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Neil Ziegler: 2026 Risk and insurance trends for houses of worship
In 2026, religious organizations across the country arenavigating a rapidly changing environment. From shifting communityneeds to evolving operational and safety risks, faith-basedorganizations are being asked to adapt in real time.
To better understand the challenges ahead — andthe evolving needs of faith communities — JenniferJohnson, senior corporate communications specialist, satdown with Neil Ziegler, vice president - ReligiousMarkets Underwriting at ChurchMutual, to discuss the trends shaping the year, emerging risks on thehorizon and how insurance carriers can step up to support churches andministries in the months ahead.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q:Before we get into the insurance details,can you paint us a quick picture? What's on the mind of houses ofworship right now?
Neil Z: I would say a lot of things. What Ihear and see the most — whether it's a small town or a largecity — they're dealing with all of the uncertainty and unrest in theworld at a time when their members turn to them for advice, explanationand some calm with all the things going on.
So, that combined with attracting moremembers and larger groups, in a time when there are so manypolarizing topics out there — messaging their faith with what peoplebelieve in the real world — is a difficult thing toresonate with a large group of people. The focus is really keeping theirmembers engaged and together, and attracting new ones, at a timewhen there's so many other things going on.
Q: Are you hearing shifts in day-to-day realities,say, in 2026, as opposed to this time last year?
Neil Z: Houses of worship are trying new thingsto start attracting new members. That’s much more common than I wouldsay a year ago. The other thing that's going on is theproperty market in particular, which was very tight a yearago. And prices were going up, and the financial strain on a lot ofreligious organizations is a real thing. They continue to understand that,figure out how they make ends meet as they run their organizations. I think thatstrain has gotten even more significant over the last year.
Q: Do you see those risks quietly showing up in theway leaders are making decisions, or in ways that they might not recognize?
Neil Z: Yes, for sure. The financialstrain manifests itself in a lot of ways.When you don't maintain your propertiesand you don't maintain your vehicles — it's easyto push those things off today, but in the future they show up in badways, right? Being proactive, managing insurance risk, but also, as theyexpand into new areas or newministries, it's all well-intended in terms of doing thingsthat will engage their members. But that can come with a lot of new risks,and until you actually do those things, you often don't understand what allthose risks could be. So, that is maybe the concern I wouldhave for a lot of our religious customers. Do they understand those newministries that they're undertaking, and a lot of the thingsthat they're trying as their organizations evolve?
Q: You talked about how it's easy topush off some of that preventative maintenance,whether it's a facility or automobiles. Are theyseeing a change in their insurance premiums then, when it comes time to renew,if they haven't done these things?
Neil Z: The customers whocan demonstrate that they're doing those things proactivelyare definitely the ones that are more desirable to a lot ofinsurance companies, and therefore see lowerpremiums or more favorable terms and conditions. So, that would bethe recommendation — if I had one — to a lot ofour religious customers. Demonstrate that they're still doingpreventative maintenance. And then a step further, having them done bycertified individuals. A lot of times, we do see members of congregationspitching in, helping out where they can, because they may havesome level expertise, or potentially not. But they thinkthey can do it. So, some of the preventive maintenance may not be done to thestandards that insurance companies would like to see, or that need to be doneto protect the property.
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