More churches now have an armed safety team: volunteers, staff and off-duty officers who stand watch during services. They protect the congregation. But if one of them ever has to use force, who protects them?
This guide explains the gap in most church insurance, compares the two legal protection plans built for houses of worship, Right To Bear and CCW Safe, and covers the basics of setting up a church security team.
Why Church Insurance Isn’t Enough For Your Safety Team
Your church’s liability policy protects the church. It usually isn’t built to defend an individual team member who is arrested or sued after using force.
- Criminal defense usually isn’t covered. If a team member is charged after a defensive shooting, the church’s general liability policy rarely pays for a criminal defense lawyer. Right To Bear notes that most church insurance policies don’t cover criminal defense for staff or volunteers.
- Volunteers fall through the cracks. Policies often exclude volunteers, or anything a team member does off duty.
- The individual is the one on trial. In a criminal case, the defendant is the person who pulled the trigger, not the church. Legal bills land on that person and their family.
That’s the gap a House of Worship legal protection plan fills: it pays a team member’s lawyer, criminal and civil, after a covered act of self-defense.
Right To Bear Vs CCW Safe: House Of Worship Plans Compared
Both plans pay a team member’s legal defense after a self-defense incident. The biggest differences are who’s covered and when.
| Right To Bear House Of Worship | CCW Safe House Of Worship | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $220/year [CONFIRM: per member or per team] | $275/year per member; the church pays as a single payer, minimum 3 members |
| Who’s covered | Pastors, elders, staff and designated safety team members, paid or volunteer | Volunteer security team members only; paid security staff aren’t covered |
| When you’re covered | Church services, events and ministry activities, plus lawful self-defense in your personal life | Only while serving as a volunteer security team member at the church, its facilities or an official event |
| Defense costs | 100% of attorney fees for criminal and civil defense | Attorney, investigator and expert witness fees paid upfront; criminal, civil and administrative actions |
| Bail | Included | Bond up to $1,000,000 |
| Civil damages | Not stated on the plan page | Up to $1,000,000 per registered member |
| Emergency help | 24/7/365 attorney-answered hotline | 24-hour emergency hotline and onsite Critical Response Team |
| Other benefits | Firearm reimbursement, psychological support, training library, multi-state protection, family add-ons | Lost wages up to $1,000/day during trial, up to 20 counseling sessions, firearm replacement, funeral expenses up to $15,000 |
| Permit needed? | Not stated on the plan page | No; coverage applies with or without a carry permit |
| Not covered | Subject to policy terms and exclusions | Incidents in WA, NJ or NY; accidental discharges; incidents before membership began |
See The Right To Bear House Of Worship Plan →
See The CCW Safe House Of Worship Plan →
Which Plan Fits Your Church?
Choose Right To Bear’s House Of Worship plan if:
- Your team includes paid staff (pastors, staff members or paid security), not just volunteers.
- You want each member covered beyond church: Right To Bear also covers lawful self-defense in members’ personal lives.
- You want a 24/7 attorney-answered hotline, choice of attorney, and family add-on options at $220 a year.
Choose CCW Safe’s House Of Worship plan if:
- Your team is all volunteers, and the church wants to pay for coverage as one group of three or more.
- You want high dollar limits spelled out: up to $1,000,000 in bond and $1,000,000 in civil damages per member.
- Your church is not in Washington, New Jersey or New York, which the plan excludes.
You can also combine them. CCW Safe’s plan covers only time on duty at church, so volunteers who also carry in daily life need a personal plan as well. Right To Bear’s personal memberships start at $19 a month.
How To Set Up A Church Security Team
Legal protection is the last piece. A team that’s well organized is less likely to need it.
- Get leadership on board. The pastor and church board should approve the team, its mission and whether members may carry firearms. Put it in writing.
- Check your state’s law. Some states restrict guns in places of worship or require permission from church leadership. Read your state’s rules in our concealed carry laws by state guides.
- Choose team members carefully. Look for calm, mature people. Run background checks, and decide whether armed members must hold a carry permit even where your state doesn’t require one.
- Write a security plan. Cover posts and roles during services, how the team communicates, medical emergencies, evacuation, and when force may be used.
- Train regularly. Firearms proficiency is only part of it. De-escalation, first aid and use-of-force law matter just as much, and training records help if an incident is ever reviewed.
- Tell your insurance agent. Make sure the church’s own policy knows about the team, then cover each member’s personal legal risk with a House of Worship plan.
- Review after every incident and drill. Update the plan as your church and team change.
Church Security Team FAQ
Usually not for criminal defense. A church’s general liability policy protects the church. It rarely pays a team member’s criminal defense lawyer and often excludes volunteers or off-duty acts. A House of Worship legal protection plan covers the individual team member.
Yes, under both plans. CCW Safe’s House of Worship plan covers volunteers only. Right To Bear’s covers both volunteers and paid staff.
It depends on your state. Many states allow permitless carry, but some restrict carrying in places of worship. CCW Safe’s House of Worship plan applies with or without a carry permit, as long as the member can legally carry.
It depends on the state and the church. Many states have no law against carrying in a place of worship, but every church can ban guns on its property, and some states require the church’s permission. Check your state’s guide on our concealed carry laws by state page.
Right To Bear’s House of Worship plan also covers lawful self-defense in a member’s personal life. CCW Safe’s covers only time spent serving at the church, its facilities or official events, so members need a personal plan for the rest of their lives.
Right To Bear’s House of Worship plan is $220 a year. CCW Safe’s is $275 a year per member, with a three-member minimum paid by the church.
Sources
- Right To Bear, House Of Worship Plans and Membership Plans
- CCW Safe, House Of Worship Plan Description
This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice. All coverage is subject to each plan’s terms, conditions and exclusions.