OCA Group Program

A SPECIALIZED PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR OCA CHURCHES & INSTITUTIONS

Group Affiliated Program

GuideOne Insurance and Insurance Systems insures the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in Syosset, NY. In May of 2006, the OCA agreed to formally initiate a Group Affiliated Program for the benefit of its participating churches. As such, participating churches have the ability to receive special benefits not available anywhere else. In addition, the GAP Program offers the GAP Rewards which offers a Loss Control Bonus for Group profitability.

In addition to being one of the most comprehensive insurance packages around, the Group Affiliated Program offers the following benefits to churches insured under the plan:

A property coverage enhancement for each participating policyholder providing an additional 25% of their total building and contents amount of insurance, up to $1 million maximum, to use in case of an insured property loss. This comes at no additional cost to the parish;
Insurance Systems will be able to tailor an insurance plan to meet the needs of each individual church;
Each participating church will have the flexibility in determining their own coverage and limits;
Each church will receive their own policy; and
Each participating church will be billed individually.

GAP Rewards

Building on our Group Affiliated Program for churches, GuideOne Insurance and Insurance Systems has designed a program that provides benefits above and beyond our broad and comprehensive property and casualty insurance policy.

As one of the leading insurers of churches in the country, GuideOne offers the OCA GAP Rewards Program which provides a Loss Control Bonus for reduced claims and losses within the Group.

Since its inception, the OCA GAP Rewards has earned Loss Control Bonuses totalling more than $165,000.

Safeguard Your Church

As an Orthodox church, you want the peace of mind associated with a comprehensive insurance plan….a plan that can provide the best in property and liability coverages. GuideOne Insurance and Insurance Systems make that possible for you through its Group Affiliated Property and Casualty Insurance Program.

The Group Affiliated Program (GAP) is designed to provide comprehensive insurance coverage for Orthodox churches throughout the United States. Participants in the program will receive additional benefits and the security that your Holy Artifacts are properly insured.

Center for Risk Management

GuideOne offers you resources to minimize risk through the GuideOne Center for Risk Management. SafeChurch.com is dedicated to helping churches and faith-based organizations safeguard their ministries by providing the resources and training needed on safety, security, and risk management issues relevant to churches and affiliated ministries. For more information, call us at 800-860-3075.

Value-added Services

To provide our policyholders with a broad range of business and risk management solutions, GuideOne has developed the industry’s most extensive lineup of value-added services. Through strategic relationships with other industry leaders, GuideOne provides policyholders with access to everything from employee screening and volume purchasing, to church construction and legal resources. Many of these services are complimentary or available at reduced prices.

What Our Clients Say

In March of 2006, All Saints Orthodox Church in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, was ravaged by fire which left the interior of the church in ruins. By nothing other than the very Providence of God, just months earlier, during the summer of 2005, the trustees of All Saints Church had realized that the current property insurance on the church and All Saints Parish Center was inadequate and we needed to investigate new and better rates of insurance. It was at that time that we contacted Insurance Systems. They provided us with a new and detailed policy through Guide One which upgraded, updated, and surpassed our old coverage by millions of dollars—at a premium less than we had been paying for the outdated policy. All Saints wasted little time in procuring Insurance Systems as our new insurance agent and Guide One as our coverage provider.

Fr. David Cowan and Board

All Saints Orthodox Church Olyphant, PA

Few insurance agents could truly understand, appreciate and evaluate properly the needs of Orthodox parishes and institutions like Mike Herzak. His expertise in the field, his reliability and especially his immersion in his own parish life enabled him to offer us a complex coverage for areas of the church life and liabilities we have previously not contemplated. Our experience with the Insurance Systems could be simply described in the warmest terms I could use as a pastor.

The Very Rev. Remus Grama

Rector of St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral Cleveland, OH

We can not thank Insurance Systems enough for their work on insuring our church. Our church was quite underinsured with the last insurance company we were with. I thought we had the right insurance for our activities, but the truth of the matter was that we had not checked the insurance in a long time and we had outgrown the policy.

Reverend Jacob Myers

Rector of St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church Atlanta, GA

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to Insurance Systems Group for the exceptional attention they have given to our parish’s insurance needs. Recently, we suffered a major loss as a result to a flood in Wheaton, IL that engulfed the basement of our church. While the loss of material things can be replaced, it was comforting to know that the insurance we carry with ISG made it possible for us to recover and return to “normal” with a minimum amount of disruption. We offer our compliments and deepest gratitude for the assistance and guidance Insurance Systems offered us and for ensuring that we had the appropriate insurance coverage to meet our unique needs.

The Very Rev. John Matusiak

Rector of St. Joseph Orthodox Church Wheaton, IL

As rector of Archangel Michael Parish in Broadview Heights, Ohio, I have appreciated the expertise, commitment and prompt service we have consistently received from Insurance Systems Agency, Inc. Michael G. Herzak’s agency continues to provide updated coverage based on his unique insight into all insurable assets within the Orthodox Church. His ability to discern the intrinsic value of such properties as iconography, ecclesiastical wares and vestments has been key to the complete and quality coverage we possess.

The Very Rev. John Memorich

Rector of Archangel Michael Church Broadview Hts. OH

I am pleased to say that the Diocese of the Midwest, currently insured through Insurance Systems Agency, Inc. located in Cleveland, has been able to rest assured that all insurance related matters are addressed. Michael Herzak, who has always demonstrated his love and concern for the well-being of the Diocese, has taken a hands-on personal approach to details, making sure all properties and liabilities are covered. We know we have the experience of a seasoned professional as well as a knowledgeable Orthodox Christian.

The Most Reverend Job (of Blessed Memory)

Former Archbishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest Chicago, IL