Skip to main content

Sexual Misconduct

Creating Safe, Church Safe Ministry

Serving the United Church of Christ & The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CLERGY AND CHURCH MEMBERS ARE WRONGLY ACCUSED. IS YOUR CHURCH PROTECTED? Recent news has focused a lot of attention on clergy sexual misconduct.  It is important to recognize that the “ministerial” relationship can include both ordained ministers and laypersons in leadership roles, whether church and school employees or volunteers, counselors, teachers, assistants and aides.

Is Your Church Protected?

Serving the United Church of Christ & The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CLERGY AND CHURCH MEMBERS ARE WRONGLY ACCUSED. IS YOUR CHURCH PROTECTED? Recent news has focused a lot of attention on clergy sexual misconduct.  It is important to recognize that the “ministerial” relationship can include both ordained ministers and laypersons in leadership roles, whether church and school employees or volunteers, counselors, teachers, assistants and aides.

  • Stop and ask yourself:  “Does our Church provide adequate limits for Sexual Misconduct coverage?  Does our insurance include Employment Practices Liability and Clergy Professional Liability?  Charges relating to inappropriate sexual conduct may fall under all three categories!
  • Employment Practices Liability coverage extends to allegations of sexual harassment if the conduct was “unwelcome” in the workplace.
  • Clergy Professional Liability coverage may be needed for claims arising from pastoral counseling that passes the boundaries of professional ethics.
  • Sexual Misconduct Liability is most often related to the sexual violation of a child, but includes exploitative behavior in adult relationships by those in leadership roles.
  • The legal expenses of defending against allegations, whether true or not, can overwhelm the budgets of most church organizations.  Hence the need for adequate coverage in each of these areas.

Church leaders cannot be blind to the fact that “child abuse allegations alone in American churches over the last ten years have averaged 70 per week! ”  And more than 2/3 of the allegations were against Protestants! (Christian Ministry Resources studies.)

At the Insurance Board, we don’t just provide “Part of a parachute.”  The Insurance Board Program, offered exclusively to United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations, provides all three key professional liability coverage at no additional cost to your church organization.

The Program provides $2 million per incident and $2 million aggregate coverage for Sexual Misconduct, Employment Practices and Clergy Professional Liability, each with an additional $50 million group umbrella.

Our culture of caring means we must focus attention on creating a safe environment for all who attend church programs or use church facilities.  For risk management resources on Sexual Misconduct and Abuse, please visit our website at www.insuranceboard.org or call us toll free at 1-800-437-8830, ext. 232.  For risk management questions, please call Richard Livingston, Director or Risk Management Services, at ext. 242.

Feel free to contact our Regional Agent, Pat Stein, CIC, at 815-635-1139 or via e-mail at [email protected] to provide a proposal with the enhanced coverage provided by the UCCIB Program for the benefit of your Church.