Steve is the kind of guy you want as a deacon at your church. He is a no-nonsense rancher who has served his church in Amarillo for over twenty years. He manages the property committee with the same precision he uses to manage his cattle operation. If a pipe bursts, Steve knows who to call. He takes pride in taking care of the Lord’s house, and the congregation trusts him to keep the building safe and sound.
That trust is exactly why Steve felt a sense of calm when the hail storm hit. It was a classic Texas Panhandle storm, determined to peel the roof right off the sanctuary and pummel the roof with ice. When the dust settled, shingles were scattered across the parking lot and siding was flapping in the breeze.
Steve didn't panic. He called Bill, a faithful church member who owns a reputable commercial construction business in town. Bill answered immediately, promising a crew on Monday morning. Steve hung up feeling good. He had a problem, and he had solved it. That is the Texas way.
But the next morning, everything changed. Steve called the insurance claims line to report the damage, expecting a routine conversation. But the claims process had other ideas.
The insurance adjuster explained that their insurance coverage was a Managed Repair Program. He told Steve he could not use Bill. The insurance company would assign a contractor from their approved network to handle the repairs for the property damage. It was a company from Fort Worth that Steve had never heard of.
Steve felt the knot form in his stomach. He was embarrassed to tell a member that his business wasn't welcome. But more than that, he felt a deep sense of frustration. He realized he had no control over who was about to step foot on their campus. He was no longer the property manager; he was just a spectator.
Claims - The Old Way vs. The New Reality
For decades, Texas churches have operated on the simple principle of when damage happens, the church hires a trusted local professional. This ensures the work meets the church's standards and supports the community. It is a system built on relationships and accountability.
But the insurance industry is changing. To combat rising weather-related claims, some new church insurance policies are moving toward Managed Repair Programs for the claims process. They offer these policies at discounted insurance premiums, while trading your freedom of choice for a lower cost. It sounds like a fair trade when looking at the budget.
However, The Promise of Certainty is about knowing exactly how a claim settlement will be handled before it happens. By accepting a Managed Repair Program, you trade that certainty for a discount. You are left with no idea who will be doing the storm repair or what standards they will follow. You hand the keys to your church over to an insurance provider focused on their bottom line, not your church.
Steve is learning this lesson the hard way. As he waits for the out-of-town crew, he wonders what else he has given up. Every church leader needs to understand the three specific risks of losing control over your selection of contractors.
The Contractor Serves the Insurance Company, Not the Church
In a standard insurance claim, the hierarchy is clear. The church has the right to hire the contractor.
- That contractor works for you.
- They know they have to please the committee to get paid.
- And they have to maintain their local reputation.
Their loyalty is to the property owner.
With a Managed Repair Program, that loyalty flips entirely. The contractor is vetted, hired, and paid directly by the insurance company. They do not work for Steve or his church; they work for the insurance company.
This creates an immediate conflict of interest. The network general contractor knows their steady stream of work comes from the insurance carrier. To keep that work coming, they must keep the insurance company happy. This can mean keeping costs down is their most important priority. If completing the job as quickly and cheaply as possible to meet the carrier's metrics is more important than restoring your sanctuary to its original glory, what do you think wins in the end?
You Surrender the Right to Vet Who is on Your Campus
For a Texas church, security is paramount. You have daycares, youth programs, and vulnerable people on site. When you control the repair process, you can background check your contractor. You can sit down with the owner and ensure their crew aligns with your church safety policies.
Under a Managed Repair Program, the insurance company assigns the vendor. You lose the ability to verify the crew members. Steve realizes this as he watches a van pull into the parking lot. He doesn't know these men. He doesn't know if they have been background-checked or if they are safe to be around the weekday preschool program.
You are forced to open your doors to strangers chosen solely by an algorithm or a claims adjuster in another state. You have a duty to protect your congregation, but your insurance policy has stripped you of the right to vet the people accessing your building. This isn't the risk management the church expected.
You Have No Leverage to Ensure Timeliness
When a Texas church hires a local contractor when the claim process is started, they have leverage. If the crew doesn't show up or leaves a mess, the church can withhold payment or fire them. That accountability keeps projects moving and ensures respect for the church's schedule.
Under a Managed Repair Program, the church is a bystander. Steve cannot fire the contractor because he didn't hire them.
Imagine the frustration. The crew rips off damaged shingles and puts up a temporary tarp, then disappears for a week to work on another job. Steve calls the foreman but gets no answer. He calls the adjuster, who says they are looking into it. Meanwhile, Sunday is coming, and the tarp is flapping in the wind.
If Bill were on the job, Steve could drive to his office and get an answer. But with the network contractor, Steve has no leverage. If the work is sloppy or the timeline drags, his only recourse is to complain to the insurance company. He is powerless to drive the project forward. The church is at the mercy of the program's schedule.
Certainty Requires Autonomy
The concept of The Promise of Certainty is rooted in autonomy. True certainty comes from having a policy that protects your right to make decisions. It means having the insurance benefits to hire the right people who share your values. It means knowing that when the hail storm hits, you can call a guy like Bill in your church and know the job will be done right.
Steve learned a hard lesson. The savings on the annual premium seemed nice, but the cost of losing control of the claim process was far higher. He traded peace of mind for a discount and was left with frustration.
The only way to ensure this doesn't happen to your church is to work with an experienced specialist who identifies these restrictive clauses before you sign a church insurance application. You must demand a church insurance policy that explicitly preserves your right to select your own contractor. You need to know that your insurance carrier respects your authority.
Don't let a Managed Repair Program turn you into a spectator in your own church's repair process after a storm hits. Make sure you have the freedom to choose what's best for your church.
Click the button to get the right property policy for your church so that you can have The Promise of Certainty.