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June 9, 1999, had every appearance of being a typical Wednesday evening filled with activities for the historic First Baptist Church of Lafayette, Louisiana. The senior pastor of 44 years, Dr. Perry Sanders, had concluded the midweek prayer service and retired to his home. The choir finished their rehearsal at 8:45 p.m. and left the premises, locking the doors as they left. Everyone and everything was coming together in preparation for the upcoming Sunday when the church would open its doors to the two thousand weekly worshippers who attend First Baptist.

But somewhere within the dark walls of the aging worship center an electrical wire was about to create the unthinkable.

At 9:00 P.M., only fifteen minutes after the last choir member had left, a passerby reported smoke billowing from the roof of the majestic worship center. By the time the sun came up on June 10, the worship center, many church offices, and the pastor's extensive library were only smoldering heaps of ashes that would take 5.5 million dollars and two years of construction to replace. Much of the pastor's library could never be replaced.

Is your church ready should the unthinkable happen? Fires, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes happen, and church buildings are not immune to them. In 2002, one of the largest insurers of church buildings reported that out of over 8,000 church clients, 265 damage claims over $100,000 were filed. Now is the time ask, "What would we do if we lost our worship center?"

Preparedness begins with prevention. Many worship centers are aging buildings that should be inspected annually by the building supervisor and a local fire official. Ask your insurance carrier for brochures and videos on how to inspect your building and how to prevent fires. Check www.churchmutual.com, www.brotherhoodmutual.com, or www.guideonecenter.com for some good materials.

Categorize your fire hazards. Common sense actions include eliminating long term use of extension cords, isolating candles, and removing exposed light bulbs in closets. Daily check that musical instruments, sound equipment, lighting, and climate control equipment have been safely turned off or properly set. Annually inspect breaker boxes, major electrical wiring, and kitchen equipment.

The best time to plan fire prevention is during planning for a new facility—before building—says Shawn Barrett of United Church Structures. Barrett urges churches to examine materials for fire rating, and she applauds the new International Building Code requiring fire suppression systems for buildings seating 300 or more.

Arson is the number one cause of church fires. Fire prevention includes protecting your building with a good alarm system as well as security checks every day. Don't allow flammable materials such as boxes or lumber to be stored around the exterior of any building on your campus.

Would your insurance settlement cover the cost of reconstruction, and of replacing your equipment? Maybe you need to look again—it's easy to underestimate full replacement value. Jeff Mohr of the Mohr Agency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, suggests that churches annually review the following insurance coverage: equipment replacement; clearing of debris; cash on the premises awaiting deposit; meeting new building codes; unique windows, lighting, or artifacts; assistance for a temporary meeting site; loss of revenue.

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