Company Refuses to Insure Church Over Denominaton's Support of Gay Marriage

Company Refuses To Insure Church Over Denomination's Support For Gay Marriage
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: September 25, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET

(Adrian, Michigan) A company that specializes in church insurance has refused to provide coverage to a United Church of Christ congregation over the denomination's support for same-sex marriage.

The UCC said that West Adrian United Church of Christ was told that its gay-affirming stances made it a "higher risk" for property and liability insurance.

"Our company's decision to not submit a quote to your organization arose out of information that was supplied in a supplemental application, indicating that your organization 'publicly endorses or practices the marriage of same-sex couples' and 'publicly endorses or practices the ordination of the homosexual clergy,'" Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana said in a letter to the church.

"[Brotherhood Mutual has] an obligation to serve as stewards of our policyholder's funds, and to avoid knowingly insuring organizations that are at higher risk of loss based on the controversial positions that they have taken," the letter, signed by Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for the company, said.

Founded in 1917, Brotherhood Mutual, bills itself as one of the nation's leading insurers of churches and related ministries. It provides insurance to 30,000 congregations in 29 states and the District of Columbia.

The church has found insurance through the UCC.

West Adrian UCC, founded in 1836, has about 100 members. It, however, is not listed among the nearly 700 UCC churches that have publicly adopted an "Open and Affirming" position with regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

The United Church of Christ has a history of supporting gays in its denomination, dating to 1972, when it ordained the first openly gay minister and established a gay caucus.

The General Synod of the United Church of Christ voted in 2005 to endorse same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination in the country to do so. (story)

In 2004 the UCC caused a stir in the growing marriage debate when it created a television advertising campaign that featured a gay couple, among others, being excluded from a church. CBS and NBC rejected the 30-second ads. (story)

The 30-second commercial features two muscle-bound "bouncers" standing guard outside a picturesque church and selecting which persons are permitted to attend Sunday services. Written text interrupts the scene, announcing, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we." A narrator then proclaims the United Church of Christ's commitment that: "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."

It produced a second gay positive commercial this year that also was rejected by national networks but aired on cable.

Called "Ejector Seat," the ad employs humor to underscore one of the campaign's central themes, "God doesn't reject people. Neither do we."

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