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?"

An Ounce of Prevention
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.

Full Replacement
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.

There is also considerable value in documents and records stored in your church office. "The preservation of vital documents and records is not only important, but also could be essential to a church in making a quick comeback after a fire," says Van Carlisle, CEO of FKI Security Group (formerly Fire King International), a leading loss prevention and asset protection company. Insurance policies and service contracts must be stored in a fireproof cabinet or a safe-deposit box off campus to be readily available in case of an emergency.

Other documents that should be safely stored are baptism records, church membership information, and contribution records, which are vital not only for the church's recovery, but also for the needs of the congregation for years to come. Carlisle cautioned to check for an Underwriters Laboratories fire proof rating on safes used for storing vital documents.

Quick Recovery
Should a building be damaged or destroyed, speed of recovery is essential. Sprung Instant Structures, a modular building design company, has experience responding quickly to many disasters such as the burning of several African American churches in the 1990s and the World Trade Center disaster of 9/11. "The speed with which a church recovers from a disaster will enhance or diminish its respect within the community," says Jim Avery, vice president of Sprung. "To continue its business as usual sends a clear signal of preparedness and purpose and also encourages the insurance carrier to favorably mediate the losses of the church." Sprung's modular design buildings go up quickly and are suitable for both short-term and long-term use.

In cases where a facility is needed quickly, another option to consider is modular construction. Companies like Vanguard Modular Building Systems in Malvern, Pennsylvania, can have a fully functioning building on site in a matter of months. Vanguard provides portable or permanent buildings with standard floor plans designed for use as a church or fellowship hall, classrooms, or offices. A wide range of custom options makes Vanguard's modular buildings very flexible.

VP Buildings of Memphis, Tennessee, has assisted numerous churches in disaster relief by offering pre-engineered metal structures. Components are precut to building specifications, allowing a quicker response time compared to conventional metal construction. For a quick, temporary solution in milder climates, VP also offers a playground canopy for churches needing a simple covered area for gatherings.

Even though time is important, it is vital for churches to fully understand their needs and budget before rebuilding. "The church leadership needs to possess a realistic expectation about what they can afford," says Darryl Eggleston, president of Century Builders, a design and build company. He explains that time and money can be wasted in designing and drawing buildings that exceed a churches means to pay out of its insurance settlement.

At the same time, it's important to avoid underbuilding, warns Tom Long, president of Olympic-Outreach, a design and build firm. In Michigan, a local congregation spent eight million dollars rebuilding from a fire only to discover that they did not provide adequate space for future growth. A disaster may afford the opportunity to use the insurance settlement along with the sale of the present location to relocate to a property more suitable for future expansion.

Start Now
It's never too early to begin planning your next facility: there's no need to wait until you're without a building to start. As you plan, you'll find numerous building options. Wick Buildings offers a laminated wood post frame construction finished to the client's specifications. Olympic is a liaison company that can bring together all of the parties needed for construction including architect, financial institution, and contractor. Sprung Instant Structures will furnish virtually any size stress membrane building, while Century specializes in more traditional worship buildings.

Fortunately for First Baptist Church, they understood the value of being prepared. "Our insurance totally replaced our worship center," says Sanders. "We had just completed air conditioning a 900-seat gymnasium we purchased at the back of our property. We never missed a Sunday." That is the news that causes a congregation to rise up out of the ashes of a disaster to soar to new heights of ministry.

Lawton Searcy is senior pastor of Dayspring Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and founder of Church Growth Dynamics, a consulting company helping local churches meet their space needs.