By Tabitha Bland
Published: Apr. 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM CDT|Updated: 8 hours ago
ARGYLE, Wis. (WMTV) - Apple Grove Lutheran Church is facing another roadblock in their rebuilding process, after their insurance company notified the cancelation of their insurance policy.
The insurance company provided funding for the clean up and rebuilding processes. Pastor Dan Bohlman said the letter he received in the mail from the insurance company explained the non-renewal of their policy is due to “loss ratio”.
“It basically said the money that you pay each year, versus what we just paid out is too much,” said Bohlman.
Bohlman said this is the first claim they have ever filed with insurance in 131 years.
With the money for rebuilding in hand and a 34-1 vote to continue forward, the church is back to square one until they can find a new provider.
“The best way to describe it is when you are playing on the playground and someone hits you in the stomach and it just takes the wind out of you,” said Bohlman. “It’s like a punch to the gut.”
He added that finding a new insurance company is not easy, as affordable insurance for churches is hard to find and his smaller church is on a smaller budget.
“They found someone that could do it for $30,000 a year which is 3 times more than we are paying now and our budget doesn’t allow that,” said Bohlman.
Congregation members are devastated from the tornado that tore the church apart, but now are disappointed with the further obstacles to rebuild.
“I just hope that an insurance company will step up to the plate and give us a hand and help us get going again,” said lifelong member and organist, Beth Fransen.
Her great-grandfather built the church, and it has been a part of her family for 131 years.
“I was baptized, confirmed and married there. My parents were baptized, confirmed and married there. My kids were baptized, confirmed and married there,” Fransen said.
She explained that even with the building gone, that piece of land is special because her family rests there.
“My great grandparents, my grandparents, my parents, all of my dad’s sisters and other family members are buried there,” she said. “So it’s like my family is there.”
A rebuild would help to keep her family close to her church.
“My grandkids are 6th generation there and it’s just hard to see those roots come to an end,” Fransen said.
Bohlman said that they have been working very hard to get the rebuilding process along, with support from the congregation, but they know the new reality of the situation now that their insurance policy has been canceled for the future.
“We had worked so hard to get this consensus and now all that might have been for nothing, so we might not be able to rebuild if we don’t get the insurance,” Bohlman said.
Apple Grove Lutheran Church merged with another area church. As the pastor of both, Bohlman said the insurance has been canceled for both, further complicating the situation.
Even through their disappointment, Bohlman and Fransen both have hope and said they will keep weathering this situation as it comes.
The church has until May 18 to find a new insurance provider.
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