Curtis D. Sharp
Executive Officer for Denominational and Public Relations
214-720-2127
Curt.Sharp@GuideStone.org

GuideStone Agency Services to provide P&C insurance for SBC Executive Committee

March 9, 2009

The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention selected the new GuideStone Property and Casualty Program this February to provide its P&C insurance coverage, offering their vote of confidence to GuideStone’s new affiliate, GuideStone Agency Services.

“My loyalty to GuideStone as an SBC entity made me interested in considering a switch, and I feel very strongly that we made the right decision,” said Donald Magee, Executive Committee associate vice president for finance. “I wanted a P&C provider that would have the best interests of the SBC at heart and saved a few dollars while I was at it.”

Magee, who is responsible for maintaining the insurance portfolio for the Southern Baptist Convention and its entities, said he was impressed with the ease of the transition.

“I could not have been more pleased with the entire process of conversion to GuideStone. The agent I worked with kept the process as simple as possible. He filled out a lot of the paperwork for me based on the information I gave him from my existing policies, so all I had to do was review and read and sign it. That was an immense help.”

GuideStone Agency Services was established in 2008 to offer a property and casualty program designed specifically for churches and faith-based organizations. Douglas D. Day, GuideStone executive officer who is giving leadership to GuideStone Agency Services said, “We are excited about the benefits we can offer churches through the GuideStone Property and Casualty Program. For more than 90 years, GuideStone has served the financial needs of ministers and employees of Southern Baptist organizations. Now, through GuideStone Agency Services, we can more directly help the churches and ministries that employ our participants.

“We realize that churches have unique considerations when it comes to property and casualty insurance. They face risks that are different from secular organizations. So we designed a program as unique as their needs. Ultimately, we hope to give churches the coverages and resources they need to protect their ministries.”

Magee said the Executive Committee’s decision to go with GuideStone wasn’t based on dissatisfaction with their previous provider. “We were very pleased with our previous coverage. But GuideStone is an even better fit for us. We feel that their interests and our interests are the same, as opposed to a private insurance company who has their own profitability as their goal. With GuideStone, we felt we had an ally that was on the same side as us, fighting for the same goals.”

Clark Logan, Executive Committee vice president for business and finance, who approved Magee’s recommendation, agreed. “Like most other organizations, we’re trying to make the best decisions for our needs. GuideStone gave us a very competitive proposal, and we were excited to keep the business in the family, so to speak.

“We have no doubts that GuideStone will take care of us. It was a competitive bid, and we like doing business with a Southern Baptist entity.”

The Executive Committee’s policy provides property and casualty coverage for the three Southern Baptist entities housed in Nashville, Ten. — the Executive Committee, the Southern Baptist Foundation and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission — as well as the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Since GuideStone Agency Services’ inception in November 2008, the program now covers churches in seven states. GuideStone Agency Services is now licensed to write coverage in 19 states and has applied to write coverage in 17 additional states.

To learn more about the GuideStone Property and Casualty Program, call 1-877-455-GSPC (1-877-455-4772) or visit www.GuideStonePropertyCasualty.org.

Word Version: GuideStone Agency Services to provide P&C insurance for SBC Executive Committee