Tips for keeping empty church buildings safe

Even if your church building is seeing little use these days, the property still faces risk. Jeff Koch, the president and chief executive officer of United Methodist Insurance, offers five tips for US churches to make the best use of buildings with limited visits.

1. Talk to your insurance agent

For most churches, giving is down and money is tight. Koch suggests a church contact its insurance agent to discuss what coverage it has and what happens if a church needs to miss a payment. “It’s best to start with your agent,” Koch said. “But if you feel like you are not getting a good answer from your agent or you are looking for the latest information on grace periods on cancellations, [states’ websites] are the place to check.”