A small Protestant church in Adrian, Mich., has weathered controversies surrounding abolition, the Civil War, desegregation and Vietnam since it was established in 1836. Now, because its denomination supports gay rights, the church has been deemed too risky for property insurance.
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. of Fort Wayne, Ind., turned down the West Adrian United Church of Christ, citing its national governing body’s approval of gay marriage and the ordination of homosexuals.
“Based on national media reports, controversial stances such as those indicated in your application responses have resulted in property damage and the potential for increased litigation among churches that have chosen to publicly endorse these positions,” Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for Brotherhood Mutual — one of the nation’s largest insurers of religious institutions — wrote in a letter to the church last summer.
For years, same-sex marriage and gay rights have been among the nation’s most divisive social issues in both religion and politics. Several Episcopal churches have voted to leave the global Anglican Communion because its American branch supports gay rights and ordained an openly gay bishop in 2003.
I couldn’t see the entire article as I’m not a subscriber, but was able to glean some additional information from the blogs supplied by the Journal. In one blog entry, the writer points out that the church actually has insurance but was just shopping around for a better deal.
The reference to litigation seems clear enough, but I have yet to see any actual stories of property damage based on positions regarding same-sex blessings. Does anyone know of these?
The only SSB-related vandalism I am aware of, #1, was when somebody spray-painted Truro after they separated from TEC.
This is an interesting piece. It has huge implications if denial of coverage based on controversial issues becomes a widespread practice among insurers. One more fallout of the endless litigation. My husband had an insight recently that I think is helpful here. It used to be that the church was the center of a communities life and the driving moral force. No longer. Now it is the courthouse.
I understand there were some serious insurance issues in the Diocese of Pa. regarding the ++Bennison /++Moyer legal matters.
If TEC wins any of its substantive cases, it will have another insurance nightmare to deal with because the empty property will require insurance – unless it is sold directly – and this is the kind of risk that makes underwriter’s turn gray. All those empty buildings and an owner whose pocketbook has been emptied through legal fees. The underwriter’s will love this, take my word for it. Larry
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#5 Larry You have got it right. So far the score for TEC’s law suits was 7 to 2 in favor of the walk-away congregations. Did I also read that TEC floated a loan to help pay their legal expenses – $2,000,000 or so?? Very interesting!!