Hail Storm Insurance Claim Closed and Building Fund

          The historic hailstorm that caught us by surprise and caused massive destruction in McAllen and surrounding areas took place almost 15 months ago. At Calvary we sustained over $1 million in damages which took a little over a year to repair.  We have finally closed the insurance claim and can leave this chapter behind.

          Our church made the decision in October of last year to remove the West Ed building and convert the area into a grassy field rather than repair the damages caused by the storm.  This decision allowed the congregation to remove one costly step of a possible future construction project (that of a new student ministry and office complex).  At the time of the discussion and decision the final cost for this was unknown but it was understood that the insurance would cover most of it.

          The leaders communicated that any difference between the insurance coverage and the actual cost of removal of the West Ed building would naturally come from the building fund.  In the future when the church were to move forward with a building project, the cost of the removal for the building would have been included in the new construction program (and it would have come from the building fund).  The advantage of having proceeded in removing the West Ed now was a significant cost-savings.  Whenever the church decides to go into a building program in the future, the funds raised would be applied to new construction since the former building has already been removed.

          The total cost of repairs related to the hail storm damage was $1,046,366.44, including the removal of the West Ed building and the entire abatement process.  The church's insurance policy covered $1,014,376.40 (including the supplemental claims that were made after repairs).  That means our church paid the difference consisting of $31,990.14.  Of this, the $1,000 deductible came from our budget funds, and $30,990.14 came from our building fund.  The largest portion of this is related to the cost of removing the West Ed.  Our stewardship committee approved this measure at its last monthly meeting.  This measure had already been the understanding of the committee without knowing the exact figures.  The committee learned of these figures at the same meeting where it voted.  (If you keep track of the building fund balance that is printed in our weekly bulletin, you will notice the difference after applying this action).

          We are thankful that this process is behind us and that our campus continues to be useful for Calvary's multiple ministries.

          We are also thankful to the Calvary Cutters and the many volunteers who helped with the transformation of the "West Ed" into a grass field.  The Calvary Cutters have provided leadership and preparation and maintenance for this project.  Volunteers came on a Saturday morning and provided the work force to lay the grass down.