GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said the alliance with Brotherhood Mutual brings together two ministry-focused organizations that share common values as well as a heritage of serving churches.
"The risk management needs of churches continue to grow and change," Hawkins said. "Brotherhood Mutual understands the unique needs of ministries, and working with them through this new alliance enhances and strengthens our ability to provide the best possible property and liability coverage for the churches and ministries we serve."
Brotherhood Mutual of Fort Wayne, Ind., was founded in 1917 as a mutual aid association, providing fire and storm protection to farms, homes and churches in three states. Today, it is one of the nation's leading church speciality insurance companies, with an A Excellent rating from the A.M. Best credit rating organization and more than $337 million in assets. Through its network of independent agents, Brotherhood Mutual provides property, liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and foreign travel insurance coverage exclusively to churches and related ministries in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
"We are pleased to align with an organization like GuideStone that shares our vision for advancing the Kingdom by serving the church," Mark Robison, Brotherhood Mutual's chairman and president, said in the Feb. 28 announcement of the alliance. "GuideStone is a respected organization of the Southern Baptist Convention, financially solid and customer-focused. Our service philosophies are well-matched, and we expect this alliance will help more ministries find the insurance and risk management solutions they need."
Some Southern Baptist churches already are long-standing customers of both Brotherhood Mutual and GuideStone. Among them are the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga., pastored by Johnny Hunt, a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
"We rejoice with the news that GuideStone, with whom we have been associated for decades with investment and retirement needs, is joining forces with Brotherhood Mutual to serve churches with property and casualty insurance," Hunt said. "These two organizations have both been serving Christian ministries for almost 100 years and share our cherished Christian values and convictions. No one knows the church world like these two service giants."
GuideStone Financial Resources, founded in 1918 as an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, is a leading provider of retirement, medical, life and disability coverage, investment management and executive planning services to the Southern Baptist and broader evangelical communities.
The alliance with Brotherhood Mutual is the next logical step in the growth of GuideStone's property and casualty program, Hawkins said. GuideStone first began its direct involvement in the church insurance market in 2008.
"The churches GuideStone serves can know without a moment's doubt that this program made for Southern Baptist churches and ministries is made even better by this alliance with Brotherhood Mutual," Hawkins said.
Churches interested in learning more about property and liability coverage, and the risk management tools available to them, can call GuideStone at 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) or visit www.GuideStonePropertyCasualty.org.
Roy Hayhurst is editorial services manager for GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Copyright (c) 2012 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net
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