ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 16, 2006
ELCA Council Receives Update on Insurance Alternatives for Congregations
06-177-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received an update from a task
force exploring the possibility of creating a "captive insurance"
or risk-sharing program to offer property and casualty insurance
coverage to congregations and synods of the ELCA.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and
serves as the legislative authority of the church between
churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 11-13.
Assemblies are held ever other year; the next is here Aug. 6-11,
2007.
The 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons had a "dramatic effect"
on congregations, particularly those that lost property, said
Mark S. Helmke, San Antonio, Texas, council member.
Helmke, a member of the ELCA Insurance Alternatives Task
Force, told the council that, in the aftermath of the last year's
storms, many insurance companies abandoned congregations in
Florida and the U.S. Gulf Coast, while other insurance companies
severely restricted what property would receive coverage or
greatly increased premiums at "expensive, impractical" levels.
The task force met in September to begin developing
alternatives for insurance coverage, said Helmke. At the meeting
it named an insurance brokerage firm to conduct a study of
insurance alternatives, he said. The study is expected to be
completed in early 2007. The task force will review the findings
of the study, and it will deliver a report with possible
recommendations to the Church Council at its April 2007 meeting.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
