TRIGGER WARNING: Although the opening story of this article is entirely fictional and used only to illustrate a point, it deals with the themes of gun violence, church violence and mass shootings.
Sunday morning started like any other for Stephen. As a deacon and head of the volunteer security team at his mid-sized Abilene church, he ran his usual pre-service checks. The coffee was brewing, the welcome team was in place, and the five ushers who were part of his quietly-formed security team were discreetly situated. All five were licensed to carry a handgun in the state of Texas, and after a string of concerning headlines about church shootings and other active shooter situations across the country, the board had given Stephen the green light to have them carry concealed handguns during services. It was a decision made with the best of intentions, a pragmatic West Texas solution to a growing worry. It felt responsible.
The service was beautiful. The pastor’s message on grace hit home, and the fellowship hall buzzed with life afterwards. Stephen was helping an elderly member to her car in the sun-drenched parking lot when the loud crack of a gunshot echoed off the brick walls.
Panic erupted.
People ducked behind cars, and a woman screamed. Stephen’s heart hammered in his chest as he saw one of his ushers, a good man named David, standing frozen by a minivan. He looked horrified. His handgun was on the pavement.
While trying to adjust his holster as he got into his car, the firearm had discharged. Thankfully, no one was hurt but the bullet had torn through the side panel of a visiting family’s minivan. After the initial shock wore off and the police report was filed, Stephen did what he thought was the next logical step. He called the church’s insurance company to find out how their insurance coverage would work to pay for the damage to the visitor's car.
The conversation was brutally short. The moment he explained that the firearm belonged to a volunteer member of their security team, his agent's response was unequivocal. "I'm sorry, sir," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument, "but your policy has a clear exclusion for firearms used by non-law enforcement personnel. This claim will be denied."
Stephen felt the blood drain from his face. The damage to the van was a few thousand dollars, which the church could pay for. But the real cost was the sudden, gut-wrenching realization that the very measure they had taken to protect the members of their church had just created a massive, uninsured liability and potential legal responsibility.
They were completely on their own.
What happened to Stephen’s church in Abilene isn't a fluke. It is a scenario playing out during discussions about security personnel and volunteer security services in religious organizations all across Texas. In our desire to protect our people, we are often unknowingly stepping over fine-print landmines in our insurance policies. A standard church insurance policy is often built on assumptions that no longer match the reality of church ministry in 2026.
These policies were not designed for a world where volunteer security teams are becoming the norm. The insurance market has shifted, and carriers are tightening their definitions and adding exclusions.
A standard general liability policy is designed for "slips, trips, and falls," not for carrying or discharging a firearm, even accidentally.These policies almost always contain specific exclusions for firearms and weapons, viewing their presence as a fundamental change in the nature of the risk they've agreed to cover.
Your general liability insurance is the bedrock of your church's protection, covering things like a visitor slipping on a wet floor or a volunteer damaging a third party's property. It’s designed for common accidents. However, the moment a weapon is introduced into your ministry operations, especially by volunteers, you have crossed a line in the underwriter's eyes.
To them, using a weapon at church isn't considered accidental. It is a specialized, high liability risk activity. Stephen’s church found this out the hard way. Their insurance coverage was perfect for the spilled coffee in the fellowship hall, but the accidental discharge in the parking lot fell under a "Firearms and Weapons" exclusion buried deep in the policy's language.
The insurance company didn't see this liability exposure as an accident. They saw it as an uninsured, high-hazard activity they never agreed to cover.
For insurance considerations, an underwriter considers off-duty law enforcement or security guards as trained, vetted professionals with their own liability coverage. While volunteer armed security teams are a far more unpredictable and higher-risk liability.
This distinction is critical because it dramatically changes the insurance company's assessment of your church's risk profile and liability exposures.
When your church hires an off-duty officer, a security guard service or private security guards, you are not just getting a person in a uniform. You are engaging professional security personnel who come with a documented history of training in firearms proficiency, de-escalation training standards, and follow use of force standards.
Insurance carriers see this as a predictable, manageable risk. The officer is accountable to their department, and they typically carry their own professional liability insurance.
On the other hand, Stephen's volunteer team represented a major unknown for the insurer. Even though they were all good, well-intentioned people with a license to carry, they lacked the standardized, documented training and institutional oversight of law enforcement.
An underwriter asks questions like: Who vetted their psychological stability? Who is documenting their ongoing training? Who is liable if they make a split-second decision that results in a lawsuit? Without a formal structure, the liability falls squarely on the church, making a volunteer team a much bigger gamble for the insurance company.
You must work with your insurance agent to add a specific "Armed Security" or "Safety Response Team Liability" endorsement to your policy. This is not automatic and requires disclosing your team's existence and operational details to the underwriter.
There is no "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to armed volunteers. The only way to secure real protection is through transparency. You need to have a frank conversation with an insurance agent who understands the unique risks Texas churches face. This involves formally adding an endorsement to your policy that acknowledges the existence of your armed team and provides liability coverage for their actions.
For Stephen’s church, this would have meant telling the insurance company upfront about their five-person team. The insurer would have likely required details about their training, licensing, and the church’s written policies for use-of-force and de-escalation. Yes, this endorsement comes with an additional premium, but that cost is minuscule compared to the budget-destroying expense of a denied claim and a subsequent lawsuit.
This endorsement effectively transforms a church's insurance coverage, making the insurance carrier a partner in the risk rather than an adversary after the fact. It’s the only way to ensure that if a weapon is ever drawn or discharged, the first call you make isn’t the last conversation you have with your insurer.
The first step for Stephen’s church, and for yours, is to stop making assumptions. Don’t assume your current insurance policy covers your security team. Don’t assume that because your volunteers are licensed to carry, the church is protected from liability risks.
In 2026, most standard liability insurance policies contain gaps that can leave your church dangerously exposed. You need to pull out your policy and read the exclusions section. Look for any language related to firearms, weapons, security services, or bodily injury caused by intentional acts.
What happened in that Abilene parking lot was a wake-up call. The financial cost of the damaged vehicle is one thing, but the cost to the church's reputation and the personal liability now facing the board members is another.
You shouldn't have to become an insurance expert to run your religious organization safely. You have a mission to focus on, and you need to know that your people, your property, and your leaders are protected. At Insurance For Texans, we have worked with hundreds of churches across this state, helping them navigate these exact complexities. Our True Texas Church Insurance program is designed not just to give you an insurance policy, but to give you a risk management plan.
Let us perform a comprehensive risk assessment on your current coverage. We'll help you identify the gaps, understand the exclusions, and build a customized plan that aligns with your church's specific activities, whether that includes an armed security team or not.
Don't wait for a claim to be denied to find out you're not covered.
Click the button below to understand your liability risks.