Expected Minimum Insurance Coverage
(12/11/2025)
Title I, Canon 7: Sec. 1 (h) of The Episcopal Church states: “All buildings and their contents shall be kept adequately insured.”
As all property is held in trust for the Diocese; using the Church Insurance coverage as a model, the minimum insurance expectations as determined by the Trustees of the Diocese of Albany are as follows:
COMMERCIAL PACKAGE POLICY, minimum limits:
∙ Buildings & Contents Insured to Replacement Value, “All Risk” Coverage
∙ Fine Arts / Stained Glass $1,000,000
∙ Commercial Crime/Fidelity Minimum $50,000
∙ Comprehensive General Liability Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $3,000,000
∙ Pastoral Counseling Liability Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
∙ Employee Benefits Liability (EBL) Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
∙ Medical Payments Occurrence $30,000
∙ Sexual Misconduct Liability Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
∙ Employment Practices Liability Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
DIRECTORS & OFFICERS (D&O) POLICY
∙ Directors’ & Officers Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
UMBRELLA POLICY (Excess Liability)
As excess over Commercial General Liability, Pastoral Counseling, Sexual Misconduct, Directors’ & Officer’s, Owned Auto, Hired and Non-Owned Auto and Workers’ Compensation. See comment in the Notes below regarding increasing Umbrella coverage limits.
∙ Umbrella Liability Occurrence $1,000,000 Aggregate $1,000,000
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION POLICY
∙ NY Workers’ Compensation Benefits Statutory
∙ Employers Liability $1,000,000
NOTES:
∙ Pastoral counseling liability should be extended to all employees and volunteers who are engaged in pastoral work (rather than being limited only to ordained clergy).
∙ Additional coverage limits should be considered, in particular for Umbrella liability coverage. Such consideration should be made in the context of reviewing appropriate coverage and the affordability of such coverage.
∙ Coverage for “Back Up of Sewers and Drains” should be considered.
∙ Churches located within a Federal Flood Zone should purchase separate flood coverage. Your insurance advisor can assist you with this.
∙ Consider the financial strength and rating of the insurance company as part of the insurance decision process.
Parishes that are not insured with Church Insurance should forward their policy declarations page to Canon Neal Longe <nlonge@albanydiocese.org> on an annual basis with the renewal of your policy.