Early on in his time in ministry, Pastor Rick was at a small church in the Panhandle east of Amarillo. He had been there a couple of years and he and his family loved the community. Sunday mornings were simple but rich. Fellowship meals were potluck and sincere. The building wasn’t fancy, but there was no debt and it met their needs.
Like most pastors of smaller congregations, Rick wore many hats. Not only was he the preacher, he was also a part-time counselor, janitor, and, in this case, insurance decision-maker. He didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about insurance. But he worked to make sure that the church had a policy that actually covered what mattered. It seemed like a responsible thing to do.
Then one dark March night, the “just in case” became real. Very real.
A tornado tore through the town just after midnight. It only lasted minutes, but by the time the winds died down, the church was decimated. Rick, who lived in the parsonage across the street from the church, had plucked his young son out of his bed just before the window shattered across the bedroom.
He stood in the parking lot staring at the wreckage. The windows were shattered, the walls and roof were severely damaged, and water had poured in from the thunderstorm that followed. The congregation and his family were safe, but the building they called home was broken. But Rick operated with a sense of peace and calm as he assessed the damage that night and the next day.
Most church leaders don’t think about their insurance policy until the storm hits.
That’s a problem. Because when it comes to risk, the worst time to evaluate your coverage is after you need it. We’ve seen it too many times to be honest. Leaders are praying for a miracle, but stuck fighting with an insurance company over a policy they didn’t understand or wasn't write properly in the first place.
The good news is that Rick didn’t have that problem. Because he took the time to prepare. He was able to operate from a position of peace that came from his faith and the knowledge of the insurance policy.
For those of you who want to get to the point, here are the three big things you need to know.
And don't skip on the FAQs at the end! But we really suggest you keep reading on because this story explains what True Texas Church Insurance is all about!
Rick wasn’t worried about what would happen next when the tornado struck. While he couldn't tell you exactly what his policy covered. He worked with a local agent who helped them craft a policy to cover major events like this one. He knew the church would be able to rebuild. This was because he worked with a church insurance advisor who made sure the coverage actually reflected the real risks they faced.
The peace he felt in that moment wasn’t accidental. It was prepared.
It’s the same kind of peace that his faith offered. Receiving God's grace doesn’t mean we won’t face storms. It means we’re not alone when they come and that we have home on the other side. Insurance works the same way.
It doesn’t stop the wind. But it changes how you face the damage.
There was no “let’s call someone now” moment when the tornado hit. Rick couldn’t go back and upgrade his policy. He couldn’t lower his deductible. He couldn’t add flood protection or replacement cost coverage after the fact.
It was either done right ahead of time or not at all. Once it's over, it's over.
Just like grace has to be received before our personal day of judgment, insurance has to be in place before the day of damage. That’s what makes it a promise of certainty. It’s either there when you need it or it isn’t. You have to take action to receive those benefits before the catastrophe strikes.
Once the insurance adjuster came and confirmed the policy how the policy was going to respond, Rick’s focus shifted. He wasn’t trapped in endless paperwork or wondering if they’d be able to rebuild. Instead, he started working with church leaders talking with contractors. He started planning where to meet in the meantime. He led his people forward.
Insurance gave him the room to lead instead of panic.
That’s what good protection does. It lets churches act with purpose instead of fear. It doesn’t replace faith, but it reinforces a ministry’s ability to keep going after a disaster. And in that time of trouble, that is the most important aspect of planning your church can have.
At Insurance For Texans, we’ve seen what happens when churches trust their insurance to national call centers or inexperienced agents who don’t understand churches or their ministries.
We’ve also seen what happens when a storm hits a church that’s properly protected with rock solid coverage.
True Texas Church Insurance exists to help churches like yours experience the same kind of peace Rick had when the tornado came to that little oilfield town. Our job is to make sure your policy matches your actual risks. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just real protection for real churches who want to serve with The Promise of Certainty.
Rick would have been the first to tell you that no insurance policy will ever be as powerful as God’s promise of grace. One is eternal. The other is financial.
But he loved a great analogy to help us learn during his sermons.
Rick was my dad and I was the young boy that was plucked from the bed during the tornado. Dad found his promise of certainty many years ago when a heart attack caught up with him. I use his teaching style and the lessons I learned from him to lead Insurance For Texans.
Grace gives believers like him and me a foundation that cannot be shaken under any circumstance. Insurance, when done right, gives your ministries a similar sense of confidence and stability in the face of earthly disasters. That’s why getting it right matters. And it will always matter to us.
Because when the wind comes, and it will, you want to lead with clarity, not fear.
Click the button below to schedule a personalized review of your current church insurance policy.