Maintaining your Baptist church

As the custodian of your local church, your job is invaluable; helping to keep the property safe, well-maintained and sustainable so it can be enjoyed by future generations. 

Wear and tear isn’t covered by most insurance policies. Insurance covers events which are sudden and unexpected. As a natural consequence of day-to-day use, wear and tear is inevitable over time and cannot usually be insured. 

Storms, floods, heavy rain and lightning can all cause damage to your church. Routine maintenance should involve: 

• Sign up to the Met Office’s severe weather warnings
• Clear out gutters and downpipes so they do not get blocked
• Secure loose roof tiles
• Make sure lightning conductors are well maintained and regularly checked by a lightning engineer.

• Storms 
• Floods
• Cold weather.

Fires in churches can start as the result of faulty electrical wiring, candles, heating systems or by building works or repairs. Every church should have a fire risk assessment to identify the risks and put measures in place to mitigate them.

Churches are particularly prone to malicious damage and vandalism, when they are empty. You can minimise the likelihood of damage to, or theft from, your church by introducing security measures including:

• Fitting strong locks, install intruder alarms and security lighting
• Encouraging visitors in the day so suspicious people or activities are noticed and reported. 
• Locking the church building when it is not in use 
• Maintaining perimeter walls and railings 
• Marking valuable items with a forensic marker such as SmartWater. 

Slips, trips and falls are a major cause of injuries to volunteers, church members and visitors alike. Many of these accidents can be prevented by carrying regular maintenance including:

• Making sure that the edges of carpets, rugs and doormats are securely fixed down 
• Keeping paths clear of fallen leaves and snow and ice 
• Displaying warning signs where appropriate
• Clearing away trips hazards such as cables.