During the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board’s September meeting, Craig Christina, BGCT associate executive director and president of Covenant Solutions, reported 650 churches have committed to the organization’s insurance program, with combined savings of more than $4 million.
Covenant Solutions also expects to contribute “several hundred thousand dollars” to BGCT operations starting in 2027. This contribution is factored into the proposed 2027 BGCT budget. Messengers to the 2026 BGCT annual meeting, Nov. 15-17, in Waco, will give final approval to that budget.
The following report provides further explanation of the structure and funding of the insurance program.
Organizational structure
The Texas Baptist Indemnity Program was created after messengers to the 2024 BGCT annual meeting approved the Executive Board recommendation.
TBIP later was closed after Texas Baptists partnered with Risk Theory and its subsidiary, Amherst Specialty Insurance. TBIP’s capital was returned and invested in Covenant Solutions, a South Carolina-domiciled company of which Texas Baptists is the sole member and appoints the board of directors.
Christina serves as Covenant Solutions’ board chair and president, while BGCT Chief Financial Officer Ward Hayes serves as secretary-treasurer and CFO.
Covenant Solutions operates as a reinsurance partner of Amherst Specialty Insurance, meaning Covenant provides financial backing for some of the insurance risk Amherst takes on through the KingsCover program.
As such, Covenant Solutions is responsible for paying liability and auto insurance claims in the KingsCover program. To differentiate the agency from the product of the same name, KingsCover recently changed the agency name to Dominion First. Dominion First, which shares offices with Amherst and Risk Theory, is the preferred agency for the program.
Through KingsCover, Covenant Solutions promotes in 16 states the church insurance program to ministries that can endorse the program’s four theological affirmations.
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Contributions back to BGCT
During the September Executive Board meeting, Christina said Covenant Solutions’ contribution back to the BGCT will cover part of his salary and Hayes’ salary because of the time they give to Covenant Solutions.
“Under its agreement with Covenant Solutions, Texas Baptists often incurs reimbursable expenses related to travel, training, education, IT, and promotional causes. These expenses are separate from the discussed discretionary donation included in the 2027 proposed budget of $250,000,” Christina told Baptist Standard.
“For 2026, reimbursements total about $215,000, mostly related to promotional expenses to market the KingsCover program and to encourage churches to use the Dominion First agency,” he said.
Hayes said the “$215,000 includes around $50,000 for training/educational expenses through MinistrySafe, and $100,000 of IT expenses for us helping to clean up contact info for churches.”
Financial success, shared benefits
Christina views Covenant Solutions’ ability to contribute financially to the BGCT as a significant benefit to both organizations and as evidence of God’s blessing on the initiative.
“The goal of launching the KingsCover Church Insurance Program was to provide an affordable, sustainable, and relevant solution to churches in crisis. The fact that the program is succeeding financially and able to contribute back to the BGCT is an additional benefit. Again, it was the BGCT, under the Lord’s leadership, who launched this initiative, and God has rewarded our obedience,” he said.
Salary arrangement includes BGCT savings
The salary structure, Christina explained, was approved by the BGCT Finance Committee, Administration Support Committee, and full Executive Board, along with the Covenant Solutions’ board of directors.
Covenant Solutions board members are Craig Christina, Covenant Solutions president and board chair, and BGCT associate executive director; Sergio Ramos, Covenant Solutions vice president, and BGCT senior director of relational development and GC2 Strong; Ward Hayes, Covenant Solutions secretary-treasurer and CFO, and BGCT treasurer/CFO; David Bowman, Tarrant Baptist Association director of missions; and Dennis Young, pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church in Missouri City.
“In light of the $3.8 million reduction in the 2027 [BGCT] budget, both the BGCT Finance Committee, Administration Support Committee, and Executive Board, along with the Covenant Solutions’ board, lowered Dr. Hayes’ and my salaries to allow Covenant Solutions to compensate us appropriately for the commitment of time and effort in launching the program,” Christina said.
Christina said Covenant Solutions is not responsible for paying the salaries of either him or Hayes. The BGCT remains responsible for their salaries.
“[He] and I are employees of Texas Baptists. Additionally, at the direction of the BGCT’s Executive Board, we serve as board members of Covenant Solutions. At Covenant’s discretion, we also serve as officers of Covenant. The BGCT pays our salaries,” Christina said.
Christina views his work with the insurance program as an extension of his ministry with the BGCT.
“We are only administering this program to save churches money, and it’s working. They have saved over $4 million in less than a year. We heard from many Texas Baptists churches who are thankful for this program and the investment Texas Baptists has made to help churches have more money for ministry,” he said.
Explaining how he and Hayes will be compensated by Covenant Solutions: “In 2027, we will be compensated $50,000 each by Covenant Solutions. I informed the BGCT Executive Board that this would result in a savings to the BGCT because the Executive Board Finance Committee’s 2027 budget recommendation included a reduction of $50,000 of my salary and $50,000 of Hayes’ salary for the 2027 year,” Christina said.
“Covenant Solutions will continue to reimburse the BGCT for all travel and other church insurance related expenses,” he continued.
Christina said the arrangement has been approved by state insurance regulators and the Covenant Solutions board of directors. Additionally, Covenant Solutions has accountants, attorneys, reinsurers, and a national insurance consultant providing oversight.
The $100,000 contribution back is separate from the reimbursements and contributions Covenant Solutions will make to the BGCT.
Time commitment
Christina said much of his work for Covenant Solutions also involves promoting BGCT ministries and initiatives.
“When I visit associational annual meetings, I often give a report from both the BGCT and Covenant Solutions. When I visit with pastors, my primary purpose is to visit about the BGCT, but inevitably church insurance is also discussed,” he said.
“With our weekend travel schedules, we often work seven days a week. Some trips are primarily about insurance. Most trips are primarily about preaching or promoting the work of the BGCT. At a minimum, 15 to 20 percent of our time is dedicated to promoting the insurance program. For me, it comes up daily in my schedule,” he said.
BGCT oversight
Christina indicated the structure of Covenant Solutions also allows the BGCT to maintain oversight of the program while benefiting from its financial success.
“The BGCT is the founder and sole member of Covenant Solutions. The Covenant Solutions board of directors is responsible for providing direct oversight, along with state insurance regulators,” he said.
“As president of Covenant Solutions, I will make sure the BGCT Executive Board stays informed about the success of the program and the benefit it is offering churches, camps, institutions, and ministries who share our four theological affirmations,” Christina continued.
Explaining why he reports to the BGCT Executive Board during their regular meetings, Christina said keeping the BGCT Executive Board informed is part of the ongoing relationship between Covenant Solutions and its sole member.
“The executive directors of Texas Woman’s Missionary Union and Texans on Mission make regular reports to the BGCT Executive Board. [My] updates from Covenant Solutions serve a purpose comparable to those presentations, providing the Executive Board with ongoing information regarding this partnership.
“The BGCT Executive Board took a leap of faith by investing $12 million of the Lord’s money to start an insurance program to assist churches. … My goal is to continually keep the Executive Board informed, so that we can celebrate God’s faithfulness and generosity in providing this affordable, sustainable, and relevant resource for his people.”
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