the story of Robert, a finance committee member from Fort Worth, who faced the unexpected challenge of securing new coverage after their long-time carrier left the market. The episode highlights the importance of understanding insur...

In this episode of Faith Stewardship and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley, from Insurance for Texans, addresses the complexities church leaders face when selecting insurance. Through the story of Elizabeth from Fort Worth, Ron explains the importance of various insurance coverages. They include property, general liability, professional liability, directors and officers, worker...

In this episode of Faith Stewardship and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches, host Ron Wadley discusses the common misconceptions surrounding church insurance costs and the importance of understanding the details. He shares a case study from a church in Lubbock that faced rising premiums and initially believed a new proposal might solve their issues. Upon closer inspection, they discovered variou...