Church Mutual business insurance

Overview

Church Mutual is the country's best-known specialist insurer of Church insurance and other religious organizations, and over time it has also become a significant insurer of Nonprofit insurance, schools and camps. It was ranked No. 70 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $1.14 billion, based on NAIC market share data, about 0.24% of the national commercial market. It does not rank in the national top 10 in any single line, but nearly all of its business is commercial. Package policies (commercial multiple peril) bring in $769.6 million, followed by other liability, commercial auto and workers' comp.

The NAIC group has four companies: Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., the lead company, plus CM Regent Insurance Company, CM Vantage Specialty Insurance Company and CM Indemnity Insurance Company. Since January 1, 2020, Church Mutual has been a stock insurer owned by Church Mutual Holding Company, Inc., a mutual holding company whose members are the policyholders. (The "S.I." in the name stands for "stock insurer.") Headquarters are in Merrill, Wisconsin. Alan Ogilvie is president and CEO. Business is sold through Church Mutual's own regional representatives and through selected independent agents and brokers.

History

A group of community leaders in Merrill set up the Wisconsin Church Mutual Fire Insurance Association in 1897 to give small churches fire insurance they could afford. Its first annual report, in 1898, was published in German. Key steps since then, from the company's history:

• 1952: renamed Church Mutual Insurance Company as it wrote outside Wisconsin and beyond fire insurance. Two years later it formed Church Mutual Agency, Inc. to place customers outside the religious market.
• 1977: moves into its current home office in Merrill.
• 2009: adds broker partners to its employee sales force, which the company calls dual distribution.
• 2016: enters the school market, expands specialty coverages and starts a "smart sensor" program to prevent water damage. NAMIC gave the program its Award in Innovation in 2017.
• 2018: launches CM Select, an online-access product for smaller churches and nonprofits.
• 2020: completes its conversion to a mutual holding company structure on January 1, after the Wisconsin insurance commissioner approved the plan Church Mutual filed on February 25, 2019. In the filing, the company said the restructuring was not a step toward a sale.
• 2023: Alan Ogilvie becomes president on January 1. He joined in 2015 and later took the CEO title as well.

Its recent history has been about repairing capital. On March 15, 2024, AM Best placed the group's ratings under review with negative implications after surplus and risk-adjusted capital eroded. The causes were adverse loss reserve development and heavy weather losses, especially in 2023 (see severe convective storms: hail, tornadoes and rising insured losses). Management responded in four ways. It raised capital with $40 million of 9.5% surplus notes due 2044, restructured the corporate group, cut back problem segments and bought reinsurance for capital relief. AM Best took the ratings off review in March 2025 but kept the outlook negative. There has been no sale, merger or change of control.

Business insurance products

Church Mutual writes specialized package programs rather than off-the-shelf small business policies:

• Property: buildings, sanctuaries, stained glass, contents and equipment.
• General liability: for premises, events and programs.
• Sexual misconduct and molestation liability: sold as a separate coverage. For churches, camps and youth-serving nonprofits it is often the most important part of the program. See abuse and molestation liability coverage.
• Management liability, EPLI and professional liability: management liability protects boards, clergy and staff (see D&O insurance for nonprofit boards). Employment practices liability covers claims from employees and volunteers. Professional liability, including counseling-type exposures, covers allegations of inadequate instruction, supervision or advice.
• Other lines: cyber liability, crime, commercial auto, hired and non-owned auto cover for volunteers' cars, inland marine, umbrella, international travel coverage for mission trips, and workers' compensation.

Risk control is built into the offer: abuse prevention resources through partners such as MinistrySafe, background checks, safety products such as water sensors, and guides on topics from armed intruders to storm preparation. Carrier Management reported in 2021 that the sensor program had returned more than 300% on Church Mutual's investment (see IoT sensors and commercial property insurance).

Who it insures

Houses of worship are the core. In May 2026, Church Mutual said it serves more than 50,000 churches and faith-based organizations. Its other segments:

• Education: public, private and charter schools and other educational facilities (see Private school insurance).
• Nonprofit and human services: food pantries, shelters and overnight facilities, arts and cultural groups. It covers both religious and non-religious organizations, nonprofit or for-profit.
• Camps, sports and outdoor recreation: religious and non-religious camps, conference and retreat centers, sports associations and clubs, and adventure and challenge-course operators. Church Mutual is an American Camp Association business member and a preferred provider of the Christian Camp & Conference Association.

In 2026 it combined its nonprofit and human services underwriting with camps and recreation under one leader. It writes nationwide. Brokers can place houses of worship and religious schools with account premiums of $25,000 or more. Camps have no minimum premium, but only in specified states. Smaller churches and schools are generally served by a company representative.

How to buy

You have two routes. Church Mutual's regional representatives are company employees with assigned territories, and the website's rep finder lists the contact for each state and county. Larger accounts and specialty segments can also be placed through appointed independent agents and brokers. The online quote form only starts the conversation: a representative follows up to gather information, and there is no instant quote. Existing customers can pay bills, report claims and get service through the customer portal or live chat. When you compare quotes, read the abuse and molestation section closely. Sublimits, aggregate limits and claims-made triggers vary from carrier to carrier, and brotherhood-mutual-vs-church-mutual covers the main competing specialist.

Claims

Report claims online through the claims center, by email to [email protected], or by phone at 800-554-2642. Claims forms can be faxed to 715-539-4651. For work injuries, Church Mutual uses a 24/7 nurse triage hotline run by Medcor, at 844-322-4662. Do not use that number for Washington, North Dakota, Ohio or Wyoming, where workers' comp comes from a state fund, or if the employee has already seen a doctor. If the nurse decides first aid is enough, no formal claim is opened and the incident stays off your loss runs. If outside care is needed, the nurse refers the employee to a provider and a claim is created. Telemedicine is also available. Questions on existing claims go to 800-554-2642 or [email protected].

Financial strength and ratings

AM Best rates Church Mutual and its subsidiaries A (Excellent) with a negative outlook. AM Best's disclosure shows the rating affirmed effective April 28, 2026, and Church Mutual says it has held an A rating or higher for 76 consecutive years. When it removed the under-review status in March 2025, AM Best called the balance sheet very strong (at the upper end of that range), operating performance adequate and the business profile neutral. The negative outlook reflects the reserve development and weather losses described above. It also rated the $40 million of surplus notes at bbb+.

The results have improved. For 2025, Church Mutual reported gross written premium of $1.21 billion, a combined ratio of 99%, and policyholder surplus of $805.5 million, up $91.1 million from year-end 2024. See AM Best rating for how outlooks work.

Strengths and weaknesses

Few carriers know churches, camps and youth-serving nonprofits as well as Church Mutual does, and its abuse coverage and loss-prevention tools reflect that experience. The cost was a hard reset in 2023–2024. Expect firmer underwriting and pricing than a decade ago, and some segments are smaller than they were.

• Strengths: More than 125 years focused on religious organizations, with more than 50,000 churches insured. A broad specialty menu: abuse and molestation, management liability, EPLI, international travel and camp programs. Policyholder ownership through a mutual holding company. Surplus up $91.1 million in 2025 on a 99% combined ratio.
• Weaknesses: AM Best outlook has been negative since 2024, after reserve charges and 2023 weather losses. The company deliberately cut back problem segments, so some accounts may be non-renewed or restricted. No instant online quoting, and brokers need $25,000 or more of account premium for churches and schools.

How to contact Church Mutual